Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Major: I have the honor to submit the following reports of the movements of my division, and of the part it performed in the engagements of the compaign in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Serious illness and absence from the field has delayed its appearance till now.

On the fifteenth August last, the division I commanded reached Gordonsville by rail, and camped near that place. Marching thence, and crossing Rapidan River on the eighteenth, on the twenty-third, under order from General Longstreet, I advanced Drayton's brigade on the road leading to Beverly Ford, on the Rappahannock River, in support of the Washington artillery, sending Anderson's brigade to the right, in direction of railroad bridge, with orders to report to General Evans, supporting artillery in that direction.

Fire was to be opened on the enemy's batteries simultaneously. Anderson's brigade, being under command of General Evans, will figure in his report. Drayton's brigade, supported by Toombs's brigade, commanded by Colonel Benning, of Seventeenth Georgia, took no part in the action which ensued, the river not being fordable in their front, and suffered but few casualties.

On the twenty-fifth, I took position in front of Waterloo Bridge, sending forward a regiment of sharpshooters from Drayton's brigade, which, engaging the enemy across the river, suffered some slight loss. Crossing the Rappahannock River, I reached Thoroughfare Gap on the twenty-eighth, and, under orders from General Longstreet, sent forward the Ninth Georgia regiment, Anderson's brigade, in the gap, following it with my whole division, which I disposed of by placing Anderson's brigade on the hill to the left, with Drayton's brigade and two regiments of Toombs's brigade on the hill to the right, holding the other two regiments of Toombs's brigade in reserve. The Ninth Georgia drove out some few of the enemy's skirmishers, who fell back on their main body, then seen advancing from the woods, in front of the gap, and taking position on the plateau, parallel with the mountain range, and distant therefrom about half a mile. They appeared before my disposition of troops had been completed, and opened a very heavy fire of artillery on the road and on the mountain sides flanking it. Having no artillery to reply with, there being no position in which it could be placed, so far as I had been able to reconnoitre the ground, the enemy advanced his guns to a point but little over three hundred yards from the entrance to the gap, and made heavy demonstrations on the right and left, bringing him in contact with Anderson's brigade on the left, which repulsed him in most gallant style and with heavy loss. In this encounter, the First Georgia regulars greatly distinguished themselves.

On the right, the demonstration resulted only in skirmishing. After the repulse of his efforts at flanking, the enemy withdrew his artillery to the plateau on which he had at first appeared, and kept up a very heavy fire till dark, when, appearances indicating his retreat, I advanced my command and bivouacked beyond the gap unmolested by the enemy. The intense darkness and ignorance of the fords over the creek in my front prevented pursuit.

My entire loss in this engagement was not more than twenty-five. The number of the enemy engaged amounted to over eleven thousand, under the command of General Ricketts, as appeared from northern papers.

My division, of three brigades, was alone engaged on our side.

Early on the morning of the twenty-ninth, I took up the line of march in the direction of the old battle-ground of Manassas, whence heavy firing was heard: arriving on the ground about noon, my command was stationed on the extreme right of our whole line, and, during the balance of the day, was subjected to shelling, resulting in but few casualties. On the morning of the thirtieth, slight alterations were made in the disposition of my command, throwing it more forward and to the right. The battle, meanwhile, raging fiercely on the left, about five o'clock in the afternoon, my command was ordered forward; I brought it up with the exception of Drayton's brigade, which was detained by a report from Captain Rosser, of the cavalry, on the extreme right, that the enemy were attempting to flank our line in that direction. I took position near the “Chinn house,” with the brigades of Toombs and Anderson, and anticipating what my orders would be, General Longstreet not being then near me, and seeing the great results within reach, I pushed them forward upon the enemy, designing, with Drayton's brigade, to turn and completely sweep the right of the field. The two brigades went in most gallantly, suffering severe loss. Again and again did I send for Drayton, who, after delaying till he heard the unfounded nature of the report on which he acted, hurried up at speed, and went in on the right, only a few moments before firing ceased, at dusk, too late to accomplish the results contemplated. General Toombs, released from the arrest under which he had been since the eighteenth instant, came upon the field shortly after his brigade went under fire, and accompanied it in action. He brought me orders from General Longstreet, directing the movements I had anticipated and was then making. Night came on, and my troops slept on the field.

Both Anderson's and Toombs's brigades suffered severely in the action. In the former brigade of five regiments, but one field officer was untouched. Colonel Wilson, of the Seventh Georgia, the gray-haired hero of many fights, fell, mortally wounded. Officers and men never behaved better than did mine on that day. On the morning of the thirty-first, I took up line of march in the direction of Sudley Ford, crossing