Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 25.djvu/257

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the point I had reached the evening before, I received orders to inarch in conjunction with other troops, particularly those of <ini- eral Archer, Colonels Thomas and Taliaffrro. We all advanced together, taking the enemy, as it were. /;/ f'ch'lon. We advanced n lily, driving the enemy from the field through the woods. While advancing through the woods we were exposed to a very heavy enfilade fire from the right. We continued our advance until after dark, when we came in contact with a body of the enemy. Each fired a volley. They ran and we rested for the night. Thus ended the Manassas fight with me. The brigade, with the exception of a few skulkers, behaved with great gallantry on both these days. They could not have behaved better. I cannot particularize at this distant day, but I well remember that Captain John Ashford, com- manding the 38th, behaved with great coolness and bravery. I had the misfortune to lose him on account of a wound in the leg."

Six separate and distinct attacks were made against Hill's division and each time repulsed. General Jackson said:

"The three brigades of Archer, Fender and Thomas held together and drove everything before them, capturing the batteries and many prisoners, resting that night on Bull Run, and the ground thus won was occupied that night. These brigades had penetrated so far within the enemy's lines that Captain Ashe, assistant adjutant-gen- eral to General Fender, was taken prisoner that night returning from my headquarters to his own brigade."

The regiment received considerable loss. Lieutenant Wes. A. Stephenson, Company C, 38th North Carolina, a brave soldier, was killed, and Lieutenant Duncan Black was wounded. For distin- guished gallantry displayed in the celebrated charge, Sergeant R. M. Sharpe, Company G, was promoted to second junior lieutenant. After the wounding of Captain Ashford, Captain M. McR. McLaugh- lin was in command of the regiment.

Early next morning, September ist, the army marched forward and came in contact with the enemy late in the evening at Ox Hill. The regiment was engaged in this fight, which raged with great fury, but the enemy retired from the field. On the 4th of September the army bivouacked near the Big Spring, between Leesburg and the Potomac, and on the next day the division crossed into Maryland, near Leesburg, but on the nth re-crossed into Virginia at Williams- port. On the next day General White, with 3,000 men, retreated from the town and fell back upon Harper's Ferry. The enemy oc-