Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/178

 170 Southern Historical Society Papers.

FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS.

Dash and Heroism of the Maryland Line Stonewall

Jackson's Flank fcaved Recollections Revived

by the 45th Anniversary.

A Paper read before the Isaac R. Trimble Camp, No. 1035, United

Confederate Veterans, Baltimore, Md., October 2, 1906, by

Colonel WINF1ELD PETERS, Maryland Member of

the Historical Committee, and on Southern

School History, U. C. V.

In the first Battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861, our First Mary- land Regiment lastly and hotly engaged a brigade of the enemy from the edge of a woods overlooking a declivity, then a dry ditch at the foot, then a hill, on the crest of which the enemy was formed in battle line. We fired at point-blank range of, perhaps, 500 yards, awaiting reinforcements. The regiment was well dressed on the colors and the firing unobstructed, but the heat was intense, and the absence of wind prevented the smoke from rising; hence the view of the enemy's line was now and then obscured.

HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.

Ill Murray's company (second from the right) were Privates Geo. Lemmon, N. J. Watkins and W. Peters. Watkins was my file leader, and Lemmon was next on my right in the rear rank. Watkins knelt and fired, thus facilitating my firing, but shortly he rose to his feet, and in rising Lemon fired, sending the charge from his musket through Watkins' cap, from back to front, and likely it passed through his hair. Seeing his cap flying in front of him, Watkins steppecl forward at the risk of being shot, picked it up, and as coolly retook his place in the ranks. George Lemmon afterward told me in his sly way that he had two cartridges in his musket ! Our cartridges con- tained a bullet and three buckshot ("buck and ball"). The firing was so deafening that no one could tell whether his piece was discharged. TJiis was particularly so on our immediate