by the right flank until I reached a ravine with high embankments on
both sides and an interval between, through which I moved by flank
forming by file into line in front of it. This movement brought me
near the left of the position to which Trimble s brigade had advanced,
and. during it the brigade was exposed to a galling fire of shells and
canister. By the time I had succeeded in forming my line in front of the
railroad the enemy was retiring, and it having become dark and impossi
ble to tell whether I should encounter enemies or friends, I advanced no
farther, and Hays brigade was halted on the railroad. In this position
the two brigades lay on their arms during the night. A short distance
in front of me General Ewell was lying wounded, and I had him car
ried to the hospital. Lawton s and Trimble s brigades lay on their
arms a short distance to my right, near the points where they were at
the close of the fight.
^ Early next morning the division, then under command of Brigadier-
General Lawton, was formed in line on a ridge perpendicularly to the
railroad track, with the right resting on the Warrenton turnpike and
facing toward Groveton. In a short time thereafter I received an
order from General Jackson to move with my own and Hays brigade
to a ridge west of the turnpike and the railroad track, so as to prevent
the enemy from flanking our forces on the right, a movement from the
direction of Manassas indicating that purpose havingbeen observed. In
making this movement two of my regiments, the Thirteenth and Thirty-
first Virginia Regiments, were detached by General Jackson and placed
in a piece of woods on the east of the turnpike to observe the movements
of a body of the enemy that was moving toward our right. I formed
my own and Hays brigade in line on the ridge indicated, placing them
under cover in the woods, and advanced skirmishers to the railroad
track and posted a detachment on my right flank, so as to prevent any
surprise from that direction. Johnson s battery was also placed in posi
tion so as to command my front.
In the mean time our whole line of battle had been so modified as to
place it along the railroad track, and Lawton s and Trimb.e s brigades
were moved so as to conform to this new disposition. My own and
Hays brigades thus constituted the extreme right, being thrown back
a little in rear of the direction of the main line. The Thirteenth Vir
ginia Eegiment (under Colonel Walker) and the Thirty-first (under
Colonel [John S.] Hoffman) by skirmishing kept the body of the ene
my s infantry which has been mentioned in check until the head of
General Long-street s corps made its appearance on the Warrenton turn
pike from the direction of Gainesville. When this corps had advanced
sufficiently far to render it unnecessary for me to remain longer in my
position or for the Thirteenth and Thirty-first llegimeuts to remain
where they were, I recalled them and moved to the left, for the purpose
of rejoining the rest of the division. I found General Lawton with his
712 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. [CHAP. XXIV.
brigade in the woods not far from the position at which I had been the
evening before, but formed in line so as to be parallel to the railroad,
Trimble s brigade being posted on the railroad cut on the right of our
line as thus contracted. I was ordered by General Lawton to form my
brigade in line in rear of his brigade and Colonel Forno was directed
to form on my right.
Shortly after this the enemy began his attempts to drive our troops
from the line of the railroad, and about 3.30 p. m. Colonel Forno was
ordered to advance to the front by General Jackson to the support of
one of General A. P. Hill s brigades, and he advanced to the railroad
and drove the enemy from it and took position on it with his brigade.
After this affair Colonel Forno was wounded by one of the enemy s
sharpshooters so seriously as to reqiiire his removal from the field.
Subsequent to this advance by Colonel Forno a messenger came to
me from General A. P. Hill, stating that the enemy were pressing one
of his brigades on the railroad whose ammunition was nearly exhausted,
and requesting me to advance to its support. I immediately did so, and
as I passed General Lawton s brigade I found him preparing to send for
ward the Thirteenth Georgia Regiment, of his brigade. I continued to
advance to the front, accompanied by the Eighth Louisiana Regiment,
under Major [T. D.] Lewis, which had not been with its own brigade,
having been sent off to replenish its ammunition the day before and
having returned just in time to join my brigade.
