everywhere fought over, is not less than remarkable One wonders how he fed them and what the division did for ambulances during this time. On the morning of the 28th Jackson left Manassas, marching around by Bull Run, one division by Centreville, then west on the Pike, to take up a position on a stony ridge running from Sudley Ford to a point a little west of Groveton. Here he remained throughout the battles that followed. An old railway grade along his front made excellent cover. Very late that afternoon, while the Union divisions were marching eastward on a fool's errand to Centreville, King's Division (McDowell's Corps) came marching down the Warrenton Pike from Gainesville, past Jackson, and all unconscious of his presence. It was sunset when the last brigade left the town. The weary men were plodding along and had almost reached Groveton when suddenly shells began exploding in the midst of the column. Poorer troops would have bolted, these were of the Iron Brigade, now under General Gibbon. They were promptly faced to the left and aided by two other regiments advanced towards the woods. Five brigades of Ewell's and Taliaferro's Divisions marched out to meet them. The lines halted within seventy-five yards of each other and fired into each other's faces until the darkness of an unusually black night ended the useless slaughter. The old Stonewall Brigade had met the Wisconsin Iron Brigade and on no field of the war was there a more stubborn or murderous combat. "Within the Federal lines the dead and wounded lay in pairs and heaps, a ghastly sight on the green turf beneath the trees, or near a pathway leading from the field, where in the darkness of the night many of the wounded had dragged their fainting bodies. When the surgeons gathered in the wounded, bits of candles and burning torches shed through the gloomy forest a gloomier light." Of the six regiments nearly onehalf lay dead or wounded on the field. On the other side there was evidence that the Stonewall Brigade had at last met men worthy of its steel. Ewell lay out in front of the railway embankment, helpless and bleeding, with a ball through the knee. Taliaferro was wounded. Colonel Botts of the 2nd Virginia and Colonel Neff of the 33rd were dead. The Colonel of the 27th and the Majors of the 2nd and 4th were wounded. The losses in the other brigades were ap palling. These were in Taliaferro's Division. The two brigades of Ewell's Division had 219 killed and 539 wounded. The Union loss, including missing, was about 850. Gibbons' Brigade had 133 killed and 539 wounded. The division commander, King, was not wounded, but next day had to give up the command from exhaustion and sickness. When the firing ceased the wounded were gathered up and the brigade withdrawn to the road where the men lay down to sleep with arms in their hands while the generals debated as to what to do. They decided to leave the Pike and continue the march by way of Manassas. All wounded that could bear transportation were loaded in ambulances; there could have been little dressing in the darkness that night. The gravely wounded were left on the ground, in charge of surgeons, the report says. Many lay where they fell, in charge of no one. Fortunately in the battle of the next day the advance of Reynolds' Division reached the scene of Gibbons' battle north of the Pike, and the hospital south. The wounded who had remained on the field uncared for during the night, and through the conflict of the day, were recovered. It is interesting to note the fatigue, exposure, and deprivation to which men were subjected in this campaign. The men of King's Division had marched from early morning on the 28th and went into battle instead of camp at dark. After the conflict described above they had a little rest, but at one they marched again, reaching Manassas at six next morning. Here they had a little food, but before they could butcher the beeves that were to feed them the order to march came again. They reached the battlefield in the afternoon and at six were rushed forward at double time for a long distance, and into an assault even more fruitless and suicidal than the one of the evening before. The division made this attack alone, and only darkness saved what was left of them from death or capture. The men had neither dinner nor supper this day, and it is said they asked for none, but silently rolled themselves in their blankets at night. Few, if any, of the troops had rations that evening. On the afternoon of the 30th King's Division was put in alongside Porter's Corps in an attack against the railway embankment. The assault was as obstinate as any of the war, but all in vain. Hatch, now in command, was wounded; and the lines fell back. McDowell says that Gibbons' Brigade (the Iron Brigade) remained on the Henry House Hill that night until the whole army had crossed Bull Run, then burned the bridge and retired on Centreville, which it could not have reached until long after midnight. The division lost 892 men in the three days. After King's fight near Groveton the division retired to Manassas and Ricketts followed him there. By the morning of the 29th the whole army was at Manassas and points farther east. Banks, Porter and McDowell were near Manassas, Heintzleman, Reno and Sigel near Bull Run. Pope was at Centreville. Jackson sat tight and Longstreet was about to join hands with him. The Confederate corps were ready to unite. The Union army could only claim to be between it and Washington. Banks' Corps was near Bristoe with the trains. When the medical supply cars were halted there McParlin had three-fourths of the stores taken from the cars and placed in some wagons of Sigel's Corps that were passing. Sigel always clung to his wagons. It was said that Napoleon put his trust in heavy battalions, Sigel in long wagon trains. Medical Director Rauch with the operating surgeons, cooking department and stores was sent on to Manassas. The remainder of the stores were left for Banks' Corps. When it came up Medical Director Antisell collected 480 sick and wounded and placed them in cars, expecting the bridges to be restored so he could send them on to Alexandria. McParlin often found it difficult to secure rations for the sick and wounded; commissary officers refusing to issue rations except to their own special commands. To remedy this fault he secured the following order: HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA, To the various commissaries of Volunteers of the Army of Virginia: You will each of you issue rations to hospitals in the field on surgeon's requisitions or returns, no matter to what brigade, corps, or command either commissary or surgeon may belong. By order of Major General Pope: E. G. BECKWITH, Chief Commissary of Subsistence. |