The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-02

| other until the whole field wse.. covered
| with a confused mass OF struggling, run
ming, routed Yankees. Inc! iaiieo |"
t,,Le the c,n. the battle Of the left wing
| ~ tho army was over and the whole OF
| Jackson's corps advanced about a mile
In bis report of the engagement, made
also at the time, General Sykes
confirms all that Colonel johnson said
He says Oh, 49,:
"Buttertield's attack was CALAMITY
made and CALAMITY maintained until his
troops were tossed to pieces. My First
brigade. under Colonel X. G. Buchanan,
United States Army, moved to his AID,
relieved him and became previously en-
gagged. The troops on our right did not
properly support the attack, In conse-
nuence of which the whole movement
failed. The enemy, posted in railroad
excavation. was as secure as earthen
entertainments could make him, and as our
tr,ops emerged from the woods they were
met nv whitening yoleys that decimated
their ranks. Ii became necessary
10 retire from the ground we occupied.
Buchanan's and Chapman's brigades,
both composed of regulars. fxcll slreiy,
"did so in columns Of regiments, In lieu
of battle, under a severe artillery IRE.
General William 3. Franklin arrived
with his corps at 6 o'clock at position
lust in rear of where this terrific strug-
gle had taken place, and at $40 L. NJ.
of that day he sent to General Haileck,
commander-in-chief, the following dis
patch Qb,, $3.50:
'Centreville s:15 p. NJ, Aug. so, 1867.
"Gencral:-I have opened your dispatch
of . i. VI. TO General Pope. j
arrived at the field this afternoon at q
o'clock. Found that the road was filled
with fleeing men. artillery, and wagons,
all leaving the field in a panic. 1t was
a scene of terrible confusion. and I'M
medately formed line of battle across
the road and attempted to stop and form
the stragglcrs. 1t was Impossible 10 sue
coed i'm this the number becoming over
1000 in less than half an hour. The
number continued 10 increase until | left
the position, and | have now moved my
corps to this place
When the Federal attack on the rail-
road cut was finally repulsed and their
troops were streaming over the field in
ignominious rout, an incident was wit
messed which might wOrthily employ the
pen of a Homer. Colonel Johnson reused
his little brigade. sprang with it over the
embankment and dashed down the hill
with it in pursuit of the routed enemy.
At the foot of the hill he halted his COM
nand to restore some sort of order. His
ammunition was all gone. Calling on all
first sergeants to report to him, he sent
them back over the battlefield TO collect
ammunition from the dead that lay piled
thick, one upon another. They soon came
from every quarter with blankets filed
with cartridges, and while they We're
standing in group, some forty in num-
Der, dividing these out, case shot burst
Immediately amongst them, and all the
sergeants were on the ground, some
fifteen or twenty Of them, dead. A
SILVER ran along the line-a stupendous
panic was at hand but the quick eye of
a soldier took In the situation. In
stantly the commanders clarion voice
rang out: attention, Second Brigade"
Shoulder arms" Present arms" Car
ny arms" "Order arms" When the butts
of the muskets thudded on the ground in
response to the last command, the men
had caught the leaders thought, the
Rebel yell went up to heaven in over
whelming voice, the line was steadied,
and the Second Brigade was ready to
perform again what it had already done.
A people which has records such as
these behind it has little TO fear from
Mr.. Trent's opinion that they have de-
generated