210

THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN.

worth, as he was not acquainted with the country), I ordered Ewell, Jones,and Longstreet to make a strong demonstration all along their front on theother side of the Run, and ordered the reserves below our position, Holmes’sbrigade with 6 guns, and Early’s brigade, also 2 regiments of Bonham’sbrigade, near at hand, to move swiftly to the left. General Johnston and Inow set out at full speed for the point of conflict. We arrived there just asBee’s troops, after giving way, were fleeing in disorder behind the height inrear of the Stone Bridge. They had come around between the base of thehill and the Stone Bridge into a shallow ravine which ran up to a point onthe crest where Jackson had already formed his brigade along the edge of thewoods. We found the commanders resolutely stemming the further flight ofthe routed forces, but vainly endeavoring to restore order, and our ownefforts were as futile. Every segment of line we succeeded in forming wasagain dissolved while another was being formed; more than two thousand menwere shouting each some suggestion to his neighbor, their voices mingling withthe noise of the shells hurtling through the trees overhead, and all word ofcommand drowned in the confusion and uproar. It was at this moment thatGeneral Bee used the famous expression, “Look at Jackson’s brigade! Itstands there like a stone wall ”— a name that passed from the brigade to itsimmortal commander. The disorder seemed irretrievable, but happily thethought came to me that if their colors were planted out to the front the menmight rally on them, and I gave the order to carry the standards forwardsome forty yards, which was promptly executed by the regimental officers,thus drawing the common eye of the troops. They now received easily theorders to advance and form on the line of their colors, which they obeyedwith a general movement; and as General Johnston and myself rode forwardshortly after with the colors of the 4th Alabama by our side, the line thathad fought all morning, and had fled, routed and disordered, now advancedagain into position as steadily as veterans. The 4th Alabama had previ-ously lost all its field-officers; and noticing Colonel S. R. Gist, an aide toGeneral Bee, a young man whom I had known as adjutant-general of SouthCarolina , and whom I greatly esteemed, I presented him as an able and bravecommander to the stricken regiment, who cheered their new leader, and main-tained under him, to the end of the day, their previous gallant behavior. Wehad come none too soon, as the enemy’s forces, flushed with the belief ofaccomplished victory, were already advancing across the valley of Young’sBranch and up the slope, where they had encountered for a while the fire ofthe Hampton Legion, which had been led forward toward the Robinson houseand the turnpike in front,, covering the retreat and helping materially to checkthe panic of Bee’s routed forces.

As soon as order was restored I requested General Johnston to go back toPortici (the Lewis house ), and from that point — which I considered mostfavorable for the purpose — forward me the reenforcements as they wouldcome from the Bull Run lines below and those that were expected to arrivefrom Manassas , while I should direct the field. General Johnston was disin-clined to leave the battle-field for that position. As I had been compelled to