INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST BULL RUN.

2 35

south-east of the Henry and Robinsonhouses, in the edge of the pines. Ifone of the Federal batteries had beenleft north of Young’s Branch, it couldhave so swept the hill-top where were-formed, that it would have greatlydelayed, if not wholly have prevented,us from occupying the position. And ifwe had been forced back to the nexthill, on which stands the Lewis house,Sherman, who had crossed Bull Runnot far above the Stone Bridge at afarm ford, would have had a fairswing at our right flank, to say noth-ing of the effect of the artillery playingupon us from beyond Bull Run.

When my retiring battery met Jack-son, and he assumed command of us,I reported that I had remaining onlythree rounds of ammunition for a sin-gle gun, and suggested that the cais-sons be sent to the rear for a supply.He said, “No, not now—wait till otherguns get here, and then you can with-draw your battery, as it has been so torn to pieces, and let your men rest.”

During the lull in front, my men lay about, exhausted from want of waterand food, and black with powder, smoke, and dust. Lieutenant Harman and Ihad amused ourselves training one of the guns on a heavy column of the enemy,who were advancing toward us, in the direction of the Chinn house, but werestill 1200 to 1500 yards away. While we were thus engaged, General Jacksonrode up and said that three or four batteries were approaching rapidly, andthat we might soon retire. I asked permission to fire the three rounds ofshrapnel left to us, and he said, “ Go ahead.” I picked up a charge (the fusewas cut and ready) and rammed it home myself, remarking to Harman, “ Tom,put in the primer and pull her off.” I forgot to step back far enough from themuzzle, and, as I wanted to see the shell strike, I squatted to be under thesmoke, and gave the word “ Fire.” Heavens! what a report. Finding myselffull twenty feet away, I thought the gun had burst. But it was only thepent-up gas, that, escaping sideways as the shot cleared the muzzle, had struckmy side and head with great violence. I recovered in time to see the shellexplode in the enemy’s ranks. The blood gushed out of my left ear, and fromthat day to this it has been totally deaf. The men fired the other two rounds,and limbered up and moved away, just as the Rockbridge Artillery, underLieutenant Brockenbrough, came into position, followed a moment later by theLeesburg Artillery, under Lieutenant Henry Heaton. Pendleton, supposed byme still to be captain of the first, as Rogers was of the second, were not with

BRIG.-GEN. BARNARD E. BEE (IN THE UNIFORM OF ACAPTAIN OF INFANTRY OF THE OLD SERVICE).FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.