The National tribune., 1906-03-01

! diate presence of the enemy, back to
! their original position across the
Gfoyeton pike, about a. m. on the
| 30th of August. AS | was prepared to
lie down and rest for the few remain
| ing hours before dawn, one of my Off
GERS informed me that Gen. Richard
| Anderson's Division was bivouacked in
| mass just in my front. Knowing that
some 80 or 40 pieces of artillery bore
| directly upon his troops, / mounted my
horse, rode off in search of his quar-
| ters, and urged him to hasten his with
drawal, as the Federal artillery would
assuredly, at daylight, open upon his
| men thus massed, and greatly cripple
| his division. Anderson had been
marching all day. in order to join Gen
Lee, and did not halt until he found
himself in the midst of Federal and
Confederate wounded. Upon my warn
ing, he promptly aroused his men and
just after daybreak, marched to the
rear of my line of battle. The pike was
dry, and his division, as it moved back
left cloud of dust in its wake, which
circumstance, / have always thought,
induced, Gen. Pope 10 send his cela-
brated dispatch to Washington to the
effect that Gen. Lee was in full retreat.
The Battle mt the Railroad Cut.
My troops remained stationary
greater part of the 30th, quietly await
ing orders to again advance. About
$3.50 p. m. a furious assault was made
upon Jackson, within full view of my
position. Line after line was hurled
against his brave men, posted in i
railroad cut, from which they stub
bornly resisted every attack. / sent for
battery UReiley's, if / mistake noO,
and ordered it to open upon the flank of
the enemy's attacking column, whilst
Col. S. ID. Lees artillery, together with
the remainder of Maj. Frobers batter
les, ploWed deep burrows through the
Federal masses as they advanced to
and recoiled before the "Stonewall' up
Oh my left. So desperate was the as
sault of Pope, and so fixed the deter
mination of this commander, or some
of his officers, to force the troops to
nght, that a line was, apparently, sta
toned in rear to fire upon those who
impelled by fear or despair, sought
refuge from the battlefield.
Thus ragged this fierce contest, wher
about p. m. 1 received an order,
through one of Longstreet's staff Off
GERS, to advance. A few minutes after
my division moved forward, a messen-
ger from LongStreet summoned me,
and, at the full speed of my horse, |
Joined him from a quarter to half of
mile in rear. He instructed he not to
allow my division to move So far for
ward as to throw itself beyond the
prompt support of the troops he had
ordered to the front. Notwithstanding
| rode at as rapid a course as my favor
lite horse could bear me to rejoin my
two brigadeS, i did not overtake them
till / had crossed the creek, about 400
yards south of the Chinn House. and
the Texas Brigade had captured a bat |
terry. routed the Federal Zouaves-lit- |
c"ally streWing the ground with their !
dead and wounded-and Law, upon the |
left, had accomplished equally impor-
tant results in his front The field, !
where lay the dead and dying ZouaveS |
in their gay uniforms, amid the tall |
grass, presented indeed a singular ap- |
pearance, as l passed down the slope |
and crossed the creek. l here sent or
ders to my troops to halt and adjust |
their alignment, and discovered, at the |
same time, upon ridge short distance |
beyond, another battery together with |
large masses of Federal infantry in the
vicinity of the Chinn House. Soon, Col.
Means, mounted and in command of |
Gen. Evans's Brigade, reported to me
for directions. / instructed him to take |
the battery which was then within 60
yards of us. His men boldly dashed
forward, and he, few moments later,
fell dead to the ground pierced by a |
ball.
L moved little to the right and
about this juncture d. r. Jones's Divi-
sion arrived upon the scene of action: Il
it was soon followed by the remainder
of Longstreet's Corps. Gen. Jones rode I
up to me, and desired To know at which
point he could most effectually strike
the enemy. | recommended that he at |.
once assail the heavy lines in rear of
the Chlnn House. He promptly ac-
cepted the suggestion, in concert with
several other commanders, and they
moved TO the attack. as did the whole II