While Battery D had been thus engaged, battery after battery had been placed in position by the enemy, and these were now filling the air with bursting shell and case-shot; but our position being so far down the hill about all of their shots went over us.
Soon the enemy appear again, but this time their lines extending way beyond both our flanks, the right and left pieces change the direction of their fire so as to protect our flanks. We became anxious about our support, who ought now to be ready to assist us, but a hurried investigation gives us the information that they have left us to our fate—not an infantryman is in sight save their commanding general and three or four of his staff officers.
Gen. Milroy is standing on his dead horse cheering us on, and his staff officers are trying to help us work our guns. We appreciate their motives, but not being versed in light artillery duties, they are rather a detriment to us. In justice to his brigade which has retreated, it may be well to take into consideration that they were in position some thirty yards in our rear, which brought them well up the hill, and they were exposed to the artillery fire which was passing over us.
To add to our trouble word is brought from the limbers that our canister has been exhausted, and only a few rounds of solid shot remain. We cannot do much execution with this kind of ammunition, but we keep it going at a lively pace. The enemy in our front soon discover that we are not using canister, and taking advantage of it are fast approaching us. Will Capt. Monroe delay too long, and shall we be obliged to leave our guns as we have seen two batteries do just a few moments before? No; he has his eyes upon them, and we soon hear the welcome order, "Limbers to the rear." The limbers are whirled across the trail, the pieces are limbered and hurried away almost from the possession of the enemy!
Lieut. Pardon S. Jastram, of Battery E, of our regiment, saw the latter part of Battery D's engagement, and its withdrawal from its position, and has described it in the following story:
The heat of the battle was over on the right of our line, at the second Bull Run, and we were watching the movements of the troops away up on the plains at the top of Bald Hill. Kearney was there with us, as well as a large number of officers and men of the line, all watching with breathless interest the operations of the contending lines clearly exposed to our view, save where a clump of timber hid a portion of the rebel line, and concealed what was going on. There was a line of our batteries, supported by infantry, all heavily engaged in an effort to repel a determined attack that the enemy's artillery and infantry were making.
It was evident Lee had concentrated his efforts upon this point, and that he proposed to carry it by hurling all his available force against it. It was so plain from our standpoint that he would be successful that Kearney remarked, "You will see a second stampede from this field before night."
Slowly the rebel line advanced, and rapidly the rebel artillery poured shot, shell and shrapnel into the Union lines, which stood steady and unbroken, but all aglow from the rapidity of the fire streaming from it, which had a sulphurous hue as seen through the enveloping smoke which rose in the air and floated away in great clouds. Guns were served as it seemed they never were before. It appeared as if the heavens would be rent in twain by the thunder of the artillery and the discharges of the small arms on both sides combined.
The rebel line never faltered, but continued to move on, notwithstanding the deadly havoc in its ranks. Finally came the charge, and, with yells that rang out clearly over the space between them and us, they impetuously dashed upon the apparently firm, immovable line before them. The quickened fire of the artillery told that they were throwing canister with all their might and main, and if human power, so far as those men were concerned, could stem the approaching crest of glittering steel, they would do it. It looked as if it was an impossibility for any living force, however determined, to advance through that storm of iron and lead; but the rebel line wavered for a moment only, then it gathered its strength again almost in the very second that it appeared to lose it, and with renewed ardor swept on.
Our advanced line of infantry, occupying a sunken road in front of the artillery, broke and rushed pell mell through the intervals between the guns and limbers; and the second line just behind the limbers of the batteries, joined them in their mad race to the rear, and down the hill. Double canister went from the well served guns, and great gaps appeared in the hotly charging line; but it was only for a few seconds, for in that brief space of time they were in among the guns and gunners, the latter seeking safety in precipitate retreat; there was nothing else to do except to remain and become prisoners. The guns were silent; they could hardly be seen on account of the great number of the enemy in among them. The drivers hastily mounted the horses of the limbers, and making a short "left about," hurried away with the fleeing cannoniers.
