248
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRST BULL RUN.
defensive; and new clouds of dust on tlie left proved that a large body ofFederal troops was arriving on the field. It thus appeared that the enemy’sgreat effort was to be against our left. I expressed this to General Beaure-gard, and the necessity of reenforcing the brigades engaged, and desired h imto send immediate orders to Early and Holmes, of the second line, to hastento the conflict with their brigades. General Bonham, who was near me, wasdesired to send up two regiments and a battery. I then set off at a rapidgallop to the scene of action. General Beauregard joined me without a word.Passing on the way Colonel Pendleton with two batteries, I directed him tofollow with them as fast as possible.
It now seemed that a battle was to be fought entirely different in placeand circumstance from the two plans previously adopted and abandoned asimpracticable. Instead of taking the initiative and operating in front ofour line, we were compelled to fight on the defensive more than a mile inrear of that line, and at right angles to it, on a field selected by Bee,—with no other plans than those suggested by the changing events of battle.
While we were riding forward General Beauregard suggested to me toassign him to the immediate command of the troops engaged, so that mysupervision of the whole field might not be interrupted, to which I assented.So he commanded those troops under me; as elsewhere, lieutenant-generalscommanded corps, and major-generals divisions, under me. t
When we were near the ground where Bee was re-forming and Jacksondeploying his brigade, I saw a regiment in line with ordered arms and facingto the front, but 200 or 300 yards in rear of its proper place. On inquiryI learned that it had lost all its field-officers; so, riding on its left flank, Ieasily marched it to its place. It was the 4th Alabama , an excellent regiment;and I mention this because the circumstance has been greatly exaggerated.
After the troops were in good battle order I turned to the supervision ofthe whole field. The enemy’s great numerical superiority was discouraging.Yet, from strong faith in Beauregard’s capacity and courage, and the highsoldierly qualities of Bee and Jackson, I hoped that the fight would be main-tained until I could bring adequate reenforcements to their aid. For thisHolmes and Early were urged to hasten their march, and Ewell was ordered tofollow them with his brigade with all speed. Broken troops were reorganizedand led back into the fight with the help of my own and part of GeneralBeauregard’s staff. Cocke’s brigade was held in rear of the right to observe alarge body of Federal troops in a position from which Bee’s right flank couldhave been struck in a few minutes.
After these additions had been made to our troops then engaged, we had9 regiments of infantry, 5 batteries, and 300 cavalry of the Army of theShenandoah, and about 2 regiments and a half of infantry, 6 companies ofcavalry, and 6 field-pieces of the Army of the Potomac, holding at bay 3divisions of the enemy. The Southern soldiers had, however, two great advan-tages in the contest: greater skill in the use of fire-arms, and the standingon the defensive, by which they escaped such disorder as advancing underfire produced in the ranks of their adversaries, undisciplined like themselves.