Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 09.djvu/140

Rh excitement was at its height, and were double-quicked out to the Lewis House, where we arrived just in time to witness the rout of McDowell's grand army, and join in the shouts of victory.

I shall give no description of the battle of Manassas, nor enter into any details as to its results. But it may be well to correct a widely circulated error in reference to the movements of Gen. Kirby Smith, who was represented as stopping the train four miles above the Junction, and marching across the fields to strike the Federal army in flank, and thus decide the fate of the day. Now, as Gen. Smith was that day in command of our brigade (until he was wounded, and Col. Elzey resumed the command), I am prepared to assert in the most positive manner that no such movement was made, but that the brigade was carried on to the Junction, reported to Gen. Johnston, and (with the exception of the Thirteenth Virginia, which was detached), was marched thence to the battle-field, where it arrived at an opportune moment, and, together with Early's brigade, gave the finishing blows of the hard-fought field. I had, until recently, the blanket under which I slept on the battle fieldbattle-field [sic] that night, and it recalled a thousand reminiscences which I will not here relate.

The next day we were marched to Fairfax Station, and held the advance at that point, picketing on the outposts, and having not a few stirring skirmishes with the enemy. I might fill pages with the details of this outpost service; but I recall only a few incidents.

In the latter part of July, or the first of August, Stuart, with five companies of the First Maryland and five of the Thirteenth Virginia, and several companies of cavalry, captured Mason's, Munson's and Hall's hills, from which we could plainly see the dome of the Capitol at Washington. The day we captured Munson's hill, Major Terrill was sent with a detachment of the Thirteenth on a scout, during which we drove in the enemy's pickets, ate their smoking dinner, and pursued them back until they rallied on their reserve, and our gallant Major thought it would not be prudent to advance further. Accordingly we were moving back to our reserve when we met Stuart. "What is the matter? I hope you are not running from the Yankees," said the "gay cavalier." Major Terrill explained, and Stuart said, "That was all right, but the Maryland boys are coming, and I think we must go back and beat up the quarters of those people." Just then a scout rode up and informed him that the enemy were fully five thousand strong and had five pieces of artillery. (We numbered about five hundred). "Oh, no!" was the laughing reply, "you are romancing. But it does not matter how many they number. We can whip them