Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/188

 176 Southern Historical Society Papers.

and 33d Virginia Regiments, and the brigade was known as the ist Brigade of the Army of the Shenandoah. This brigade was com- manded by Brigadier-General T. J. Jackson, and constituted a part of General Joseph E. Johnston's command in the Valley of Virginia on the i8th of July, 1861. General Johnston, with his forces from the Valley, was ordered to join General Beauregard at Manassas. In the disposition of the forces, Beauregard occupied a line along Bull Run on July 21, 1861. General Johnston was on his left, with his line thrown back at something like a right angle below the stone bridge, to protect the left flank of the army. Jackson's brigade was placed on the left of Hampton, Bartow and Bee, which com- mands had previously taken positions on the field, and General Jack- son made the following disposition of his force: The Rockbridge Artillery, under the Rev. W. N. Pendleton, as captain, which had been attached to the brigade, was placed in position on the crest of the hill to the right of the Henry house, commanding the plateau towards the stone house on the Sudley road. Immediately in the rear of and supporting this battery was the 4th Regiment, under Colonel James F. Preston, with the 2jth Regiment, under Lieuten- ant-Colonel John Echols, formed a few paces in its rear. The 5th Regiment was on the right of the brigade, and the 33d and 2d Vir- ginia Regiments on the left. This position was maintained for two hours in a broiling July sun in an open field, subjected to a fire from the artillery of the enemy from which the two regiments, 4th and 2yth, immediately in rear of the battery, suffered serious loss.

At about 3 o'clock the enemy had pushed forward a strong col- umn of infantry and artillery, and had arrived in close proximity of Jackson's left flank near the Henry House. At this time the men of the 4th Regiment were lying flat on their faces on the ground in the rear of the battery to escape the heavy artillery fire of the enemy when we were called to attention and ordered forward on the double- quick, and on an oblique move to the left over a stake and brush fence, through a skirt of pines and subject to a heavy fire of mus- ketry. In a very few minutes we were in close contact with the ranks of the enemy of which a very conspicuous body was a Zouave Regiment from New York, with highly decorated uniforms, con- sisting of loosely fitting red breeches, blue blouses, with Turkish tassel as headgear. Jackson's men rushed at them, with fixed bayo- nets, every man yelling at the top of his voice. Here was the ori- gin of the " Rebel yell," which afterwards became so conspicuous in later battles of the Army of Northern Virginia. The men fired