Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/97

 The Second Batik of Mimassas. 85

to the railroad, when we went over the bank at them, the remain- der of the brigade following" our example.

The enemy now broke and ran and we pursued, firing as fast as we could. We followed them into the woods and drove them out on the other side, when we were halted and ordered back to the railroad.

We captured two pieces of artillery in the woods and carried them back with us. In going back, a Yankee battery of eight guns had full play on us in the field and our line became a little confused. We were halted; every man on the instant turned and faced the battery. Just as we did I heard a thud on my right like some one had been struck with a heavy fist. On looking around I saw a man at my side standing erect with his head off; a stream of blood squirting a foot or more from his neck. By the time I turned around, I saw three others lying on the ground, all killed by the same cannon shot. The man standing was a captain in the 42nd Virginia Regiment, and his brains and blood bespattered the face and clothing of one of my company, who was standing in my rear. This was the second time I saw four men killed by the same shot during the war the other time being at Cedar Run a few weeks before each time the shot struck as it was descending. The first man had his head taken off, the next was shot through the breast, the next through the stomach, and the fourth had his bowels torn out.

We now went back to our position in the woods, formed our old line of battle in two lines and laid down as before. We had hardly got fixed when our attention was called to a line of battle filing into line in our front, but nearly at right angles to us. What did this mean ? Were the enemy making preparations to storm us again? General Starke, our Division Commander, then arrived. His attention was called to the line. He took his glass, and after a careful survey called a courier and directed him to go to the right around the hill in our front and find out who they were. The Yan- kees were shelling our woods heavily, but the excitement was so great that the men who had orders to lie down for protection were all standing up watching the line form, which grew longer each moment. Our courier, after a short stay, was seen coming as fast as his horse could run, and before he reached General Starke cried out, " it is Longstreet." A great shout that Longstreet had come was taken up by the men all down the line. The courier then told Gen. Starke that the man sitting on a stump, whom we had noticed