Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 31.djvu/286

 278 Southern Historical Society Papers.

struck General Taylor's Federal brigade (which had come from Alexandria unsupported to capture what was supposed to be a raid- ing party of Stuart's cavalry) at Manassas Junction on the 2yth of August. The battery, which was put in position by General J. E. B. Stuart in person, disposed of Taylor in short order without the aid of infantry or cavalry, Stuart's cavalry (which had gotten in their rear), capturing nearly all of the brigade we failed to kill or wound.

Having loaded down the gun carriages and caissons with the plun- der we had captured, Captain Crenshaw directed the head of the battery to move out into the road leading to the old Manassas battle- field, which we reached the 2yth of August, and here, on the 28th, 29th, and 3Oth was fought

SECOND MANASSAS,

one of the most desperate and hard-fought battles of the campaign, where Jackson's Corps alone held the whole of Pope's army at bay for nearly two days, until Longstreet could unite with him. The Crenshaw Battery played no small part in this severe battle, but did not suffer a great deal because it fired from a concealed position most of the time.

CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.

Still driving Pope's army, the battery moved on to Harper's Ferry with the army, and reached there on the i5th of September, when the place was invested, guns being' put in position on Mary- land Heights, Bolivar Heights, and Loudoun Heights. A furious cannonade was soon opened, but the enemy still held out. Finally General Jackson sent word to General A. P. Hill to take the place at the point of the bayonet. General Hill returned answer to Gen- eral Jackson that if he would give him twenty minutes he could take it with his artillery. Jackson assented. Hill immediately or- dered the Crenshaw Battery and the Purcell Battery, which were in front of the main works, up to within 500 or 600 yards of the re- doubt, a rapid and destructive fire was opened, and the place sur- rendered, half of a tent being used for the white flag of surrender.

General White (one of the garrison) had a leg shot away by one of the Crenshaw' s 6-pounders. General Miles was the commanding officer. Upwards of eleven thousand prisoners, seventy-two pieces of artillery, all their small arms and munitions of war were captured.