The National tribune., 1884-04-10
BURNsIDES MEN,
And Something About Their Gallant Charge al
the Second Manassas.

And Something About Their Gallant Charge at
the Second Manassas.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Old soldiers dislike to have their commands
ignored sighted General Towards series
OF articles now being published are admirable
in almost every respect and vet some facts
OF very great interest have escaped his atten-
ton or have not been deemed Of sufficient i'm
poriance to mention | was attached TO, or on
duty with. the LIST brigade I'd division, 9Th corps
Barnsidesl. The I'd brigade of the same divis-
ion and corps was, ] think, the only brigade,
besides the lst belonging to the 9th corps that
served under General Pope in Virginia, having
just been brought from New Berne, North Car
DINA. General Reno was in command. The
fact that these two brigades of the 9th corps, as
well Stevens and Kings divisions, had
reached Cedar Run, just east of Cedar Noun
TAIN Culpeper county, forming Pope's left,
seems to have escaped General Towards
notice. The troops named arrived at Cedar
Run, about a mile north of the Rapidan, two
days before the retreat was made TO TIE north
bank of the Rappahannock. crossing the latter
river at kelley's Fosd, having marched via
Stevensburg, closely followed by Stuarts cav
airy aud Longstreet's corps. General Howard
says these troops should have been brought
from fredericksburg and placed behind Cedar
Rnn-that Cedar Ran which is a branch of the
OecoqHon, in Fauquier county, north of the
kappah3nnock. being evidently meant. The
troops in question had. therefore, not only been
broneht from Fredericksburg, but had been
marched thirty or forty miles south of the
point indicated by General Howard.
A GALLANT CHARGE.
Again, there IS no mention of any part that
these troops took IN the battles of the 29th and
S0th Of August at Bull Run AT noon of the
29th the lst and I'd brigadeS. 9th corps, were at
MANASSAS, where our railroad and trains had
been wrecked and burned by jackson a day or
TWO before. a brisk march directly across the
country without following roads brought us 10
& point just north OF the Warrenson turnpike
short distance eSst of the Sud!ey Church road,
near stcne hoaSe en- the north side of the
pike. As We arrived at this point qnite
number of wounded were being brought in
from point 10 the north and west of US. I
WAS told they belonged 70 Kings division and
that this division had just been severely but
ursGecesstuliy engaged. / cannot now say
what time OF the afternoon this occurred, but
DO remember that the sun was far in the
west and shadows were growing quite long.
Some considerable time after we had reached
the point mentioned above, and after those
wounded had been brought in Colonel James
Magic, of the 4Sih Pennsylvania volunteers,
then in command of the LIST brigade, consisting
OF the 4Sth PeansY ivania volunteers 9th New
AAdaI I'LL lAsl1
ing alsout 100 men, received an order to drive
the enemy from strip Of timber which ex-
tended from the MarTeEton pike north to
Sualey Church. The point of attack was a
short distance north of the pike-perhaps
quarter Of a mile north The brigade advanced
across open fields 10 the timber, and shortly
after getting into that brushy timber, where
one could see but short distance, having dis
covered the position of the enemy in an old
railroad cut, charge was made with the bayo-
net, and the enemy were dispersed and their
position occupied by our troops as far as the
brigade front OF two regiments extended-the
Sd regiment having been placed in second
line IN rear Of the other two. We now found
that NC had driven orr little brigade, entirely
unsupported through the lines Of the rebels,
and OF course, we were in hot place. They
brought fresh troops against our little front,
while those 10 the right and left of US closed
IN on our tanks and rear. Colonel Nagle the
brigade commander, finding the position un-
tenai,le IN consequence OF the overwhelming
numbers. ordered the brigade to the rear by
fling of from the right hoping. 10 doubt, in
this way TO keep the troops together through
the brush Nevertheless, we got all mixed up
with those CT the enemy, who had passed TO
our rear, and every available weapon was
brought into use--bayonets, blows from guns
and fists and feet. But we became separated
so suddenly that every survivor, think, must
have been surprised at the almost instanta-
neous quiet after this horrible, noisy melee.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
After twenty years of wondering how this
happened. the secret was disclosed in General
Hoods book on the late war, where he states
That he was furiously attacked late on the
evening Of the 29th OF August; that bis troops
became mixed up with those of the enemy
that Colonel Work, Of the 9Th Texas, had been
killed by being struck in the head with mus
ket, and, night coming on, he deemed it pru-
dent to Withdraw his troops. So that il nov
appears both sides withdrew at the same time,
and the parting was unexpectedly sudden
How long orr little brigade was in this work
90 not know, but 1T not a long tine-I
would say not over half an hour. Our loss wa4
II ! remember il correctly, 52I in killed,
wounded and missing Among the wounded
was our gallant A. A. G., Captain J. d. Berto-
lett. than whom better soldier never served
Lieut.. Mackenzie-now Brigadier General
Mackenzie, U. s A. then on stat duty--was
also severely wounded from shoulder to Shout
der across the back by m1sket ball. General
Biackenzie's present affection may quite likely
be due 10 the injury then sustained by violence
or shock TO the spinal cord
Why this isolated attack was made by this
little brigade, of course ii is not possible for
me 10 tell, unless ii was expected that General
Fitz-John Porter would also attack, be being
some distance TO our left. A force of say, 90
oJD men attacking our little brave brigade
attacked, would undoubtedly have hustled the
rebels from the field but as it was il Was useless
slaughter Of large nnmer of as brave soldiers
and worthy comrades as ever served under the
starry flag. For the sake and in the name of
those who fell, as well as those who survived,
! ask that these heroic deeds be not lightly
passed by.
Yours, in F., c. s. L.,
CHARLES T. REFER, N. D.,
Commander, Post 13S.
SEELBYyILLE, Ill.