On reaching the railroad I found the enemy had possession of it and
n piece of woods in front, there being at this point a deep cut, which
furnished a strong defense. General Gregg s and Colonel Thomas bri
gades, of A. P. Hill s division, having nearly exhausted their ammuni
tion, had fallen back a short distance, but were still presenting front to
the enemy. My brigade and the Eighth Louisiana Regiment advanced
upon the enemy through a field and drove him from the woods and out
of the railroad cut, crossing the latter and following in pursuit several
hundred yards beyond. In this charge, which was made with great
gallantry, heavy loss was inflicted on the enemy, with comparatively
slight loss to my own brigade, though among others two valuable offi
cers, Colonel [George H.] Smith and Major [J. C.] Higgiubotham, of
the Twenty-fifth Virginia Regiment, were severely wounded. The
Thirteenth Georgia Regiment also advanced to the railroad and crossed
it to my right. The messenger from General Hill had stated that it
was not desirable that I should go beyond the railroad, and as soon as
I could arrest the advance of my brigade I moved it back to the rail
road and occupied it. This was the last attempt made by the enemy on
the afternoon of Friday, the 29th ? to get possession of the line of the
railroad.
On the afternoon of this day General Trimble was wounded by a shot
from one of the enemy s sharpshooters, though I believe his brigade was
not engaged during the day. General Trimble s wound was a very seri
ous one, and the command of the brigade devolved on Captain Brown,
of the Twelfth Georgia Regiment, as the ranking officer present.
During the night of the 29th my brigade and the Eighth Louisiana
and Thirteenth Georgia Regiments lay on their arms on the part of the
line they were at.
Early next morning the enemy s sharpshooters commenced firing on
my kit flank along the railroad, killing a very valuable young officer
in the Thirteenth Virginia Regiment, Lieutenant [T. J.] Willeroy, and
I became then aware for the first time that my flank was exposed, as I
had been informed that one or more of General Hill s brigades were to
CHAP. XXIV.] CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 713
the left of me; but for some purpose whatever force was there had been
drawn, and I thus found myself in this position. I soon discovered that
the enemy s skirmishers were crossing the railroad to my left and ad
vancing through a corn field, and I immediately sent word to General
Hill of the state of things, and after some delay some brigades were sent
to occupy positions to my left.
During the course of the morning the skirmishers from my brigade,
which were under command of Captain [R. D.] Lilley, of the Twenty-
fifth Virginia Regiment, repulsed a column of the enemy which com
menced to advance, and a short time afterward an arrangement was
made so as to place General Hill s troops on the left, this division in
the center, and Jackson s division on the right. In making this ar
rangement there was room left in the front line for only three of the
regiments of my brigade, and I left the Forty-fourth, Forty-ninth, and
Fifty- second in position under Colonel Smith, of the Forty-ninth, and
withdrew the Thirteenth, Twenty -fifth, Thirty-first, and Fifty-eighth
Virginia Regiments a short distance to the rear. The position of the
left the three regiments of my brigade, under Colonel Smith, the whole
occupying the line of the railroad. Hays brigade had gone to the rear
to get ammunition, and did not return.
In the afternoon, when the enemy made his determined attack on the
line of the railroad beginning on the right, Trimble s brigade by a cross
fire aided in repulsing the column that advanced against Starke s
brigade. Another column advanced in front of the three regiments of
my brigade and was repulsed by their fire and that from Lawton s
brigade. The attack seemed to be general along the whole line and
the fire ran from right to left; As the enemy retired the three regi
ments of my brigade dashed across the road in pursuit, very unex
pectedly to me, as I had given express orders for them not to advance
until ordered to do so, and I immediately moved up the regiments that
were in rear to fill up the gap that was thus left. The other regiments
were, however, soon brought back by Colonel Smith.
Late in the afternoon, after General Long-street had made his ad
vance and but a short time before night, General Law ton received an
order to advance to the front, and Trimble s, his own, and my brigades
were ordered forward and commenced advancing. My own brigade
advanced through the woods until it reached a field in front, and I
halted here a moment for General Lawton and the rest of the division
to come up, as I was a little in advance, but General Jackson soon rod*
up and ordered me to move by the left flank, as it was reported that ;i
body of the enemy was moving to our left. I immediately did so, send
ing in front skirmishers under [Lieut.] Col. James B. Terrill, ot Thir
teenth Virginia Regiment, and continued to move on until I came to the
railroad, and then along that until 1 came to a field. It was then getting
dark, and as soon as my skirmishers entered the field they were fin-d
upon from a hill to my left. This was very unexpected, and I imme
diately sent back to General Jackson to let him know the fact, as it
would have been folly for me to advance if this fire was from the enemy
in the direction I was going. A message was soon received directing
me to send and ascertain from whom the fire came, and stating that it
was probably from some of General Hill s troops. It was impossible
to distinguish uniforms or colors at a distance when this firing took
place, and the only chance of ascertaining from whence it came being
714 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., \V. VA. 3 AND MD. [CHAP. XXIV.
to send a messenger, with the certainty of liis being captured if it was
the enemy. A young man from the Forty -fourth Virginia Regiment,
who volunteered for the purpose, was sent, and he soon returned with
the information that the firing was from the skirmishers from Branch s
and Gregg s brigades, who mistook us for the enemy. Fortunately,
however, no damage was done. I was then ordered to advance to the
front, and in a few minutes afterward I was ordered to move back by
the right flank, the report of the movement of the enemy around our
left flank having proved unfounded. I found that the other brigades
had already bivouacked near where I had left them and my own did
the same.
