Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/121

Rh strain, hence he sent to General Lee for another division. Longstreet and Hood had, however, both gone ahead of their troops, and they saw that the best way to relieve the pressure on Jackson was by artillery. Straightway Chapman’s, then Reilly s North Carolina battery, and then Boyce’s came rolling into position and opened a destructive enfilade fire on Jackson s assailants. &quot;It was a fire that no troops could live under for ten minutes,&quot; is Longstreet’s characterization of the work done by these batteries, soon added to by all of Col. S. D. Lee’s guns. The Federal lines crumbled into disorder from the double fire, but again and again they stoutly reformed, only at last to be discomfited. Jackson’s troops were fighting in almost the same positions as on the day before. Branch’s brigade was, however, so far to the left that it was not in close action on the 3oth. The Carolinians in Trimble’s brigade, although not in the action of the day, had a day of anxiety, as guards to Jackson’s trains that had been threatened by a cavalry attack. Fender was kept on the left until Archer and Thomas were severely pressed. Then his brigade and Brockenbrough’s were put in, and all together repulsed the assault.

When Longstreet saw the enemy s attack on Jackson fairly broken, he ordered his whole corps to advance on the right. This movement in such force was not expected by Pope, and in spite of McDowell s efforts the left was at once pushed back. For the possession of the Henry house hill, so vital to the Federal retreat, both sides fiercely contested, and the dead lay thick on its sides. General Law reports that he united the Sixth North Carolina with his other regiments in a charge on a destructive battery near the Dogan house, and drove the gunners from it. His whole brigade was active during the afternoon’s fight. Law also reports that Major Webb handled his men with consummate ability. Jackson had joined in the forward movement, and the Federal army had been slowly driven off the entire field. In the