Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/95

 History of the First Battle of Manassvs, &c. 89

covered in time by the Confederates, each army would have followed thereto in concentric circles. For two long, hot hours did we move to- wards the rattling of musketry, which at first was very faint, then became more and more audible. At last we halted under a long ridge covered with small pines. Here were the wounded of that corps who had been first engaged men limping on gun or stick; men carried off in blankets, bleeding their life away ; men supported on each side by soldiers and they gave us no very encouraging news to troops as we were. They had been at it ever since sun-up. The enemy were as thick as wheat in the field, and the long lines of blue could not be counted. Up the narrow lane our brigade started, directly to where the musketry seemed the loudest, our regiment, the Second, bringing up the rear. Reaching the top, a wide clear- ing was discovered ; a broad table land spread out, the pine thicket ceased, and far away over the hill in front was the smoke of mus- ketry; at the bottom of the long declivity was the famous turnpike, and on the hills beyond could be seen clearly Griffin's and Rickett's batteries. In their front, to their rear, and supported on each side, were long lines of blue. To our right, about one hundred yards off, was a small building, the celebrated " Henry House." As ours was the last regiment to come up, and as the brigade, as it surmounted the hill, wheeled into line sharply to the left into the thickets, we were thus thrown to the extreme right of the line and of the entire army. Halting there and mounted on a gate-post, I could see the panoramas spread out before me. The brass pieces of Griffin's and Rickett's batteries were seen wheeling into line, caissons to the rear, the horses detached and disappearing behind the hill, The glinting of the morning sun on the burnished metal made them very conspic- uous. No cavalry were seen. I do not think that McDowell had any in action that day. Both batteries soon opened on us with shell, but no casualties resulted, for the reason that in their haste and want of time the fuses were not cut. I picked up many which fell to the ground with a dull sound, and found that the reason they did not explode. The infantry were engaged on the side of the long, gradual slope of the hill on which we stood, and in the bottom be- low, out of our sight, .we could hear the sound and see the white smoke.

At this time there rode up fast towards us from the front a horse and rider, gradually rising to our view from the bottom of the hill. He was an officer all alone, and as he came closer, erect and full of fire, his jet-black eyes and long hair, and his blue uniform of a gen-