CHAPTER II.
The long spring campaign in the Valley and the operations around Richmond had made sad havoc in the ranks of the Maryland Line, and it became necessary for them to recruit and reorganize before again ready for the field. For this purpose the First Maryland Infantry and Baltimore Light Artillery were ordered to Charlottesville, where they remained a month, when they were once more ordered to join Jackson, who was about to make his great movement to the rear of Pope’s army at Manassas. Alas, the two commands did not journey together far, for at Gordonsville an order overtook Colonel Johnson requiring him to at once disband the First Maryland, and the order was reluctantly obeyed.
The separation was affecting to the greatest degree, and the little battery pursued its way with sad and lonely hearts. It was like severing the ties that bind brother to brother, for in the series of battles in which they had participated side by side, the conduct of each had inspired the other with confidence and respect. “With the First Maryland in support,” I heard Captain Brockenborough say, “I know I am always safe.” And so it was, for one would never desert the other while life lasted.
On the morning of the 19th of August the battery reached Orange Court House, where, much to the joy of all, it was attached to Starke’s Louisiana brigade. An affinity had long existed between the Maryland and Louisiana troops, and they commanded each others’ fullest confidence. In fact they seemed nearer akin, for in both there was that sprightliness, dash and vim not so noticeable in troops from other States.
With three days’ rations in haversacks, Brockenborough, on the 21st, moved towards the Rappahannock, where he found the enemy occupying the north bank in force. A severe artillery fight immediately began, and was maintained for some hours. The battery pitted against Brockenborough was Company M, United States regulars, which, towards nightfall, he succeeded in silencing and driving back with the loss of many men and an exploded caisson.
On the morning of the 22d, the artillery was thrown across the river, but soon after encountered the enemy in heavy force, and were compelled to recross after a desperate struggle. In this affair the Baltimore Light Artillery suffered a loss of four men killed—Irvin, Cox, Bradley and Reynolds—and several severely wounded.
Brockenborough finding it impossible to cross at that point, moved up to Hanson’s Ford, where a crossing was effected, and he then pursued his way through Orleans, Salem and Thoroughfare Gap, and reached Manassas on the 26th, having marched fifty miles in two days, with nothing for his men or horses to eat save the green corn gathered along the road. Here at Manassas, though, was found in the captured trains and sutlers’ stores all they could have desired, and for hours they revelled in the good things their new commissary had so bountifully supplied, and over Rhine wine and lobsters forgot for the time the privations of the past few days.
From Manassas, Jackson moved on Centreville, but finding the enemy there in force, he retraced his steps to Manassas, closely pursued, and formed his line of battle, about sunset on the 28th, upon the ground occupied by the enemy in the battle of July, 1861.
The engagement immediately commenced, and raged with great fury for some time, but the enemy was repulsed in every assault, and driven back with heavy loss. General Stephen D. Lee, who commanded the whole of Jackson’s artillery, then put the several batteries in position along the crest of a commanding hill, and there awaited the attack sure to be renewed next day.
About two o’clock on the 29th heavy columns emerged from the woods in Jackson’s front, and advanced boldly to the attack, but the storm of grape and canister which tore through their ranks was more than flesh and blood could withstand, and they were driven back with dreadful slaughter. But again and again did those devoted columns reform and return to the attack with undiminished ardor, but the same terrible fire greeted them, and strewed the ground with dead and dying.
But nevertheless Jackson’s situation was a most critical one. With but a handful of worn and wearied troops he was battling with ten times his numbers, which must necessarily soon wear him out and exhaust his ammunition; but as the hearts of his men were sinking within them, they were cheered by the clouds of dust that arose in the distance and heralded the approach of their great chieftain, Lee, with the veterans of Longstreet’s corps. At night the battle ceased, and the wearied troops threw themselves upon the ground to seek a little repose before the work of death and destruction should be resumed on the morrow.
At the break of day on the morning of the 30th of August, the troops were aroused from their slumbers and ordered to prepare for the great and decisive battle at hand. But hour after hour passed by, and except an occasional picket shot, all else was still. It was, though, but the calm which precedes the storm, for suddenly dense masses of the enemy emerged from the woods, and moved at the double-quick upon Jackson’s lines. It was a grand sight to see those three lines rush forward in the most beautiful order. For a minute a deathlike silence prevailed, when the very earth was made to tremble by the roar of Stephen D. Lee’s thirty-six pieces of artillery, fired at point blank range. The slaughter was appalling, and whole ranks melted away in an instant, but the brave survivors closed up their decimated columns, and despite that awful fire pressed on until they encountered the infantry posted in the railroad cut in front, where for a time the fight was waged hand to hand. At length they began to break and to retreat, and the batteries, which had been silent for some time owing to the proximity of the struggling columns of infantry, again belched forth into the fleeing mass their deadly discharges of grape, which was continued until the fugitives reached the shelter of the woods from which they had emerged.
