Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/125

Rh up to Jackson, who was steadily holding his brigade in a full fronting position, notwithstanding the approaching attack of the enemy, the artillery fire that was thinning his ranks, and the nearby confusion, and cried out in a tone of despair: "General, they are beating us back!" The reply came, prompt and curt, but calm, "Then we will give them the bayonet." The blazing and defiant look of Jackson, his bold and prompt determination, and the steady line of brave men that supported him, gave new life to Bee. Galloping back to the disorganized masses of his command, he shouted, waving his hand to the left: "Look! There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians! Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Follow me!" Obedient to this clarion call to duty and the example of soldierly bearing to which their attention had been called, a number of Bee's men rallied and followed him in a charge to the left against the advancing enemy, in which this heroic leader fell dead. From that time forward, through all the ages of history, Jackson became, and will continue to be, "Stonewall" Jackson, and his brigade the "Stonewall brigade."

At this crisis of the battle on the Confederate side, Beauregard ordered the regimental standards to be advanced some 40 yards to the front of the still disordered masses of the commands of Evans and Bee. This was promptly done by the field officers, thus gaining the attention of the men and inducing them to obey orders and rally on their colors. Johnston and Beauregard in person, at about this time, advanced to the front with the colors of the Fourth Alabama, when, as General Beauregard relates, "the line that had fought all the morning and had fled, routed and disheartened, now advanced again into position as steadily as veterans."

Order was but partially restored on the Henry hill, when, flushed with their partial victory and eagerly striving for a complete one, the Federals, in battle array, came sweeping down the slope on which Evans had so long detained them, crossed Young's branch and the Warrenton turnpike, and began climbing the northern slope of the Henry hill, detained for awhile by Hampton's legion, which he had promptly thrown forward to cover the retreat of Bee and Evans.

Seeing the superior numbers of the enemy advancing