Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/126

108 to another conflict, Beauregard persuaded Johnston, who yielded with great reluctance, to ride back about a mile to "Portici," the Lewis house, on the line of communication with the right, and hasten forward, as they came up, the reinforcements that had been ordered to the battle, while he looked after the immediate combat, which was provided for by placing Smith's Forty-ninth Virginia, ordered up from Cocke's brigade on Bull run, on Jackson's left, and the Seventh Georgia still farther to the left. Hampton's legion of South Carolinians and Hunton's Eighth Virginia, which had also been called up from Cocke, were placed in the rear of Jackson's right to oppose any attack from the direction of the stone bridge. These 6,500 men and 13 field guns in place, he awaited the attack of four Federal brigades, a battalion of cavalry, and the fine batteries of Griffin and Ricketts of the regular army, some 11,000 soldiers in rank and file, that in splendid martial order were now nearing the front of his position on the Henry plateau. The north-western crest of this they soon reached, in well formed line of battle, captured the Robinson house on the Confederate right and the Henry house on its left-center, quickly placed the batteries of Griffin and Ricketts in position near the Henry house, and poured a galling fire of infantry and artillery on the Confederate line, to the fury of which three other Federal batteries contributed from the hills beyond the turnpike. The somewhat-sunken Sudley road, along which the Federals had been advancing, furnished a covered way up the Henry hill which their infantry took advantage of in supporting their batteries near the Henry house. The lines of battle were now not far apart on the undulating Henry plateau, and the Confederate batteries of Imboden, Stanard, Walton, Pendleton and Alburtis had their innings at short range, cutting fearful gaps in the oncoming lines, which were still more severely punished by the steady fire of the musketry of Jackson's men and of those on his right and left; especially was this the case on Beauregard's left, which he had strengthened with two companies of the Second Mississippi. Two companies of Stuart's cavalry, coming from the left, just then charged through the Federal ranks to the Sudley road, and added to the havoc wrought by the infantry and artillery.

McDowell, watching from the Sudley ridge slope the