Most of the batteries of the division were engaged at different points
and times during the fighting on ihese days, but as they were separated
from their brigades on account of the difficulty of following them in the
woods, I am unable to give a sufficiently accurate account of the oper
ations, and shall therefore not attempt it.
AFFAIR AT OX HILL, NEAR CHANTILLY, AND MARCH INTO MARYLAND.
In the afternoon of Sunday, the 31st, the division was ordered to move,
following Jackson s division, and it did so, crossing Bull Run at -a ford
below Sudley, and then turning to the left and pursuing a country road
until we reached the Little River turnpike, which was followed in the
direction of Germantown until we were ordered to bivouac late at night.
Early next morning (September 1) we were again put in motion, fol
lowing Jackson s division, and moving in single column until we reached
Ohantilly, where the division was placed in two columns, one being on
each side of the road, with the artillery in the road. In this arrange
ment Trimble s and Hays were on the right and Lawton s and my own
brigades on the left of the road, my own following Lawton s brigade.
On reaching Ox Hill in the afternoon, where the Ox road crosses the turn
pike, indications of the approach of the enemy on the turnpike from
Centre ville having been observed, Trimble s and Hays brigades were
moved to the right and placed in line of battle on the right of Jackson s
division and occupying positions in the edge of a field beyond a piece
of woods through which the Ox road here runs. Lawton s brigade
and my own were moved across the turnpike and placed in line in the
woods in rear of Trimble s and Hays brigades, Lawton s being placed
in rear of Trimble s brigade and my own in rear of Hays brigade. As
we moved into position the enemy opened with artillery, firing into the
woods where we were posted, and in a short time afterward infantry
firing commenced in Iront. After we had been in position for some
time General Starke, who was commanding Jackson s division, came to
me and represented that the enemy were approaching on his left in con
siderable force, and that there was an interval on his left between his
left flank and the turnpike, his line being in form of an arc of a circle,
and he requested me to move my brigade so as to occupy this interval,
in the direction of which he represented the enemy to be moving. I
had some hesitation about moving my brigade, but as I had received
no orders and had merely followed the movement of the brigade pre
ceding me, which brought me in the position I have indicated, and as
General Starke was very urgent, representing his condition to be criti
cal, which it in fact was if the information he received was true, I de
termined to move my brigade to his left, which was but a short distance,
owing to the form of the line, and gave the order accordingly to move
by flank, putting myself upon the leading flank. During this move-
CHAP. XXIV. 1 CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 715
meut I heard a very considerable musketry fire, but as the woods were
very thick and it was raining- hard at the time, I could see a very short
distance, and took it for granted that the tiring proceeded from the
troops m front of nie. On reaching the position General Starke wished
me to occupy I found that three of my regiments (the Thirteenth
Twenty-fifth, and Thirty-first Virginia Regiments) had not followed the
rest of the brigade, and I immediately sent my aide, Lieutenant fS. H.I
Early, to see what was the cause of it. He found these regiments en
gaged with the enemy in their front, Hays 7 brigade, under Colonel [H.
B.] Strong, of the Sixth Louisiana Regiment, having fallen back in
confusion and passed through these regiments, followed by the enemy,
just as my orders were being carried out. This affair could not be seen
by me from the flank on which I was, and the regiments engaged in it
were very properly detained by their commanding officers. I imme
diately marched back the rest of the brigade, and found that theeneoiy
had been successfully repulsed by my three regiments.