Of the several batteries under General Lee that day, not one was worked more fiercely than the Baltimore Light Artillery, and none contributed more to the defeat and destruction of the enemy.
Long before nightfall the victory was won, and the braggart Pope, with the remnant of his army, was seeking safety in the defences around Washington.
In the invasion of Maryland, which followed this signal victory, the battery was placed in the advance, and crossed the river at White’s Ford.
On the 6th of September the battery passed through Frederick city, and encamped on the suburbs. Many were the congratulations the brave fellows received from the citizens, and during the three days they remained, their wants were abundantly supplied.
Leaving Frederick city, the battery passed through Boonsboro, Middletown, and Williamsport, where they recrossed the Potomac, and on the 12th entered Martinsburg. From thence it moved towards Harper’s Ferry, when upon arriving at Loudoun Heights Brockenborough was assigned a position from which, at early dawn of the 15th, he opened, along with other batteries, a terrific fire upon the enemy’s entrenched position on Bolivar Heights. The batteries were worked furiously for an hour, when just as the Confederate infantry were put in motion to storm the works, a white flag fluttered in the breeze, and Harper’s Ferry surrendered with its twelve thousand troops, and artillery and supplies in abundance.
But there was heavy work yet to be done, for General Lee with a portion of his army was confronting the overwhelming masses of McClellan at Sharpsburg, and no time was to be lost in reaching him. The surrender had therefore scarcely been effected when the troops were dispatched to his aid. By a forced night march Jackson’s artillery reached Sharpsburg on the 16th, and was immediately assigned a position on a range of hills rather northwest of the town.
The morning of the 17th of September found the two armies in position, and ready to begin the work of destruction. For the Confederates the prospects of success seemed gloomy enough, for General Lee had barely forty thousand men with which to meet the mighty army of McClellan, numbering over one hundred and twenty thousand troops. But the vast odds were made almost proportionate by the superior genius of the Confederate Generals. With Lee, Jackson and Longstreet in command nothing seemed impossible to their troops, and therefore it was with no feelings of fear for the result that they surveyed the long and glittering lines before them.
Soon after sunrise slight artillery skirmishing commenced along the lines, which increased in volume until the air seemed filled with exploding shells. Upon the position held by the batteries of Brockenborough, Carpenter, Poague, Moody, Rain and Caskie, was opened a terrific fire, which was promptly returned, and the enemy’s batteries several times compelled to change position. This continued for two hours, when it became evident that the infantry was massing for a charge. The position was of the most vital importance, for should the enemy succeed in gaining possession of this point, and turning Lee’s left flank, he would be irretrievably lost. His orders to General Jackson were therefore to “hold the range of hills to the last.”
McClellan’s advance upon this point was gallantly met by Jackson’s veteran infantry, and for some time the fighting was of the most determined character; but at length the immense superiority of numbers prevailed, and Jackson’s troops gradually fell back across the turnpike, past the Dunkard Church and through the woods, and appeared upon the plain beyond. Most beautifully did the heavy columns emerge from the woods and move forward upon the batteries quietly awaiting their nearer approach. “Do not pull a lanyard,” said Brockenborough, who was temporarily in command of the whole, “until you get the command.” Nearer and nearer those solid columns approached, and amid loud huzzas rushed forward at the double-quick. It was a moment of dreadful suspense. On, on, they came. “Will Brockenborough never give the command?” Yes; he now has them at the muzzles of his guns, and the next instant the command “Fire!” was heard above the exultant cheers of the advancing columns, and twenty-four pieces of artillery, double shotted with canister, belched forth their deadly contents into the very faces of the assailants.
The scene that was presented as the smoke lifted beggars description. The ground was literally covered, nay piled, with the slain and maimed of the enemy, and the survivors were in full retreat. They were soon reformed, however, and again moved boldly to the attack, but only to be again mercilessly slaughtered and driven back. A third time they essayed, but with the same result, when, a disordered mass of fugitives, the survivors sought the shelter of the woods from which they had but a few minutes before emerged, confident of success.
How anxiously the great chieftain, Lee—who was close by—must have watched the dreadful struggle which was to decide the fate of his army, and perhaps of the cause for which he was battling; and how great must have been the relief as he saw the enemy in retreat and Jackson’s shattered columns once more reformed.
Night put an end to the dreadful conflict, and Lee still held his ground, despite the herculean efforts of his adversary to drive him from it, but the day’s struggle had cost him thousands of his bravest and best.
The brave Brockenborough that day won his Major’s star, and, with his battery, received special mention in General Lee’s official report.
The morning of the 18th broke clear and beautiful, and General Lee was in readiness to renew the fight, which it was not doubted would begin at an early hour. But McClellan’s beaten and shattered army required time and rest and reinforcements before again prepared for aggressive operations; and finding this to be the case, Lee proceeded to bury his dead, and that night, unmolested, recrossed the river at a point near Shepherdstown.