Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/179

 First Battle of Manassas. 171

right, where Jackson's men were fighting desperately. It has been jocosely remarked that this was the only " wound " Nick Watkins got during the war.

SrLENDID CHARGE BY CONFEDERATES.

Soon the Third Tennessee Regiment came up and promptly aligned on our right, and thereupon we were told that we must charge and carry the hill in our front. Immediately the two regiments numbering together some 1,200 well aligned, charged out of the woods at " Double-quick," " Charge bayon- .ets," with a ringing yell. At once the Yankees seemed to cease firing, and after we clambered out of the ditch they disappeared from the hill, the top of which we reached as speedily as possible. We expected, of course, to receive their fire at short range. Gaining the crest of the hill,, a magnificent battle view was dis- closed. Covering the hill were the wounded and dead of the enemy, and in our immediate front the Yankees we had fought were fleeing down the hill at a gait that we tired fellows could not duplicate. They must have started for the rear when we got out of the ditch and began to climb the hill in their, front.

One of them said, after the war, that he did not stop running until he reached his home, Bangor, Maine. Another Yankee soldier, who was wounded in the face, was asked how that hap- pened, as they all run at Bull Run. He said he " run a mile and looked back!"

As we swept over the ridge, looking to the left, we could see the Tenth Virginia rallying upon the left of the First Maryland ; thus precipitating the three regiments upon the enemy's right flank, in the general assault that drove them in flight from the field.

While engaging the enemy from the woods, two six-pounder guns under Lieutenant Beckham, of Pelham's Battery, took posi- tion on our left and fired effectively; also a squadron or two of Stuart's cavalry were seen charging at the distance of perhaps 1,000 yards from our left, and on capturing the hill we could still see the cavalry sweeping toward the left front, following and charging the retreating Yankees. As stated, the Tenth Vir- ginia Regiment, having reached the field and united with the Maryland and Tennessee regiments, we moved toward the Henry