Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/550

538 them was the highly respected father of a large family and could ill be spared. A young man, not related to him, upon this came forward and insisted on being taken in his stead, as a less valuable life. And great as was the distress of his friend this generous substitution was carried out, and not only spared a father to his children, but showed how the sharpest strokes of barbarity can still elicit light from the dark stone—light that but for these blows might have slept unseen."

[The following important report does not appear in the Army of Northern Virginia reports, printed by the Confederate congress, and has never been in print at all so far as we know:]

, September, 1862.

Brigadier-General J. L. Kemper, Commanding Division:

General,—I submit the following report of the operations of Kemper's brigade, which I had the honor to command during the battles of Groveton (August 29) and Manassas No 2 (August 30th, 1862).

On the morning of the 29th this brigade marched with the others of your command from its bivouac near Thoroughfare Gap, and halted about three miles east of Gainesville about 12 o'clock. We were at once placed in line of battle, in rear of Jenkins' brigade, near the Manassas Gap railroad. After remaining in this position for a short time, the brigade moved forward, east of the railroad. The Twenty-fourth Virginia was here detached and sent to support Rogers' battery, stationed near the ———— house. The rest of the brigade, by your order, was then moved west of the railroad, forming line of battle a few yards from the outskirts of a wood. The Seventh Virginia went forward in skirmishing order across a field, some three hundred yards to the front. In the last movement the brigade was subjected to a heavy shelling from a battery of the enemy, distant about twelve hundred yards. Remaining in this position for half an hour, I received through your A. A. General, Captain Fry, an order to move forward, and to the right; to withdraw the Seventh, connect it with my line, and occupy a wood in front, distant four hundred yards. In obeying this order, the brigade was forced to move in full view of the above mentioned battery, which kept a constant fire upon us. Nothing daunted, however, the line moved steadily forward and took the position designated. I threw