THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN.

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"Wilcox, with his three brigades, from the left, and placed his command in position to supportJones in case of an attack against my right. After some few shots the enemy withdrew his forces,moving them around toward his front, and about 4 o’clock in the afternoon began to pressforward against General Jackson’s position. Wilcox’s brigades were moved back to their formerposition, and Hood’s two brigades, supported by Evans, were quickly pressed forward to theattack. At the same time Wilcox’s three brigades made a like advance, as also Hunton’s bri-gade, of Kemper’s command.

“ These movements were executed with commendable zeal and ability. Hood, supported byEvans, made a gallant attack, driving the enemy back till 9 o’clock at night. One piece ofartillery, several regimental standards, and a number of prisoners were taken. The enemy’sentire force was found to be massed directly in my front, and in so strong a position that it was notdeemed advisable to move on against his immediate front; so the troops were quietly withdrawnat 1 o’clock the following morning. The wheels of the captured piece were cut down, and it wasleft on the ground. The enemy seized that opportunity to claim a victory, and the Federal com-mander was so imprudent as to dispatch his Government, by telegraph, tidings to that effect.After withdrawing from the attack, my troops were placed in the line first occupied, and in theoriginal order.”

General A. P. Hill says in his report, dated February 25th, 1863:

. . . “ Friday morning, in accordance with orders from General Jackson, I occupied the

line of the unfinished railroad, my extreme left resting near Sudley Ford, my right near thepoint where the road strikes the open field, Gregg, Field, and Thomas in the front line ; Greggon the left and Field on the right; with Branch, Pender, and Archer as supports. . . .

“ The evident intention of the enemy this day was to turn our left and overwhelm Jackson’scorps before Longstreet came up, and to accomplish this the most persistent and furious onsetswere made, by column after column of infantry, accompanied by numerous batteries of artillery.Soon my reserves were all in, and up to 6 o’clock my division, assisted by the Louisiana bri-gade of General Hays, commanded by Colonel Forno, with a heroic courage and obstinacyalmost beyond parallel, had met and repulsed six distinct and separate assaults, a portion of thetime the majority of the men being without a cartridge. . . .

“ The enemy prepared for a last and determined attempt. Their serried masses, overwhelm-ing superiority of numbers, and bold bearing made the chances of victory to tremble in thebalance ; my own division exhausted by seven hours’ unremitted fighting, hardly one round perman remaining, and weakened in all things save its unconquerable spirit. Casting about forhelp, fortunately it was here reported to me that the brigades of Generals Lawton and Earlywere near by, and, sending to them, they promptly moved to my front at the most opportunemoment, and this last charge met the same disastrous fate that had befallen those preceding.Having received an order from General Jackson to endeavor to avoid a general engagement,my commanders of brigades contented themselves with repulsing the enemy and following themup but a few hundred yards.”

General J. E. B. Stuart says in Iris report, dated February 28th, 1863 :

. . . “I met with the head of General Longstreet’s column between Hay Market and Gaines-

ville , and there communicated to the commanding general General Jackson’s position and theenemy’s. I then passed the cavalry through the column so as to place it on Longstreet’s rightflank, and advanced directly toward Manassas , while the-column kept directly down the piketo join General Jackson’s right. I selected a fine position for a battery on the right, and onehaving been sent to me, I fired a few shots at the enemy’s supposed position, which induced himto shift his position. General Robertson, who, with his command, was sent to reconnoiter far-ther down the road toward Manassas , reported the enemy in his front. Upon repairing to thatfront, I found that Rosser’s regiment was engaged with the enemy to the left of the road, andRobertson’s vedettes had found the enemy approaching from the direction of Bristoe Stationtoward Sudley. The prolongation of his line of march would have passed through my position,which was a very fine one for artillery as well as observation, and struck Longstreet in flank. Iwaited his approach long enough to ascertain that there was at least an army corps, at the same