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Second Manassas Battle Report: Pender's Brigade

AUGUST 16-SEPTEMBER 2, 1862.--Campaign in Northern Virginia.

No. 187.--Report of Brig. Gen. William D. Pender, C. S. Army, commanding brigade, of operation August 27-September 2.

CAMP NEAR BUNKERSVILLE [BUNKER HILL], VA.,

October 14, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by my brigade in the battle of Manassas Junction, the two days' fighting at Manassas, the battles of Ox Hill, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Shepherdstown:

At Manassas Junction, while lying under cover from the occasional shots from the enemy's artillery, a brigade of their infantry was seen approaching, upon which our batteries opened and they soon broke. My brigade being in rear and little to the right of Generals Branch and Archer, I advanced, so as to form an extension of their line of battle, but as they advanced upon the enemy my brigade continued to move forward, passing by the hospital near our advanced redoubts, and from thence bearing a little to the right in the direction where the railroad crosses Bull Run going east, but when getting a little lower down than the railroad bridge I changed direction, so as to get possession of it. My skirmishers met the enemy at the river, and soon my whole brigade was engaged with the enemy across the river. I held this position for a while, and then threw two regiments across preparatory to advancing farther, but at the instigation of General Field withdrew, going lower down and crossing, in order to cut the enemy off, but they had left before I could form on the east side of the river. Thus ended the fight that day, so far as I was concerned. My loss here was very slight.

On Friday morning, June 29, my brigade was placed in supporting distance of Colonel Thomas, with orders to support him, where it remained until the afternoon. Finally, it seeming to me to be the time to go to his assistance, I ordered my brigade forward, moving just to the right of Colonel Thomas. My men moved forward very gallantly, driving the enemy back across the railroad cut, through the woods on the opposite side, and beyond their batteries in the adjoining field. A battery of the enemy which was on the right of this wood as we advanced was flanked by my command and the cannoneers deserted their pieces. My line was halted on the edge of the field in front of the enemy, where I remained some little while, when, being promised support from one of the staff in some of General Jackson's brigades, I crossed the field to attack the batteries. My men advanced well, receiving grape from their batteries; but support being waited for in vain, and seeing columns on my left and right maneuvering to flank me, I Withdrew, and marched back to the railroad cut, a little to the right of the position previously held by General Gregg. General Archer very kindly came forward and relieved me until I could march to the rear and rest my men. I was ordered to our extreme left in reserve and remained there until the next afternoon, when I was ordered to the right to support some one of General Jackson's brigades. I marched across the railroad embankment, moving obliquely to the left until I had reached the large field again in which the enemy were formed. Finding nothing special to do here unless it was to attack an overwhelming force of the enemy, supported very strongly by artillery, I withdrew after receiving a heavy fire of grape and shell. Getting back to the railroad cut about the point I had reached the evening before, I received orders from you to march in conjunction with other troops--particularly with those of General Archer, Colonels Thomas and Taliaferro. We all advanced together, taking the enemy, as it were, en échelon. We advanced steadily, driving the enemy from the field through the woods, taking a part of his battery in the field and the other part in the woods. While advancing through this field we were exposed to a very heavy enfilade fire from the right. We continued our advance until after dark, when we came in contact with a body of the enemy. Each fired a volley. They ran, and we rested for the night. Thus ended the Manassas fight with me.

My brigade, with the exception of a few skulkers, behaved with great gallantry on both of these days. They could not have behaved better. I cannot particularize at this distant day, but I well recollect that Major Cole, commanding Twenty-second, behaved, as he has always done, with his great coolness and bravery; also Captain Stowe, commanding Sixteenth North Carolina, and Captain [John] Ashford, commanding Thirty-eighth North Carolina. The latter I had the misfortune to lose in consequence of having received a wound in the leg.

September 1, in the afternoon, at Ox Hill, the head of the column coming in contact with the enemy, my brigade was for a few moments ordered under cover to be in support. Very soon I received orders from General Jackson to go to the support of Colonel Brockenbrough, who reported he was hard pressed. I moved forward several hundred yards, when I came in rear of Colonel Brockenbrough's brigade, which caused mine to be thrown slightly out of order, two regiments bearing to the right and thus getting separated from the others before I saw the trouble. The woods were quite thick. I, however, moved them on, bringing two to the support of Colonel Thomas and the others to the assistance of General Branch, who was some distance to the right. My brigade was thus placed between the two above-named brigades, with a short interval in my center. Only the Sixteenth and Thirty-fourth North Carolina, on the right, were actively engaged. After reaching the edge of the field in which the enemy were posted no attempt was made to advance. My two regiments suffered very severely from direct and flank fire. This continued until about dark, I having previously caused my fire to cease. Colonel Riddick and Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, of the Thirty-fourth, both received wounds of which they died. Captain Stowe, commanding Sixteenth North Carolina, was also wounded.

[W. D. PENDER],

Brigadier-General.