Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/275

Rh "The Marshal, seeing the opportunity of especial distinction, advanced without orders." When the Emperor received information of this, he was extremely angry at this departure from his instructions, and said, "The Emperor, Marshall, has, in framing his plans, no need of advice, or of any one acting on his own responsibility. No one knows his thoughts. It is their duty to obey."

I will not enter upon a description of the battle of July 1st except to say that it opened unfavorably for General Hill, in the defeat of the brigades of Archer and Davis of Heth's division. General Archer with a large part of his brigade was captured. By the timely arrival of Rodes' division of Ewell's corps about 2. P. M., and subsequently of Early's division, the tide of battle was turned and the Confederates were victorious along the whole line. Fifty thousand men had been engaged in the battle — about equally divided between the contestants. For six hours the battle raged — in the morning favorably to the Federals, but, as already stated, victory ultimately perched upon the Confederate banners; 5,000 prisoners were captured, including two general officers, not counting the wounded, and three pieces of artillery. General Reynolds, esteemed the ablest commander in the Union army, was killed. The Confederate victory was complete, but nothing like as complete as it would have been had a brigade of Stuart's cavalry been present to reap the fruits of victory. As Captain Battine says: the want of a thousand lancers lost the Confederates the chance of destroying two Federal corps and capturing all their guns.

The charge of Gordon's Georgia brigade of Early's division has been thus vividly pictured by Captain Battine: "Without waiting for the artillery to prepare the way, or for the skirmishers to feel for their enemy, the Georgia troops descended on both wings of the Eleventh corps, and with a precision acquired on many battlefields, swiftly and silently moved forward to the assault, without firing a shot. The sight of Jackson's veterans once more threatening to close with them in hand to hand conflict struck a chill to the hearts of the men they had so recently defeated, and who now had to face that long brown line hardly distinguishable from the corn over which it trampled, save for