It is due to Hays brigade to state that the confusion into which it
was thrown was caused by an attempt of the officer in command, Colonel
Strong, to change its position when the enemy were advancing, and that
his want of sufficient skill in the command of a brigade caused him to
get it confused, so that it could present no front, and it had therefore
to fall back. The Eighth Louisiana Regiment, commanded by Major
Lewis, fell back in better order than the rest of the brigade, and fornied
in line immediately in rear of my regiments. The rest of the brigade
was soon rallied and brought back, and having been placed under my
command by General Lawtou, it was placed in line on the left of my
brigade. General Jackson s division, under General Starke, having
been withdrawn a short time after the above-named affair and moved
to the rear, Hays brigade and my own thus covered the same front that
had been covered by Jackson s division and that brigade, with, how
ever, a contracted line.
About the time Hays brigade fell back Captain Brown, of the Twelfth
Georgia, commanding- Trimble s brigade, was killed, and one or two
regiments of it were thrown into some confusion, but the brigade held
its position.
Lawton s brigade was not engaged; and T am unable to give the par
ticulars of the part taken by Trimble s brigade. After the enemy had
retired, Trimble s brigade having been withdrawn to the line occupied
by the division, the whole lay on their arms during the night in the wet
woods without fires.
The next day my brigade was advanced to the front and formed in
line a quarter of a mile in front of its position of the day before, Hays
being posted on the left flank at right angles to it. The rest of the
division remained in its former position, and Colonel Walker, of the
Thirteenth Virginia Regiment, was assigned to the command of Trim
ble s brigade.*
*******
I hope I may be excused for referring to the record shown by my own
brigade, which has never been broken or compelled to fall back or left
one of its dead to be buried by the enemy, but has invariably driven
the enemy when opposed to him and slept upon the ground on which
it has fought in every action, with the solitary exception of the affair
* For portion of report here omitted, see Series I, Vol. XIX, Part I, pp. 965-973.
716
OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD [CHAV. XXIV.
at Bristoe Station, when it retired under orders, covering the with
drawal of the other troops.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. A. EARLY,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
Capt. A. S. PENDLETON, Assistant Adjutant- General.
Casualties in EwelVs Division.*
Command.
On the Rappahannock, August 22 to 24.
Lawton s brigade :
38th Georgia 1 1
61st Georgia 1 1
Early s brigade:
31st Virginia . 2
Trimble s brigade:
15th Alabama 4 15 19
21st North Carolina 4 9 13
1st North Carolina Battalion 8 3 1
RECAPITULATION FOE DIVISION.
Lawton s brigade 1 1 2
Early s brigade 2 6
Trimble s brigade 8 27 35
Hays brigade
Total 11 341 45
Bristoe and Manassas Junction, August 26 and 27.
Lawtcn s brigade :
13th Georgia 5 10 15
26th Georgia 1 1
31st Georgia 1 1
60th Georgia 9 33 42
61st Georgia 2 2
Staunton Artillery 2 2
Early s brigade :
13th Virginia 4
31st Virginia 2
44th Virginia 2 3 5
52(1 Virginia 2
SSthVirginia I 5 1 6
Chesapeake Artillery [4th Maryland Battery] 1 1
1st Maryland Artillery 1 1
TrimbVs brigade :
12th Georgia
21st Georgia 1 16 17
21st North Carolina 1 1
Hays brigade :
5tli Louisiana 5 22 27
fith Louisiana 10 24 34
7th Louisiana
8th Louisiana I 22 4 I 27
14th Louisiana 1 2 I
RECAPITULATION FOR DIVISION.
Lawton s brigade - 16 48 64
Eirlv s brigade 2 18 1 21
Trimble s brigade 1 23 24
Hays brigade 16 69 61 91
Total... 35 158 7 ! 200
Tor revised statement, see pp. 810-814.
CHAP. XXIV.] CAMPAIGN IN LORTHERN VIRGINIA.
Casualties in Swell s Division Continued.
717
Command.
Battle of Ox Hitt, September 1.
Lawton s brigade :
13th Georgia
31st Georgia
38th Georgia
60th Georgia
61st Georgia . . . . . . I
Early a brigade:
13th Virginia 4 13 2 19
25th Virginia 3
31st Virginia .-.
52d Virginia 1 ij 2
Trimble s brigade:
12th Georgia
21st Georgia 1 91 JQ
15th Alabama 4 i 4
21st North Carolina 4 4
Courtney Artillery 1 1
Hays brigade :
5th Louisiana 12 21
6th Louisiana 9 32 41
7th Louisiana 3 15 18
8th Louisiana 3 17 2 22
14th Louisiana 6 14 1 21
RECAPITULATION FOR DIVISION.
