Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/90

 78 Southern Historical Society Papers.

are halted in the road, stack arms on its side, and are told we can lie down and rest. We marched about twenty-six miles.

Soon in the morning we were up and on the march again, passing through Bull Run Mountain at Thoroughfare Gap, thence through Haymarket and Gainesville, not stopping until 10 or n o'clock at night, marching about the same distance as the day before, and stopping in the road, many of the men now lie down right where they stopped, being so completely used up from the march and heat, they did not have energy enough to move to the side of the road. We were now near Bristow Station, and not far from Manas- sas Junction, and far in Pope's rear, "the man that had no rear/' General Jackson now sends a force ahead to capture Manassas, which was done during the night with small loss to us. They cap- tured immense quantities of stores of all kinds; several trains of cars, eight pieces of artillery, with caisons and horses, etc., com- plete, a number of wagons, ambulances, etc. Quite a number ol prisoners were taken and several hundred negroes who had been persuaded to run away from their owners.

Early next morning Ewell's division marched in the direction of Bristow, the remainder of the corps to Manassas Junction, which place Jackson's division reached about 7 or 8 o'clock in the morn- ing. The 2nd Brigade was filed by regiments to the right of the road in an open field, and stacked arms near the storehouses, and ordered to rest, but to remain near their guns.

Not long after this it was rumored that a force from Washington was approaching to drive us away. A. P. Hill's division was sent forward to meet them. They soon put the Yanks to rout. They consisted of a brigade of infantry with some artillery sent down to brush away a small raiding force of Confederates, as they supposed us to be. They caught a traitor and nearly all the party were killed, wounded or captured.

A guard was placed over the stores at Manassas as soon as we arrived a little while thereafter, rations were issued us, but not by weight and measure to each man, but a package or two to each company. Here is what was given to old F Company of Rich- mond : The first thing they brought us was a barrel of cakes, next a bag of hams, barrel of sugar and coffee (the Yankees had it mixed, ready for use) bag of beans, bag of potatoes and box of hardtack. This was a liberal bill-of-fare, for a small company.

General Jackson's idea in the early part of the day was to save what supplies he did not use for General Lee's army, and it was for