General Schenck’s brigade was moved forward to the left, but half way to the Run met the full fire of a masked battery effectually concealed by the bushes.
A few dead and wounded began to be brought in, and the battle of Manassas had commenced. Carlisle’s howitzers and the great rifled gun were opened in the direction of the battery, which answered promptly, and a brief but terrific cannonading ensued. In less than half an hour the enemy’s guns were silenced, two of Carlisle’s howitzers advancing through the woods to gain a closer position, and Schenck’s brigade retired to its first lines.
At eleven o’clock, the artillery, which resounded from every portion of the field, extending from Davies and Richardson’s position on the extreme left, to the right near Sudley, gave startling evidence that Hunter was making his way around the enemy. The roll and thunder was incessant—great volumes of smoke surged over the vast field, impaling it in the distance, and making the air around the near batteries thick with smoke.
It was true, Hunter’s and Heintzelman’s columns had taken the field on the extreme right.
McDowell in his plan of battle had calculated that the marching colunm should diverge from the turnpike by early daylight (a night march being deemed imprudent), and reach Sudley Ford by six or seven, A. M. The Stone Bridge division did not clear the road over which both, for a certain distance, had to pass, so that the column could take up its march, until after the time. The route to Sudley proved far longer and more difficult than was anticipated. The column did not reach the Sudley Ford till near half-past nine, three or four hours “behind time.” When it reached the ford, the heads of the enemy’s columns were visible on the march to meet it.
The ground between the stream and the road, leading from Sudley south, was for about a mile thickly wooded; on the right, for the same distance, divided between fields and timber. A mile from the ford the country on both sides of the road is open, and for a mile further large, irregular fields extend to the turnpike, which, after crossing Bull Run at the “Stone Bridge,” passes what became the field of battle, through the valley of a small tributary of the Run.
But, notwithstanding a fearful march over broken grounds in the hot sun, with his men suffering from heat and thirst, Hunter had reached his point of operation, late it is true, but from no fault of his. The weary soldiers uttered exclamations of joy when they saw the limpid waters of the Run, and plunging into its current bathed their hot hands and burning faces as they waded through, and came out on the other side greatly invigorated. While his thirty men were refreshing themselves with cool draughts of water, Hunter sent a courier to General McDowell, reporting that he had safely crossed the Run.
The General was lying on the ground, having been ill during the night, but at once mounted his horse and rode on to join the column on which so much depended.
The halt had not lasted two minutes when Col. Burnside led his different regiments into their position on the field. The Second Rhode Island entered first to the extreme right; then the Rhode Island battery of six pieces, and two howitzers of the Seventy-first, and after it on the left, the First Rhode Island and the Second New Hampshire, all formed in line of battle on the top of the hill.
Shortly after the leading regiment of the first brigade reached the open space, and whilst others and the second brigade were crossing to the front and right, the enemy opened his fire, beginning with artillery, and following it up with infantry. The leading brigade (Burnside’s) had to sustain this shock for a short time without support, and met it bravely. Gov. Sprague himself directed the movements of the Rhode Island brigade, and was conspicuous through the day for gallantry. The enemy were found in heavy numbers opposite this noble brigade of our army, and greeted it with shell and long volleys of battalion firing as it advanced. But on it went, and a fierce conflict now commenced.