Lawton s brigade 3 9 12
Early s brigade 6 24 2
J rimble s brigade 2 19 21
Hays brigade 33 99 31 135
Total... 44 151 | 5 200
No. 191.
Eeport of Col. Henry Forno, Fifth Louisiana Infantry, commanding H$M
Brigade, of operations August 26-29.
CAMP NEAR PORT EOYAL, VA., Jan. 2, 1863.
GENERAL : Hays brigade, under my command, arrived at Bristoe Sta
tion, on the Orange and Alexandria Kailroad, at 6 p. m. August 26, 1862,
and was ordered to attack and destroy the railroad trains then approach
ing the station, they being supposed to contain troops. The duty was
promptly performed, and the brigade lay on their arms until daylight
on the 27th, at which time I made a reconnaissance to the front in force,
when, finding the enemy embarking their troops, attacked them with ar
tillery. After doing soine damage the enemy succeeded in getting their
train off. I then returned, leaving the Sixth Louisiana Regiment
(Colonel [H. B.] Strong on picket 2 miles in advance, the Eighth Louis
iana Eegiment (Major [T. B.] Lewis) 1 mile nearer the main line, with
orders to Colonel Strong, should the enemy advance, to skirmish to the
rear with the Eighth, who were directed to destroy the railroad bridges
and as much of the track as possible ; to retire in good order under
cover of our artillery. This duty was performed to my entire satisfac-
718 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. [CHAP. XXIV.
tion, these two regiments successfully repulsing two brigades of the
enemy until their ammunition was expended, when I ordered up the
Fifth Regiment (Maj. B. Menger commanding) to support them, when,
after a tew discharges from the latter regiment, the whole retired in as
good order as if on parade. One regiment from General Lawton s bri
gade, with one piece of artillery, supported the left of my line, and did
good service in repelling an attempt of the enemy to flank ns. As soon
as our artillery got into position the brigade was ordered to fall back
to Manassas.
Our loss in killed and wounded was small ; that of the enemy heavy.
The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Louisiana and Lawtou s brigade 19 killed
and 31 wounded.* Enemy s loss 80 killed and 200 wounded, many of
whom were officers of rank colonels and other officers. The informa
tion as to the loss on both sides I obtained from Assistant Surgeon
Strickler, of the Fifth Louisiana Regiment, he being .left in charge of
our wounded. The surgeon also informed me that in consequence of
the total destruction of the Long Bridge the enemy were compelled to
burn a large amount of stores, railroad cars, &c.
After 12 o clock at night of the 27th the brigade was put in motion,
with orders to follow General Early, but owing to the darkness I was
unable to find him.
At daylight on the morning of the 28th I crossed Bull Run Bridge
and joined the division. Afterward was ordered to report to General
Early, and, with his brigade, supported General Taliaferro, but did not
engage.
On the morning of the 29th, still under command of General Early,
occupied the right of our line until the arrival of General Longstreet,
when we rejoined our division in the center. At 3.30 p. in. on the 29th
was ordered to advance my brigade by General Jackson, and soon after
engaged the enemy, and after driving them with great slaughter retained
the ground previously occupied by them. At about p. m. 1 was wounded
and taken from the field, and turned over the command to Colonel Strong,
Sixth Louisiana. Our loss was 24 killed and 41 wounded.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. FOR1TO,
Colonel Fifth Louisiana Regiment.
No. 192.
Reports of Brig. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble, C. S. Army, commanding brigade,
of operations August 22-27.
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Morse s .A 7 ecA , January 30, 1863.
GENERAL : In compliance with your order of this date I furnish a
report of the operations of my (Seventh) brigade on August 22, 1802, in
the battle of Hazel River :
About 10 a. in. that day I was left with orders from General R. S.
Ewell to station my brigade about 1 mile distant from the ford on
Hazel River, near Welford s Mill, where the army crossed. The object
of my force was to protect the flank of our wagon train from the enemy,
*This does not represent correctly the whole loss, but only the dead left on the field
and the wounded that could not be carried off.
J. A. EARLY, Brigadier-General.
CHAF. XXIV.] CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 719
who had moved up the north side of the Rappahannock almost simul
taneously with our forces. About 12 in. I received information that
the enemy (Sigel s division) had thrown a force across the river to our
side, and soon after learned that they had surprised our wagon train
and captured some ambulances and mules. I immediately sent the
Twenty-first Georgia Eegiment (Captain [T. C.] Glover) to recover the