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

[651] enemy one mile. I can speak with pride and admiration of the admirable spirit displayed by the brigade, which went into action with that determination and valor which had often before aided to secure victory. It is specially due to Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton, of the Twenty-first North Carolina, that I should mention the conspicuous gallantry with which he took the colors and led his regiment to the charge; and to the important services rendered by Captain W. C. Hall, A. A. G., and Lieutenant W. D. McKim, Aid, in assisting me to dispose the regiments for the attack. I think proper, also, to name Frank Champion, my mounted Orderly, for the display of intelligence and activity in the field, in carrying orders and obtaining information. In this sharp encounter the enemy certainly outnumbered our forces two or three to one, and certainly lost ten to one in their killed and wounded, and prisoners. Our loss in killed and wounded was forty-seven, among them no field officers or Captains.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

General: In compliance with your request, I report the operations of my brigade in the execution of your order to me, on the evening of the twenty-sixth of August last, to capture Manassas Junction:

Your order was received about nine o'clock that night, after a long and fatiguing march of the army from Salem to Bristoe Station. I immediately put two regiments in motion, the Twenty-first North Carolina, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton, and the Twenty-first Georgia, commanded by Major Glover, in all about five hundred men, (my Third regiment was left at Bristoe,) and proceeded with them to within one mile and a half of Manassas, where we halted in consequence of the brisk discharge of fire-arms in our front, caused by an encounter of a part of General Stuart's cavalry with a party of the enemy's pickets. I informed General Stuart of my intention to attack Manassas Junction, and requested his aid with the cavalry which he had then with him. Throwing forward skirmishers in advance of the regiments, I proceeded cautiously in order of battle, the night being very dark. We met with no opposition until within half a mile of the cluster of houses at the Junction, when discharges of artillery, rapidly repeated, were delivered from the enemy's batteries, in the direction of our force. From a want of knowledge of our position, this fire did us but little injury. I then disposed of one regiment on the north side of the railroad, and the other on the south side; my Aid, Lieutenant McKim, being posted on the track with directions to regulate the advance of the Georgia regiment by that of the North Carolina, which latter advanced under my immediate orders. These dispositions being made, I gave orders to advance rapidly, skirmishers being well in front, until we had approached within one hundred yards of the batteries, which continued their fire, one on the north and the other on the south of the railroad. Here I halted and issued watchwords and responses, that our men might recognize each other in case of a mingled encounter with the enemy. The position of the batteries on either side of the railroad having been ascertained pretty accurately, the word was given, “Charge!” when both regiments advanced rapidly and firmly, and in five minutes both batteries were carried at the point of the bayonet. Sending an officer to the north side of the railroad to ascertain the success of the Georgia regiment, he could not immediately find them, and cried out, “Halloa, Georgia, where are you?” The reply was, “Here! All right! We have taken a battery.” “So have we,” was the response, whereupon cheers rent the air.

As soon as an examination could be made, it was ascertained that each of the two batteries contained four field pieces, horses, equipments, and ammunition complete. Over three hundred prisoners were taken, an immense quantity of commissary and quartermaster's stores, and a large train loaded with promiscuous army supplies, just arrived from Alexandria, and about two hundred horses, independent of those belonging to the artillery. Over two hundred negroes were also recaptured. In this successful issue of the night's work I had no assistance from artillery, or from any part of General Stuart's cavalry, a regiment of which arrived some time after the attack was made, and commenced an indiscriminate plunder of horses. General Stuart himself did not arrive until seven or eight o'clock in the morning.

As I had ascertained that a large force of the enemy was at Centreville, and another force hourly expected by railroad from Alexandria, and as at any moment an attempt might be made to retake the place, I kept the two regiments under arms all night. Reporting our success at General Jackson's headquarters, at Bristoe, I asked that reenforcements should be sent to me without delay; these arrived soon after daybreak, and were disposed so as to repel any attack of the enemy. Guards were placed over the buildings and cars containing public stores, and no depredations whatever were committed by the men of my regiments, who were continued under arms the whole of the night, and all the next day, without relief. It was with extreme mortification that, in reporting to General A. P. Hill for orders, about ten o'clock, I witnessed an indiscriminate plunder of the public stores, cars, and sutler's houses, by the army which had just arrived, in which General Hill's division was conspicuous, setting at defiance the guards I had placed over the stores.

Before concluding this report, I must, in justice to the officers and men of the two regiments, express the high admiration I entertain for the good