Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/543

 Reunion of Virginia Division A. N. V. Association. 533

Lee's only line of communication and retreat. There were no rein- forcements. The last man had been used up.

Where was Hill then? Where was the light division, with its gal- lant chief, who loved to liken himself and his command to Picton and that light division which was Wellington's right arm and sabre in the Peninsula?

De Saussure was holding on with desperate tenacity to the stone barn and houses. Toombs was forming his Georgians well in hand to strike. But they were all that stood between Lee and rout. Just then up the Shepherdstown road came the head of Hill's column, with the long free stride that had brought it seventeen miles from Harpers Ferry and across the Potomac Ford since sunrise. The brigades of the light division deployed at a double-quick. Pender and Brocken- borough on the right, Branch, Gregg and Archer on the left, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama joining hands with Toombs and D. R. Jones, they went through Rodman and Wilcox with a rush and saved the day.

Burnside withdrew to a position in front of the bridge, and later in the afternoon, to the east side of the bridge, having ordered Morell's division of the Fifth corps to occupy his position in front of A. P. Hill. As soon as Burnside's repulse was assured, Jackson ordered Stuart to turn the Federal right with his cavalry and J. G. Walker with his division to support him. Stuart found McClellan's batteries within eight hundred yards of the brink of the Potomac, and the movement was deemed impracticable and abandoned.

Lee held his position all the next day, and during the night of the 1 8th crossed at Boteler's Ford into Virginia. The delicate task of covering his movement was entrusted to Fitz. Lee. Stuart, however, during the afternoon crossed the river at an obscure ford with Hampton's brigade. On the 19th he recrossed at Williamsport, sup- ported by some infantry and artillery, and by his demonstrations having kept McClellan in doubt as to Lee's intentions, and drawn Couch's division to resist him. On the 20th he repassed again to the Virginia side.

General Pendleton had been left by Lee with the reserve arlillery to cover Boteler's Ford. Fitz John Porter determined to cross the river and drive him off. He lined the Maryland side with skirmishers and sharpshooters, supported them by the division of Morell and Sykes, and by guns so posted as to command the Virginia bank.

Volunteers from the Fourth Michigan, One Hundred and Eigh- teenth Pennsylvania, and Eighteenth Massachusetts, crossed under