Night's Experience on Our First Battlefield.
The Dead and Cries of the Wounded.
Occurrences on the Field.
Sunday, July 21.
Shelled by the Enemy.
March to the Field by the Sound of Battle.
The Battle.
Casualties.
The Pursuit.
To the Outposts.
Incidents.
Winter at Centerville.
Returning to the battle line, we found ourselves groping around in the
dark.
Knowing the enemy to be close by, we quietly went to work throwing up
temporary breastworks of logs. The cries of the Federal wounded, and
the groans of the dying, the occasional volleys of musketry fired by
some of our troops at imaginary foes, with the hooting of owls, made
the night hideous and weird, deeply impressing the nature of a lot of
young Virginia boys reared in Christian homes. The regiment behaved,
however, with great coolness during the entire night, encouraged by the
example, presence and good conduct of our brave Lieutenant-Colonel
Williams, then in command, Colonel Kemper being absent on public
service.
With the coming of daylight, the Confederate scouts crossed the Run,
brought in the Federal wounded, and quite a number of muskets,
knapsacks, blankets, canteens, cartridge boxes, and hats, thrown away
or dropped by the enemy in his flight. By an examination of the dead in
front of our regiment, it was ascertained that we had fought the 1st
Massachusetts regiment.
This action of the 18th was preliminary to the real battle which came
on Sunday the 21st, but on different ground, seven or eight miles
northwest of the engagement of the 18th as just described. During
Friday and Saturday all was quiet, the Confederate line of battle
extending from Union Mills to Stone Bridge, several miles in length;
the enemy in the meantime keeping up a showing of force, threatening
our front at McLean's, Blackburn's and Mitchell's fords, while his main
column was moving or preparing to move northwest to strike the
Confederate battle line in flank and reverse on its extreme left.
Our regiment remained Friday night and until late Saturday evening at
the same place at which it had halted on Thursday; being then relieved
by other troops, retired to a pine thicket close by, where we received
a bountiful supply of rations, some in boxes from home,--a thing that
makes glad the heart of a homesick boy.
On Saturday evening we were joined by Colonel Kemper, the commander of
the regiment. At sunrise on Sunday morning, July 21, the enemy's
batteries near Blackburn's opened fire, on account of which we marched
to the cover of the pines, between McLean's and Blackburn's fords,
remaining but a short time. Our regiment, together with the 7th
Louisiana, crossed the Run at McLean's ford for the purpose of
attacking the enemy's batteries, which were annoying us, occasionally
throwing shots into our ranks, without, however, doing any serious
damage. It will be recalled by those present that while lying down
behind the pines a shot struck near the center of our company,
scattering dust and dirt over us.
While getting into battle line, preparatory to assault upon the
batteries, an order came to retrace our steps to the cover of the
pines. This was near 12 M. By this time we distinctly heard the roar of
heavy guns far to our left, and the great Battle of First Manassas was
on.
Near one o'clock P.M., we moved by a rapid gait with the head of the
column directed northwest, guided by the sound of the battle. The
distance from our starting point, McLean's, by the route we marched to
the extreme Confederate left, was fully eight miles, which distance was
covered in two hours, notwithstanding the scorching rays of the sun,
stopping not for rest or water, for want of which we suffered. The
three regiments of Colonel Early's brigade, 7th Louisiana, 7th
Virginia, and 13th Mississippi, (the latter substituted for 24th
Virginia) passed to the extreme Confederate left, reaching there at
near 3:20 P.M., finding themselves face to face with the foe at the
Chinn house and in open ground.
Approaching the scene of action, a wild cheer was heard, following
which a man on horseback at full speed, hatless, face flushed, covered
with perspiration and dust, brandishing his sword over his head, and
shouting, "Glory! Glory! Glory!" rode rapidly by. In answer to inquiry
as to what was the matter, he said, "We have captured Rickett's battery
and the day is ours." This was the first glad news we had received, and
all were thrilled with new courage. Cheering wildly, the men pressed
forward at double quick. Passing in rear and beyond a wood into which
Smith's Confederate brigade had just entered, we encountered the fire
of the enemy, mostly United States Regulars. The 7th Virginia here
formed quickly, the 7th Louisiana and 13th Mississippi forming on the
left, thus completing the battle line with three regiments front. Nor
had we arrived a moment too soon, for the enemy was pressing our left
flank sorely. There they were, in full view on our front, and to the
left of us on the higher ground. Here Colonel Early[3] ordered us not
to fire, saying that they were our friends: a grievous blunder upon his
part, the result of misinformation not easily explained. Captain
Massie, whose company was armed with rifles, called out, "Colonel, they
may be your friends, but they are none of ours. Fire, men!" and fire
they did.
