Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/90

80 hind a worm fence and, as the Marylanders came into line, a volley from the fence swept down Colonel Johnson, Captain Robertson, Lieutenant Snowden, Sergeant Doyle, and twenty of the men in ranks. The colonel's new uniform procured him especial attention. Three bullets, tearing off the pommel of his saddle and cutting down his horse, dismounted him, but he was on his feet in a moment and with his regiment at the fence. Their opponents, the Pennsylvania Bucktails, broke, and as they ran across the open field, the Marylanders pelted them with great comfort and satisfaction. Few escaped, the Bucktails were nearly annihilated, and Colonel Kane captured. The Maryland colors went down time and again but never touched the ground. All the color guard were killed or wounded.

From this place Jackson moved to Cross Keys, on the Shenandoah, where, with Shields and the river in his rear, he offered battle to Fremont against odds of three to one. Fremont attacked early on the 8th, and as the Marylanders were moving up to their place in line, Ewell said to Colonel Johnson, "Colonel, you must carry a bucktail in your colors as your trophy, for you won it on Friday." Many of the men were wearing bucktails in their caps, which had attracted E well's attention. Company D was passing at the moment, and Colonel Johnson called out to William H. Ryan, a tall, long-legged boy, who had one, "Here, Ryan, give me that bucktail." Ryan brought it. "Now you tie it to the head of the colors yourself and your trophy shall be the trophy of the regiment." That is the way the bucktail got to be the cognizance of the First Maryland regiment.

The Marylanders held E well's right from sunrise until four o'clock, when their rifles having become so hot and so foul they could no longer be loaded or fired, they were withdrawn to a branch in rear to clean their guns.

The Baltimore light artillery held the center of the line, which was commanded by Elzey. The right was