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PAGE FOURTEEN
GENERAL ROBERT TOOMBS.
(Continued from Page Three.)
the matter was reported to General Long
street, who placed General Toombs under ar
rest. The next day, while on the march, Gen
eral Toombs had to ride in the rear of his
command, and was using language not suita
ble for a church, or Sunday school. One of
General Longstreet’s aides was passing and re
ported it to General Longstreet, telling him
if he did not want to put down a mutiny in
Toombs’ brigade, he had better send him to
the rear, and he was ordered back to Gordon
ville. At Manassas, on the 30th of August,
General Toombs overtook the army, and re
ported on the field to General Longstreet, who
told him he had sent an order releasing him
from arrest. “I will take the order in per
son,” said General Toombs, “and I want to
lead my brigade in battle.” The battle of
Manassas was fought on Saturday evening,
August 30th, 1862, and considering the num
ber of troops and the time they were engaged,
was the most disastrous battle fought during
the war. At 12 m. on Friday, Longstreet’s
corps reached the field, and formed on Jack
son’s right, stacked arms and broke ranks.
At 3 p. m. on Saturday they were in the same
position, with the men in the rear of the guns,
the most of them in the arms of Morpheus,
no doubt dreaming of the loved ones at home,
in the far away sunny South.
About 300 yards in front, and opposite An
derson’s left, was a Confederate battery shell
ing a piece of woods. They seemed to be in
no hurry about it, as though they had plenty
of time in which to complete the job. A line
of blue coats were seen emerging from the
woods, advancing on the battery. Then the
guns opened up as though in a life and death
struggle. Staff officers came dashing at full
speed in front of the line, yelling, Forward, as
they passed, and in less time than it takes to
write it, the line was moving to the front
at the double quick. After going about one
mile Anderson’s brigade reached a farm house,
and was ordered to left half wheel, passing
down a branch skirted by a piece of woods.
After going about 400 yards we crossed a
ridge, and about fifty yards beyond it the line
halted, like it had run against a stone wall.
Being in the line of file closers I did not know
what to make of the halt, as I had heard no
orders to that effect. Looking through the
line I saw what must have caused my heart
to stop bfating. At the foot of- the ridge
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THE JEFFERSONIAN.
about 60 yards, in a bottom, I saw two lines
of battle, the front line in position to fire
from the knee, while the rear line was stand
ing up. As the three lines were motionless,
gazing at each other, firing commenced on the
right in the 11th Georgia, and flashed down
the line. Then orders were given to lie down,
and the men dropped on the ground. As I
could not lie down and shoot for the line in
front, I had to remain standing on my feet,
w here I‘had a good view of all three lines,
in one of the hottest battles it has ever been
my privilege to be engaged in.
Our line was soon obscured by smoke, but
I could see the sheet of flame as it belched
forth from the guns. Above the Federal lines
was suspended a line of dense smoke, but be
neath I could see the two sheets of flame is
suing from their guns. It reminded me of
two bull dogs in a death struggle, without a
growl. Looking to our right, I saw our ad
jutant lieutenant, Robert H. Atkinson, walk
ing the line, waving the flag over the boys.
Sergeant Baldwin, the color-bearer, had been
killed, and the man that picked them.up was
killed, also the second one, and the third man
to pick them up was wounded; then Lieuten
ant Atkinson raised them up and w 7 alked the
line. A little later I was convulsed with
laughter at an Irishman in my company by
the name of Andrew Slaven, called “Dad” by
the boys for short. “Dad” was the life of
the company, being very fond of singing and
dancing, and his favorite song was “1 busted
my slippers a-jumping the ditches for you,
Mary Ann.” “Dad” was nearly in front of
me when he was struck by a ball, and before
he could straighten up, was struck by another,
then he did not wait on the order of going,
but burnt the wind in getting to the rear. As
he disappeared over the ridge, I thought of
“busting my slipper for you, Mary Ann,”
and I would have laughed if it had been at
my own funeral. As there was no one else
near me standing on their feet, I began to get
lonesome, and looking to my right I saw Cap
tain John M. Patton standing at parade-rest,
in the rear of his company.
On Thursday, at Thoroughfare Gap, he
gained the distinction of being the bravest
man in the regulars by walking our line,
within ten feet of the Federal guns, and kill
ing a captain and two privates with his pis
tol. Since my earliest recollection, I have
idolized the brave, and my curiosity was ex
cited to see how he stood that terrible storm
of iron and lead. I walked to within three
feet oh sil set side',' 7 where I had a good view'
of his face, and watched him. I saw no signs
of fear, but a pleasant smile played over his
handsome features, while intent on watching
the enemy. I had been looking at him only
a short time when he turned his head to the
right to see up our line. As he did so, a minie
ball struck him in the left temple, and the
blood gushed forth in a stream. He threw
up his hands, gave way in his knees and fell
backwards, life being extinct when he struck
the ground.
A braver spirit never winged its flight from
the blood-stained fields of Manassas to that,
home from whence no traveler returns. After
he fell, Corporal Herndon, of my company,
was wounded in the knee, and called me to
assist him to the rear. I got him up and
placed my left arm around his waist, while
he put his right hand on my shoulder. But it
was slow traveling, as he had to hop on his
left foot. We had not gone far when a
ball burnt the right side of my neck. Then
I thought of “Dad,” but did not laugh. I
thought that if Herndon had not had me fast
I could have made better time than he did,
getting over the hills and far away. Before
we reached the top of the ridge Herndon gave
out from loss of blood, and I put him
behind a tree. As I did so Lieutenant Gus
Rutherford came to me and said that he was
wounded and vzanted me to examine him and
see. 1 found a badly bruised place on his
left side, where he had been struck by a piece
of shell, and told him he was badly bruised,
but the skin was not broken. “Oh, well,”
said he, ‘‘ if that is all, I am going back! ’ ’
We were standing near one of the Bth Geor
gia, who was badly wounded in his foot, and
in more danger than if he was on the line, as
we were higher up the hill. He begged so
pitiably to be carried over the ridge that the
lieutenant told me to carry him. I got him
up like I had Herndon, and we had not gone
many yards when General Toombs, near-by,
ran over us, riding at full speed, calling on
the Georgians at every jump of his horse, He
was leading his brigade, but it was not in
sight. I carried the soldier a little farther
down the hill and put him down. As I did
so I saw Toombs’ brigade coming on the run,
the sight of the boys in gray caused me to
toss my cap in the air, and yell for all I was
worth. As they passed me the boys cursed
me for all the d—d cowards they could think
of. Just then the Federal line was re-en
forced, and the air was full of balls, and 1