[3] See Colonel Early's Report, Rebellion Records, Series 1,
Vol. II, pp. 555-6.
As we formed, the enemy at long range kept up an irregular fire,
inflicting upon our men considerable loss in killed and wounded, and
all this while we were too far away from them to pay them back in their
own coin. As we pushed forward towards the enemy, they retreated
pell-mell, we chasing them over the hill towards Bull Run, considerably
in advance of the general Confederate battle line forming across a
peninsula created by a sharp curve on Bull Run between Stone Bridge and
the mouth of Catharpin creek.
Up to this time we had little realization of the utter defeat of the
Federal army, the evidence of which we saw a few days after, when,
following his line of retreat, we found guns, caissons, muskets,
ambulances, spades, picks and knapsacks abandoned in his flight. The
only reason seemingly the enemy had for running as he did was because
he could not fly.
The casualties in the 7th Virginia for the limited time it was under
fire were severe--nine killed and thirty-eight wounded, our Company D
losing Joseph E. Bane, a brave and gallant soldier, killed; Robert H.
Bane, A. L. Fry, Manelius S. Johnston, Charles N. J. Lee, Henry Lewy,
John P. Sublett, and Samuel B. Shannon wounded. The loss of the
Confederates in the battle was 387 killed, 1582 wounded, and 13
captured.
The Federal loss was 2896 men, of which 460 were killed, 1124 wounded,
and 1312 captured or missing, besides 26 pieces of artillery, 34
caissons and sets of harness, 10 battery wagons and forges, 24
artillery horses, several thousand stand of small arms, many wagons
and ambulances, large quantities of army supplies of all kinds.
The Confederate army remained on the field after the battle for two
days, amidst a terrific rainstorm; then marching beyond Centerville,
six miles to the east, went into camp in a body of woods, where we
remained for some weeks; thence moved a short distance beyond Fairfax
Court House. Here we laid out our camp and pitched tents, which was
barely done when the long roll sounded and we were quickly on the march
in the direction of Alexandria and Washington, whither we should have
been pushing the day after the battle; for if vigorous pursuit had been
made, Washington would have fallen into our hands.
The march referred to took us to Munson's hill; learning on the way
that a brisk skirmish between the enemy and some Confederate troops had
occurred during the day, which had only ended with the approach of
darkness. Halting near Munson's hill, an order was given to load
muskets, and again we moved forward. John W. East, from sheer
cowardice--constitutional--he could not avoid it--fell at full length
in the road. John turned up in camp a few days after, in fair health
and clothed in his right mind. The regiment passed on a few hundred
yards to the base of the hill, going into camp. The following morning,
Company K, together with Company D, under Captain Lovell, on the right
and front of the hill had quite a sharp skirmish with the enemy. Next
morning, Saturday, August 30, Major Patton, with Companies B and D,
advanced to Bailey's Corners, three-quarters of a mile or so, where
they engaged in quite a fusillade with a portion of the Second Michigan
regiment, in which a lieutenant of B Company was wounded, and one man
of the Michigan regiment was mortally wounded.
In a few days after the skirmish just described, we returned to our
camp, where we found peace and plenty. Lieutenant W. A. Anderson, who
at Camp Wigfall had been detailed to go back home and secure additional
men to fill up the loss in the ranks, caused by sickness, had returned
with the following men, to wit: George W. Akers, William R. Albert,
David Davis, Creed D. Frazier, A. J. French, Francis M. Gordon, John
Henderson, George Johnston, P. H. Lefler, Anderson Meadows, Ballard P.
Meadows, Winton W. Muncey, George C. Mullins, Charles W. Peck, Thomas
J. Stafford, William H. Stafford, Adam Thompson, Alonzo Thompson,
William I. Wilburn and Isaac Young.
With the exception of company and regimental drill, some picket duty,
and quarter guard, we did little but cook, eat, write letters and
sleep. The weather was hot, the water bad; this, with an overabundance
of rations, and insufficient exercise--in fact, a life of almost entire
inactivity--were the fruitful sources of disease, and many of the men
were sick, a number of them finding their way to the hospital; among
them, Allen C. Pack, Ed Z. Yager, William Sublett, John Henderson,
William Frazier, H. J. Hale, and doubtless others, not now recalled.
Frazier, Henderson, Sublett and Hale died, as did Alonzo Thompson,
whose deaths and loss were much regretted. Strange, yet true, that many
of our strongest men fell victims to disease, while those apparently
much weaker stood the service well.
