The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-17
Patterson, in command of large yankee
March to Manassas.

| Meanwhile, the federal hosts, under | Mcdowell. were assembling at Washing 1 ton. preparatory to the famous Ion to | Richmond" march, and the attack on Beauregard's army was now imminent. The confederate forces of the valley were hastened on to meet the emergency, and with these forces was the Tenth Ala bama. Under a forced march the regi- ment reached Piedmont, where 1t was to take rail to Manassas. But, owing to the wreck of the train on the railroad, the Tenth, as well as other commands, were prevented from reaching their des- tination in time to participate in the bat tie of Bull Run, the first great conflict of the civil war. There was a fixed belief in the minds of the soldiers that the wreck was purposey effected in the in- terest of the federals, and there Is a wlerd story 10 the effect that the engin- ger, for this alleged reasonable act. was summart!y dealt with by the enraged sol diers without even the form of drum headScourt martial.
 In Camp at Bristol. Bleaching Manassas when the smoke of | battle was scarcely over, the regiment encamped a short time on Bull Run and 1 then went into camp at Bristol where the men suffered for many weeks from measles, camp-fever and other diseases incidental to the seasoning of raw troops. Meanwhile there was little aggressive movement for some months. with either of the opposing forces. Both armies were preparing for the fierce and pro- | tracted struggle yet to come.
 In the late fall and early winter of 1881, the federals again became active. And on December 20 came the engagement at Dranesyille, where the Tenth regi- ment received its first baptism of fire. | At this battle, the confederates were 1 commanded by Brigadier- General J. b. | B. Stewart, with an aggregate force of | about 1900 men. Opposed 10 this force was a federal army aggregating 310O I in numbers. The brunt Of this conflict 1 fell on the Tenth Alabama and the Sixth | South Carolina. The Alabama regiment sustained a loss of fifteen killed and | forty-tlve wounded The South Carolina regiment suffered loss of eighteen kill | ed and forty-fve wounded Of the four l other commands in this engagement the | loss was comparatively trihng. | General Stewart. in his official report. of the engagement at Dranesville says: 'I cannot speak in too high terms of | Colonel Forney a. H), that gallant son | of Alabama. whose conspicuous bravery leading his men in a galling fire was the admiration of all; or of his Lieuten- ant-colonel Martin q. B.), who with the battle-cry of forward on his lips fell | bravely encouraging his men. Nor can l do more than simple justice to the offi- cers and men of this regiment who seemed to follow their colonel wherever he would lead.'
 After the battle of Dranesville the reg iment went into winter quarters near Centerville. where the time passed with out notable events of interest
 In the Spring.
 On the approach of spring, the line of the Potomac became active with move ments of both the federal and confeder- ate armies. The federals had organized and assembled a vast army General McLelland was not at It's head. He had abandoned the line attempted by Mo Dowell, and sought the capture of Rich mond by the peninsular route so as tc have the support of the federal gunboats from the Pamunkay and the James rivers.
 In the meantime, the army of Northern
 Virginia had been organized into brig ades. divisions and corps. Wilcox's brig ade comprised at this time four Ala bama regiments the Eighth. Ninth
 Tenth and Eleventh; all becoming part of Andersons division Longstreet corps.
 Williamsburg.
 In meeting the enemy from his new base confederate forces about the mid dle of March, 1862. were moved to York town, and among these forces was the Tenth regiment, now a part of Wilcox's brigade of Alabamians. Falling back from Yorktown the enemy was engaged at Williams l burg May X 1262 in u,biob ,ha