Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-02-11
General Beauregard's Report of the Battle
of Manassas.

we gave last Wctk sOlH6 tAtrhClS from Oenl
JoAnston's Report of this great Battle Since
then Gen. Beauregard's Report has been pub
lshed. 1t is very minute and highly interest
ing, and gives cs q better conception of The con-
fct than we have ever had before We give
below some extracts which show the part play
ed in the action by the troops from Aus usta,
and i. is not going too fer to cay that it was
most important and brilliant service tAat they
performed. 1t will be observed that Iinboden's
Battery was subjected to a more terrible fire
and for longer period of time than any other
Battery mentioned, his men having fought to
exhaustion. and his battery having been disa-
bled in the unequal contest with three of the
most splendid of the Federal Batteries. The
Report says:
About o'clock, A. NJ, Jackson's Brigade,
Will lmrodeu's, and five pieces of Waltons bat
terry, had been sent to take up position along
Bull Run to guard the interval between Cocke's
r ght and Bonham's left. with orders to support
either in case of need.
So much OF Bees and Bartow's Brigades, now
unite1, as had arrived-so1ne two thousand
eight hundred muskets-had also been sent for
ward to the support of the position of the Stone
Bridge
The enemy beginning his detour from the
turnpike at point nearly half way between
Stone Bridge and Centreville, had pursued a
tortuous, narrow trace of rarely used road,
through dense wood, the greater part of his
way, until near the Sudley road. A division un-
der Colonel Hunter, Of he Federal regular army,
of two strong brigades, in the advance, fol-
lowed Immediately by another division under
| n al, -
en- companies of regu.at o4valry End twenty four
pieces of artillery eighteen of which were rifle
guns This column, as it crossed Bull Run,
numbered over 10000 men of all arms by their
own accounts.
Burnsde's brigade-which here, as at Fairfax
Court House, led the advance-at about 9.45,
a. M, oebouched from wood in sight of Evans
position, some five hundred yards distant from
| Wheal's battalion.
He Immediately threw forward his skirlrishers
in force, and they became engaged with Wheat's
command, and the 6pounder gun under Lieut..
| Leftwitch. .a. flt- f,
The Federasts at once advanced, as they re-.
port officially, the I'd Rhode Island regiment
volunteers with its vaunted battery of six l3-
pounder rifle guns. Sloan's companies were then
brought into action, having beer pushed for ward
through tue woods. The enemy, soon CALLED
and staggered by the fire, and pressed by the
determined valor with which Wheat hauded
bis battery until be desperately wounded,
FASTENED up three other regiments OF the brigade
and two Dahlgreen howtzers, making in all
quite FIVE thousand five hundrel bayoners and
eght pieces of artillery opposed to less than eight
handred men and two 6pounder guns.
i Despite this odds, this INTREPID command OF
but eleven weak companies maintained its front
to the enemy for quite an honr, and until Genl
, l..
heroic Bee, with a soldiers eye aD1 recognition
of the situation, had previously dispose his
command with skill-Imboden's battery having
been admirably placed Jet cen the two brig
!, AIDES, under shelter behind the undulatons of Il
hill about one hundred and fifty yards North OF
the row famous Henry House, and very near
where he subsequently fell mortally wounded, to
} The great misfortune of his country, but after
deeds OF del berate and ever memorable courage
Meanwhile the enemy had pushed forward q
. battalion OF eight companies Of regular infantry
and one of their best batteries of SIX pieces, (tour
tifed,) supported by four companies OF marices
to increase tGs desperate odds against which E.
vans an his men had maintained their stand
with az almost matchless tenacity.
!, Gen'l Bee, now finding Evans sorely pressed
under the crushing weight Of the masses of the
enemy, at the call of Colonel Evans threw for
ward his whole force to bis aid acr3ss small
streem Young's Branch and Valley-and en-
gagged the Federalists with itnpetuosity; lnbo
den's battery at the time playing from lis vel
chosen position with brilliant effect wit spherl.
cal case, the enemy having first opened on him
> from a, rifle battery, probably Griffin's, witt
elongated cylindrical hells, which flew few
teet the heads of our men and exploded in
the crest of the hill Immediately il rear.
As iSee advanced under a severe fire, he pla
ced the 7th aud 9Th Georgia Regiments, uuder
Cbe ivalrou5 Barlow, at aboat IL, A. NJ. in e
wood of second growth pines to the right and
front OF, and nearly perpendicular to Evans line
# battle, the 4th Alabama to the left of them
along ence connectirg tie position OF the
Georgia Regiments with the rectal gular copse
in which Soan's South Carolina panies were
engag c, and into which he also threw the ID
Mississippi. A fierce and destructive coLhcl
now en- sued-the fire was wilher!ng Oh both
sides, while the enemy swept our short, thin
lines with their :lnerous tllery, which, accor
ding to their official reports, at this time
ted of at least ten tife guns and four howl zers
For an hour did these stout hearted men of the
blended commands of Bee, Evans and Barlow
breast az uDintei mittiny battl storm, animate d
surely, by something more than the ordinary
courage Of even the brayrst men under fire il
must have been, indeed, the inspiration of the
cause, and Consciousness OF the great stake a,
issue, which thus nerved and an,nated one anC
all to stand unawed and unshrinking in such ex
l trenty.
Two Federal Brigades OF Heintzelman's nivis
ion were now brought iDto actiou, led by Rick
etts' superb light battery of six ten pounder rifle
guns, which, posted on an eminence to the right
OF the Sudey Road, opened fire on Imboden's
battery-about this time increased by two rife
pieces Of the Washington Artillery, uoder Lieut.
Richardson, and already the mark of two batter
les, which divided their fire with Imboden and
two guns, under Lieus. Davidson ant, Leftv ch
cf Latham's Battery, posted as before mentioned
At this time, confronting the enemy, we had
still but Evans eleven companies and two guns
Bees and Bartow's four regiments, the two
companies lJth Mississippi, under Lieut.. Col
! LlddeH, and six pieces under 1mboden and
Richardson. The enemy had two divisions OF
tour strong brigades, including sev nteen com
panes OF regular infantry, cavalry and artillery,
tour companies of marines, and twenty pieces ol
artillery. Againse this odds, scarcely credible,
our advance position was still far a while main
tained, and the ere ny's ranks constantly broken
AID shattered under the scorcLing fire Of our
men; but fresh regiments of the Federalists
came upon the field, Sherman'5 and Keye's brig
ades of Tyer's Division, as Is stated in their re-
ports. numbering over six Thousand bayonets,
! which had found passage across the Run about
eight buudred yards above The Stone Bridge,
threatened our right
HEAVY losses had now beer sustained on our
side. both in numbers and in the personal worth
O, the slain. Tne Sth Georgia Regiment had