While on picket duty at Fall's Church, a Captain Farley, with smooth
face, fair skin and blue eyes, claiming to be--and was--a South
Carolinian, and an independent scout, approached our outpost and
proposed that some of the men go with him into the timber in front
of the picket and run the Yankees out. Our boys regarded this as
preposterous, and on went Farley. He had not been in the woods long
till firing began, and he soon returned with blood streaming from his
ear: he had a close call.
During the months of August and September we served on frequent picket
duty at Munson's, Upton's and Mason's hills, and at Annandale. Our
lines were fairly well connected. The enemy, not being able to discover
by their scouts what we were doing--what movements we were making, or
what force we had, resorted to the use of balloons. On one occasion our
people fired at a balloon with cannon shot, and down came the balloon.
A short while after this, the balloon was up again, when our boys
concluded to at least give the man in the basket--Professor Lowe--a
scare; so, rigging up the rear gears of a wagon with a stovepipe, ran
the improvised artillery to the hilltop, in full view of the aeronaut,
pretending to load. The Professor descended quickly, only to appear
again at a safer distance.
On one of our tramps to picket we went to Annandale and remained a day
or so with Captain Harrison's Goochland Dragoons, which did outpost
duty during the day and we at night. We lived largely, while on picket,
on green corn, potatoes, and sometimes other vegetables, a relief from
fresh beef, bacon and hardtack, the regular diet of camp life.
As the enemy perfected his lines, he became bolder, pressing closer.
This led to frequent collisions between the troops on outpost duty.
These conflicts were by general orders discouraged, and called petty
warfare. Nor were these without their casualties--if not caused by the
enemy, sometimes by accident, or mistake--careless handling of firearms
in passing through the brush, carrying of arms at a trail and catching
the hammers against some obstacle. One such accident is recalled by
which a man by the name of Link, of Captain Eggleston's Giles company,
lost his life.
[Illustration: Capt. Robert H. Bane]
During the sojourn at Fairfax, a detachment under Lieutenant Allen, of
the 28th Virginia, was sent to the station on the railway to guard some
baggage and stores deposited there. Of this detachment was John R.
Crawford, of our company, who for true physical courage, bravery and
self-possession, had scarce an equal; indeed, it was often said of him
that he knew no fear--did not know what it meant--never dreamed nor
imagined what danger was; that he felt as much at ease in the storm of
battle as when resting quietly in the camp. The reader doubtless has
heard of the "Louisiana Tigers," who in the first battle of Manassas,
when closing with the enemy, threw down their muskets and rushed upon
the enemy with their bowie-knives. They were a dangerous, blood-thirsty
set--at least so reputed. It was two of these same "Tigers" who found
Crawford on guard over the baggage and stores above referred to, which
they proposed to appropriate. Crawford warned them to stand off and go
away. They paid no heed to the warnings, but persisted in their
purpose. Crawford then reversed his musket and downed the man nearest
to him, who fell trembling and bleeding at his feet; whereupon his
companion quickly advanced to his rescue, but Crawford's belligerent
attitude caused him to beat a hasty retreat.
The Winter of 1861-1862 was spent at Centerville in camp, our quarters
being constructed of log huts with wooden chimneys. The Winter was cold
and dreary, and we had some difficulty in keeping a supply of rations,
which had to be transported from the junction six miles away by wagons
over a road deep in mud and mire.
Owing to the difficulty of distinguishing our Virginia state flag from
many flags of other states carried by the enemy in the battle of
Manassas, whereby we had been threatened with serious consequences,
such as occurred with our own brigade on that field: it became
necessary to have a flag uniform in design for all the Confederate
army. Such a flag was designed by Colonel Miles, of South Carolina, and
presented by General Beauregard to the army. This flag was about
twenty-two inches square, the field red, with blue stripes from corner
to corner at right angles, with thirteen white stars; and was ever
after our battle flag.
Again we were on picket, Crawford on outpost, with instructions to keep
a sharp lookout, as the enemy was near, but not to shoot without
calling "halt" the usual three times, and if no halt made, to shoot.
Shortly after Crawford took post, his cries of "Halt! Halt! Halt!" were
heard, and bang! went his gun. The corporal ran to see what was the
matter: he found Crawford standing quietly at his post as if nothing
had happened--a stray fat hog had wandered to the post and had not
halted at Crawford's command, consequently was dead. Crawford's only
explanation was, "I obeyed orders." The hog was roasted, with many
compliments for Crawford, and all had a feast.