Summary:
General T.J. Jackson commanded the First Brigade in the Fifth Virginia Infantry in the Army
of the Shenandoah.
Major
Camp near Manassas, Va.
July 23, 1861
MAJOR:
have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my brigade on the 21st:
About 4 in the morning I received notice from Gen. Longstreet that he needed a re-enforcement of two regiments, which were accordingly ordered.
Subsequently I received an order from Gen. Beauregard to move to the support of Gen. Bonham, afterwards to support Gen. Cocke, and finally to take such position as would enable me to re-enforce either, as circumstances might require.
Whilst in the position last indicated I received a request from Gen. Cocke to guard the stone bridge, and immediately moved forward to effect the object in view.
Subsequently ascertaining that Gen. Bee, who was on the left of our line, was hard pressed, I marched to his assistance, notifying him at the same time that I was advancing to his support; but, before arriving within cannon range of the enemy, I met Ge n. Bee's forces falling back. I continued to advance with the understanding that he would form in my rear. His battery, under its dauntless commander, Capt. Imboden, reversed and advanced with my brigade.
The first favorable position for meeting the enemy was at the next summit, where at 11.30 a.m., I posted Capt. Imboden's battery and two pieces of Capt. Stanard's, so as to play upon the advancing foe. The Fourth Regiment, commanded by Col. James F. Pr eston, and the Twenty-seventh Regiment, commanded by Lieut. Col. John F. Preston, and the Twenty-seventh Regiment, commanded by Lieut. Col. John Echols, were posted in rear of the batteries; the Fifth Regiment, commanded by Col. Kenton Harper, was posted on the right of the batteries; the Second Regiment, commanded by Col. James W. Allen, on the left, and the Thirty-third commanded by Col. A. C. Cummings, on his left. I also ordered forward the other two pieces of Capt. Stanard's and all those of Col. Pen dleton's battery. They, as well as the battery under Lieut. Pelham, came into action on the same line as the others; and nobly did the artillery maintain for hours against the enemy's advancing thousands. Great praise is due to Col. Pendleton and the othe r officers and men.
Apprehensive lest my flanks should be turned, I sent an order to Cols. Stuart and Radford, of the cavalry, to secure them. Col. Stuart and that part of his command with him deserve great praise for the promptness with which they moved to my left and se cured the flank by timely charging the enemy and driving him back.
Gen. Bee, with his rallied troops, soon marched to my support; and as re-enforcements continued to arrive Gen. Beauregard posted them so as to strengthen the flanks of my brigade. The enemy not being able to force our lines by a direct fire of artiller y, inclined part of his batteries to the right, so as to obtain an oblique fire; but in doing so exposed his pieces to a more destructive fire from our artillery, and one of his batteries was thrown so near to Col. Cummings that it fell into his hands in consequence of his having made a gallant charge on it with his regiment; but owing to a destructive small-arm fire from the enemy he was forced to abandon it.
At 3.30 p.m. the advance of the enemy having reached a position which called for the use of the bayonet, I gave the command for the charge of the more than brave Fourth and Twenty-seventh, and, under commanders worth of such regiments, they, in the ord er in which they were posted, rushed forward obliquely to the left of our batteries, and through the blessing of God, who gave us the victory, pierced the enemy's center, and by co-operating with the victorious Fifth and other forces soon placed the field essentially in our possession.
About the time that Col. Preston passed our artillery the heroic Lieut.-Col. Lackland, of the Second Regiment, followed by the highly meritorious right of the Second, took possession of and endeavored to remove from the field the battery which Col. Cum mings had previously been forced to abandon; but after removing one of the pieces some distance was also forced by the enemy's fire to abandon it.
The brigade, in connection with other troops, took seven field pieces in addition to the battery captured by Col. Cummings. The enemy, though repulsed in the center, succeeded in turning our flanks. But their batteries having been disabled by our fire, and also abandoned by reason of the infantry charges, the victory was soon completed by the fire of small-arms and occasional shots from a part of our artillery, which I posted on the next crest in rear.
By direction of Gen. Johnston I assumed the command of all the remaining artillery and infantry of the Army near the Lewis house, to act as circumstances might require. Part of this artillery fired on the retreating enemy. The colors of the First Michi gan Regiment and an artillery flag were captured-the first by the Twenty-seventh Regiment and the other by the Fourth.
Lieut. Col. F. B. Jones, acting assistant adjutant-general; Lieut. T. G. Lee, aide-de-camp, and Lieut. A. A. Pendleton, brigade ordnance officer, and Capt. Thomas Marshall, volunteer aide, rendered valuable service. Cadets J. W. Thompson and N. W. Lee, also volunteer aides, merit special praise. Dr. Hunter H. McGuire has proved himself to be eminently qualified for his position-that of medical director of the brigade. Capt. Thomas L. Preston, though not of my command, rendered valuable service during t he action.
It is with pain that I have to report as killed 11 officers, 14 non-commissioned officers, and 86 privates; wounded, 22 officers, 27 non-commissioned officers, and 319 privates; and missing, 1 officer and 4 privates.
I respectfully call attention to the accompanying reports of the commanders of the regiments and battery composing this brigade.*
Your most obedient servant,
T.J. JACKSON,
Brig.-Gen., Provisional Army, Confederate States
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 2, Serial No. 2, Pages 481-482, Broadfoot Publishing Company, , .
