History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps and Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, Army of the PotomacVarious
History
History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps and Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac
Various
Pennsylvania -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 57th (1861-1865)
Second Bull Run Campaign--Battle of Chantilly--Death of General
Kearny--His Body Escorted to Washington by a Detachment of the
Fifty-Seventh--Retreat to Alexandria--Conrad's Ferry--Colonel
Campbell Rejoins the Regiment.
Our stay in the neighborhood of Bealeton and Warrenton Junction was
brief. Lee was moving northward, the main body of his army being west of
the Bull Run mountains, while Jackson with Stewart's cavalry was on the
east. The 3d corps in which the 57th served fell back to Centerville by
way of Greenwich and Manassas Junction. As we passed the latter the
buildings and many cars were smouldering ruins, showing that Jackson's
outflankers had recently been there, and that the main body of his
troops could not be far distant. The night of the 28th we bivouacked at
Centerville and the next morning marched out the Warrenton turnpike. On
our way we met quite a number of paroled prisoners who had just been
sent through the lines by Jackson. They were quite jubilant, reporting
that desperate fighter completely hemmed in at the base of the mountains
and likely to fall an easy prey to our army. With this hopeful
intelligence we pressed on with stimulated zeal toward the front.
Arriving on the battlefield Kearny's division was deployed on the
extreme right of the line, which position it held during the two
succeeding days of the battle, most of the division at one time or other
being hotly engaged. The 57th, however, escaped, though frequently under
fire. Along the left and center the battle raged fiercely. The issue
hung upon the ability of Pope to crush his antagonist, the redoubtable
"Stonewall," before assistance could come to him from his chief beyond
the mountains. But alas for our fondest expectations! Longstreet pressed
his way through the insecurely guarded mountain pass, Thoroughfare Gap,
and late in the afternoon of the 30th, when victory seemed about to
perch on our banners, threw himself with irresistible force against our
left. The onset was so fierce and unexpected that it did not lie in
human power to resist, and in a few brief moments, all hope vanished,
rout followed, and an almost _fac simile_ of the disaster of the
preceding summer was the consequence, except that our legions were
veterans now, the army retained its morale and (especially the right
wing) fell back in good order upon Centerville, the enemy, either from
being sorely crippled, or satisfied with his success, giving little
annoyance. The army in this encounter could not be said to have been
defeated. Fully one-third of its efficient force had not been engaged. A
general impression prevailed in the ranks that we either had been
outgeneraled or that some stupendous blunder had been made.
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