A STRAGGLER ON THE LINE OF MARCH.
A CONFEDERATE PRIVATE IN THE SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN.
BY ALLEN C. REDWOOD, S5TH VIRGINIA REGIMENT, C. S. A.
. . . Friday morning early, we started in what we supposed to be the right direction, guided by the firing, which more and more betokened that the fight was on. Once we stopped for a few moments at a field-hospital to make inquiries, and were informed that our brigade was farther along to the right. General Ewell, who had lost his leg the evening before, was carried by on a stretcher while we were there. Very soon we heard sharp musketry over a low ridge which we had been skirting, and almost immediately we became involved with stragglers from that direction — Georgians, I think they were. It looked as if a whole line was giving way, and we hurried on to gain our own colors before it should grow too hot. The proverbial effect of bad company was soon apparent. "VVe were halted by a Louisiana major, who was trying to rally these fragments upon his own command. My companion took the short cut out of the scrape by showing his “sick-permit,” and was allowed to pass; mine, alas ! had been left in my cartridge-box with my other belongings in that unlucky ambulance. The major was courteous but firm; he listened to my story with more attention than I could have expected, but attached my person all the same. “Better stay with us, my boy, and if you do your duty I ’ll make it right with your company officers when the fight ,s over. They won’t find fault with you when they know you’ve
him. His body was sent over the lines under a flag of truce. The forces we had been fighting at Ox Hill proved to be the rear-guard covering the retreat of the Federáis into Washington. They escaped and we abandoned further pursuit. . . .
The entire Bull Run campaign up to Ox Hill was clever and brilliant. It was conceived entirely by General Lee, who held no such consultation over it as he had done in beginning the Seven Days’ campaign. The movement around Pope was not as strong as it should have been.
A skilful man could have concentrated against me or Jackson, and given us severe battles in detail. I suppose Pope tried to get too many men against Jackson before attacking. If he had been satisfied with a reasonable force he might have overwhelmed him. General Pope, sanguine by nature, was not careful enough to keep himself informed about the movements of his enemy. ... I was graduated with Pope at West Point. He was a handsome, dashing fellow, and a splendid cavalryman, sitting his horse beautifully. I think he stood at the head for riding. He did not apply himself to his books very closely.
He studied about as much as I did, but knew his lessons better. We were graduated in 1842, but Pope saw little of active service till the opening of the Civil War.
When he assumed command of the Army of Virginia he was in the prime of life, less than forty years old, and had lost little if any of the dash and grace of his youth. D. H. Hill, Lafayette McLaws, Mansfield Lovell, Gustavus W. Smith, R. H. Anderson, A. P. Stewart, and Earl Van Dorn were among the Confederate commanders who were graduated in the same class with me. Of the Federal commanders, there were of that class — besides Pope — Generals John Newton, W. S. Roseerans, George Sykes, Abner Doubleday, and others less prominent. Stonewall Jackson came on four years after my class. General Lee had preceded us about fourteen years. General Ewell, who was hurt in this battle, was in the same class with Tecumseh Sherman and George H. Thomas. A truer soldier and nobler spirit than Ewell never drew sword. “Jeb” Stuart was a very daring fellow, and the best cavalry man America ever produced. At the Second Manassas, soon after we heard of the advance of McDowell and Porter, Stuart came up and made a report to General Lee. When he had done so General Lee said he had no orders at that moment, but he requested Stuart to wait awhile. Thereupon Stuart turned round in his tracks, lay down on the ground, put a stone under his head and instantly fell asleep. Gen-eralLee rode away, andinanhourreturned. Stuart was still sleeping. Lee asked for him, and Stuart sprang to his feet and said, ‘ ‘ Here I am, General.” General Lee replied, “I want you to send a message to your troops over on the left to send a few more cavalry over to the right.”
“I would better go myself,” said Stuart, and with that he swung himself into the saddle and rode off at a rapid gallop, singing as loud as he could, “ Jine the cavalry.” . . .
DEATH OF GENERAL PHILIP KEARNY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1862.
the Confederate line, and our troops did not notice that he was a Federal. He began to inquire about some command, and in a moment or so the men saw that he was a Federal officer. At the same moment he realized where he was. He was called upon to surrender, but instead of doing so he wheeled his horse, lay flat on the animal’s neck, clapped spurs into his sides and dashed off. Instantly a half-dozen shots rang out, and before he had gone thirty steps he fell. He had been in the army all his life, and we knew him and respected
what the situation was, and added that his men seemed to be pretty well dispersed. He said, “Yes, but I hope it will prove a victory.”
I moved my troops out and occupied the lines where he had been, relieving the few men who were on picket. Just as we reached there General Kearny, a Federal officer, came along looking for his line, that had disappeared. It was raining in the woods, and was so late in the day that a Federal was not easily distinguished from a Confederate. Kearny did not seem to know that he was in