BULL RUN. 



81 



which crossed the ran, the Eleventh Massachu- 

 setts moved up it, followed by the remainder of 

 the division, except Arnold's battery, which, 

 supported by the First Michigan, was posted a 

 little below the crossing of the run as a reserve. 



The advance of the battalion of regular in- 

 fantry and the regiment detached from Col. 

 Heintzelman, to support the second brigade, 

 under Col. Buruside, above mentioned, caused 

 the enemy to come flying from the woods 

 towards the right, and the Twenty-seventh 

 completed their retreat by charging directly 

 upon their centre in the face of a scorching 

 fire, while the Fourteenth and Eighth moved 

 down the turnpike to cut off the retiring foe, 

 and to support the Twenty-seventh, which was 

 standing the brunt of the action, with its ranks 

 thinning in the dreadful fire. Now the resist- 

 ance of the enemy's left became so obstinate 

 that the beaten right retired in safety. This 

 retreat of the enemy's right afforded an oppor- 

 tunity for the brigades of Cols. Sherman and 

 Keyes, belonging to Gen. Tyler's division, to 

 cross over, as will be presently noticed. 



The appearance of the head of Col. Heintzel- 

 man's column upon the field at the moment of 

 the obstinate resistance of the enemy's left, 

 enabled the Fifth Massachusetts and Eleventh 

 New York (Fire Zouaves) to move forward to 

 support the centre of the first brigade of Col. 

 Hunter's division, which had been on the 

 right and constantly engaged. At this time 

 the Eighth New York, under Col. Lyons, of 

 this brigade, had broken. They were only par- 

 tially rallied again. This was the first regi- 

 ment to break ranks and retire on the field 

 that day. The Fourteenth also broke, but was 

 soon rallied in rear of Griffin's battery, which 

 soon took a position further to the front and 

 right, from which its fire was delivered with 

 such precision and rapidity as to compel the 

 batteries of the enemy to retire far behind the 

 brow of the hill in front. 



At this time the first brigade of Col. Hun- 

 ter's division occupied a line considerably in 

 advance of that first occupied by the left wing 

 of the enemy. The battery was pouring its 

 withering fire into the batteries and columns 

 of the enemy wherever exposed. The cavalry 

 were likewise engaged in feeling the left flank 

 of the enemy's position, during which some 

 captures were made. Early in the action Gen. 

 Hunter had been wounded and conveyed from 

 the field, and the command of the division had 

 devolved on Col. A. Porter. 



The orders to Gen. Tyler were to threaten 

 the passage of the Stone Bridge. Soon after 

 getting into position, it was discovered that 

 the enemy had a heavy battery with infantry 

 in support, commanding both the road and 

 bridge approaches, on which both Ayres and 

 Carlisle at different times tried the effect of 

 their guns without success. The banks of the 

 run proving impracticable for the passage of 

 artillery, the batteries remained comparatively 

 useless until the approach to the bridge was 

 6 



cleared. During this period of waiting, the 30- 

 pouuder was occasionally used with consider- 

 able effect against bodies of infantry and cav- 

 alry, which could be seen from time to time 

 moving in the direction of Col. Hunter's col- 

 umn, and out of the range of the ordinary 

 guns. "When it appeared that the divisions of 

 Cols. Hunter and Heintzelman were arrested 

 in their progress, and the enemy seemed to be 

 moving heavy reinforcements to support their 

 troops, the brigade of Col. Sherman was ordered 

 by Gen. Tyler to cross over and support the col- 

 umns engaged. The brigade of Col. Keyes was 

 also ordered to follow. This brigade, on reach- 

 ing the high ground across the run, was or- 

 dered to form on the left of Col. Sherman's 

 brigade, which was done with great steadiness 

 and regularity. After waiting a few minutes, 

 the line was ordered to advance and come into 

 conflict on its right with the enemy's cavalry 

 and infantry, which, after some severe strug- 

 gles, it drove back, until the further march of 

 Keyes' brigade was arrested by a severe fire 

 of artillery and infantry, sheltered by some 

 buildings standing on the heights above the 

 road leading to Bull Run. A charge was here 

 ordered, and the Second Maine and Third Con- 

 necticut, which were opposed to this part of 

 the enemy's line, pressed forward to the top of 

 the hill until they reached the buildings which 

 were held by the enemy, and drove them out 

 and for a moment held possession. The gallant- 

 ry of this charge upon infantry and artillery, 

 says Col. Keyes, " was never, in my opinion, 

 surpassed." At this point, finding the brigade 

 under the fire of a strong force behind breast- 

 works, it was ordered to march by the left 

 flank across an open field until the whole line 

 was sheltered by the right bank of Bull Run, 

 along which the march was conducted, with a 

 view to turn the battery, which the enemy had 

 placed on the hill below the point at which the 

 Warrenton turnpike crosses Bull Run. The 

 enemy were forced to retire for a considerable 

 distance below the Stone Bridge, and an oppor- 

 tunity was afforded to Capt. Alexander to pass 

 over the bridge, cut out the abatis which had 

 been placed there, and prepare the way for Col. 

 Schenck's brigade and two batteries to pass over. 

 Meanwhile Col. Sherman's brigade, which 

 had been ordered by Gen. Tyler to cross over 

 in advance of Col. Keyes, found no difficulty 

 in the movement and met no opposition in as- 

 cending the steep bluff with the infantry. Ad- 

 vancing slowly and continuously with the head 

 of the column to give time for the regiments in 

 succession to close up their ranks, the brigade 

 proceeded with caution towards the field, and 

 soon formed in rear of Col. Porter's brigade. 

 Here orders were given to Col. Sherman to 

 join in pursuit of the enemy, who were falling 

 back to the left of the road by which the army 

 had approached from Sudley's Spring. The 

 brigade moved in the following order : Thir- 

 teenth New York in advance, followed by the 

 Second Wisconsin, Seventy-ninth and Sixty- 



