Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/124

106 Johnston and Beauregard were anxiously awaiting on Lookout hill the development of the flank movement ordered against the Federal left and rear. Surprised that Ewell did not begin this, they learned from D. R. Jones, at the nearby McLean's ford, that he had long been ready and waiting for Ewell to join his right in the forward movement, as he had sent him, between seven and eight in the morning, a copy of the order from headquarters directing Ewell to at once begin that movement; but so far he had heard nothing from him. Beauregard at once, by a staff officer, repeated his order to Ewell, directing him to promptly advance; but soon hearing from him that he, too, had been waiting, having received no orders, and the firing on the left indicating a serious attack by the enemy in that direction, the generals decided to abandon the intended offensive movement and hurry all their available forces to the left, where it was now apparent the main battle was to be fought. Ewell, Jones and Longstreet were left in their assigned positions on the right and along the center, to hold the Federals in their front and make demonstrations toward Centreville. The brigades of Holmes and Early and two regiments of Bonham's brigade, with six guns, were ordered to move rapidly to the left to reinforce the battle of Evans and Bee on the Warrenton road. These orders given, the two generals rode rapidly to the field of conflict, arriving on the Henry hill, which over-looked that field, just as the discomfited men of Bee and Evans, overpowered by numbers, were seeking refuge from the hot and heavy Federal fire in the shallow ravines that ascended from Young's branch, from near the turnpike, to the right and rear of the line that Jackson had formed with his brigade on the Henry hill; Hampton's legion, by steady combat, having covered the rear of the retreat. The field officers of the more than 2,000 routed men of the commands of Evans and Bee, among whom Federal shot and shell from the batteries of Griffin and Ricketts were raining, were making desperate efforts to rally their men and reorganize them, but to no purpose, although Johnston and Beauregard both joined in the effort. Strong masses of Federal infantry were rapidly advancing, and disaster seemed imminent, when the heroic Bee, exhausted in his fruitless effort to rally his men, rode