Not so, however, the limbers of one battery: like lightning they dashed forward towards their pieces, and almost in the twinkling of an eye, they emerged from the confusion in an unbroken line with a light twelve pounder attached to every one of them, the captain of the company proudly riding before, wildly waving his sword!
It was a bold movement, and evidently one the enemy had not anticipated, and so quickly had it been executed, he did not have time to realize it until the guns were beyond his reach. Except the men with these guns, not a Union soldier nor Union commander of any kind save in hasty retreat, could be seen on that, the south side of the Warrenton Pike, while the rebel lines continued to increase in extent, and to advance as rapidly as formations could be made.
Our interest was centered in the battery, now all alone, entirely without support, and all expected to see it gallop to the rear and join the general stampede. To our infinite surprise, after advancing two hundred or three hundred yards to the rear, the captain again went into battery, as if, single handed, to defy the whole centre of the rebel army. The assurance of the battery commander, his effrontery and impudence, were as much of a surprise to the rebels apparently, as to us, and they seemed to be staggered for a few moments, as if in doubt whether or no our lines had reformed and were about to advance again. Their doubts were soon dispersed, and they charged with such a dashing impetuous rush that apparently the battery could by no possibility escape. Again the horses and limbers plunged wildly forward, and it seemed as if the pintle-hooks of the limbers actually shot into the lunettes of the trails of the gun carriages. Before the charging line reached the ground that the guns stood upon and fired from the battery was moving away at a smart trot!
It looked as though the battery captain was now playing and trifling with the enemy, for when he reached the crest of the hill leading down into the valley, he went into battery again, to pay a parting compliment to the Johnnies, but he failed to surprise them for a third time, and they resumed their formation for a charge. The captain saw his danger and without firing a shot he limbered to the rear and coolly moved down the hill, where he was lost to our sight.
Several of us were light artillery officers, and we knew from our own experience on the drill ground and under fire, what skill must have been exercised by a battery commander in training his men and horses to enable him to handle his battery like a plaything in the face of overwhelming numbers of the enemy, and to take what would have been enormous and unpardonable risks with a command not almost absolutely perfect in drill and discipline.
Such was the manner Battery D retreated from its position at the second Bull Run.
After limbering the pieces as narrated in the preceding pages, the battery moved down the hill, and, following the edge of the woods, soon reached the Warrenton Pike, near the Stone Bridge. We found the road to be filled with wagons, parts of batteries, infantry, cavalry, etc. We halted at the bridge and Capt. Monroe tried to get some ammunition for the battery, but it was impossible to do so. The battery was now ordered forward onto the bridge, but the bridge at this time was blocked up with wagons, etc., which we had to remove, and by the time we crossed it was quite dark. We moved up the pike about half a mile and entered a field on the left, and remained there until about nine o'clock. We took advantage of this halt to have supper. While we were halted at the bridge we supplied the battery with coffee, sugar, and hard-tack from an abandoned baggage wagon. Just before we reached the bridge there was a large number of camp-kettles that were filled with corned beef. The fires were about out under them owing to the bullet holes that had let out the water from most of them; but we found a number that were all right and took them along. We had a good square meal, which put us in first class condition.
At about nine o'clock we were again put in motion, and reached Centreville Heights about midnight, parked the battery, unhitched the horses, without unharnessing, and the men lay down in a drizzling rain for a very much needed rest, and slept soundly until morning.
Our stay on these heights was extended through the whole of Sunday, the 31st, and until nearly two o'clock P.M. of Sept. 1st. We were then put in motion, and proceeded along the Centreville Pike towards Washington. We moved along very leisurely, and it was in the vicinity of four o'clock that we reached a point about half way between Centreville and Fairfax Court House, when our ears were again filled with the roar of volley after volley of musketry, seemingly not a great distance away. Our column was halted immediately, and for an hour or more we stood in expectation of being momentarily called upon. To add to the impressiveness of the occasion, a very severe thunder storm commenced about the same time with the engagement, and the noise of the thunder added to that of the battle, made it seem terrific. The rain fell in torrents, wetting us through in a few minutes, and increasing our discomfort.