Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 35.djvu/90

 positions. The famous "Bucktail" Regiment held a position around a brick house, near Easton's Battery, known as the Thornton House. The "Bucktail" sharpshooters took possession of this building, and from every door and window poured a destructive fire into the ranks of the Confederates. Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, of this regiment, was a brother of the noted Arctic explorer, Dr. Elisha Kane, and during this engagement was severely wounded.

The ground on either side of the position of the Confederate battery was covered with woods and dense undergrowth.

STUART'S WORK.

Stuart placed two of his regiments on either side of the Centreville Road, facing north. The 6th South Carolina and the 1st Kentucky were to the left, and the 10th Alabama and the 11th Virginia to the right of the road. The South Carolina and the Kentucky regiments, in moving to their assigned positions by different routes, came into collision and through mistake poured a destructive volley into eath other—a mistake that occurred with tragic frequency in the first battles of war.

When moving forward to attack the enemy, Stuart sent a few of his cavalrymen scurrying about the country to gather the wagons and hurry them towards Centreville. The teamsters needed no further incentive to action than the startling information that the enemy might swoop down upon them at any moment. The fun grew fast and furious. Wagons swept along the roads from every direction, the loads of hay rocking and swaying over the rough frozen ground while the air grew resonant with the vehement cries of the teamsters urging their horses to their utmost speed. Residents now living, who witnessed the event, aver that the driving done that day by the Confederate Jehus was a sight not to be forgotten.

While the teams were heading tumultuously for Centreville, the opposing legions on Drane Hill were becoming more hotly engaged.

The 9th Pennsylvania, as it came into position on the Federal right, was confronted by troops partly concealed by the