162 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

thought for the night, but alas, the soldier who followed
Stonewall Jackson had no assurance when down, when he
would be called up. About 1 o’clock a. m., we were aroused
by a terrible explosion, and getting up we found all the depots
and stores at the station on fire and millions of property
being destroyed. How we poor rebels felt can better be im-
agined than described, to stand and see hundreds of bags of
coffee with sugar, flour, meat, and all kinds of provisions and
delicacies destroyed with all manner of stores that we would
have liked to have, but as there was no way of saving them
and no wagons to transport them, it was necessary to burn
them to prevent them again falling into the hands of Pope’s
army that was just behind us. It was Jackson’s business to
cripple him until Lee could come up, so they had to be de-
stroyed. There was 50,000 barrels of bacon, 1,000 barrels of
corned beef, 50,000 barrels of pork, 20,000 barrels of flour,
two trains loaded with clothing and other stores, four sutlers’
stores, 2,000 new tents and various other valuable equip-
ments.

The order then came to fall in, and A. P. Hill’s Division
moved towards Centreville, which we reached about daylight
Thursday morning, 28 August, where we got breakfast and
rest until about 10 a. m., when we took the road for Man-
assas, going by Sudley’s Ford, and as we marched could see
thousands of Yankees moving around the station and on the
road to Centreville. Crossing the run we saw a pile of rocks
with a cedar post in the center, marking the spot where Bee
fell on 21 July, 1861, and where he gave the old man his im-
mortal name—“Stonewall” Jackson.

Crossing the ford we stopped for a short time near the old
stone house, and the men looking for water found an old
well in the yard without bucket or rope. They secured a
long pole, tied their canteens to it and filled them, and after
drinking all they wanted and filling for future use, an old
man came from the house, saying: “TI don’t think that water
is very good—when the battle was fought here last summer
some dead men were thrown into it, and it has not been
cleaned out since.” You can imagine that those canteens
were soon emptied, and some of the men also. In a short

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 163

time we were marched into the woods, and quite a lively ac-
tion began between Ewell’s Division and Hooker.

7 a 7

This engagement between Generals Ewell and Hooker was
in the direction of Grovetown, and night coming on put a
stop to the firing. Troops were moving all night taking posi-
tion for the expected affray of the 29th, which came all too
soon for many of our wornout men.

SECOND MANASSAS.

About 10 o’clock a. m., Hill’s Division was moved into
town near the old railroad which has been so much written
about, and soon we were assaulted by a large force and had
all we could do to hold our ground. Pender’s Brigade was
in front, and received the assaults of an army corps for a
whole day, at one time giving way and falling back on the
reserve, but the gallant Pender soon rallied them and with a
gallant dash soon routed the enemy and recaptured the lost
ground. In this charge Company G, Sixteenth, lost two men
killed with the flag and many wounded ; one man, A. B. Long,
was struck in the left eye, the ball passing through his head
and coming out behind his right ear. All thought he would
die, but he is still alive and is one of the best citizens of Ruth-
erford County. In all this struggle the Sixteenth held its
own until dark, when we lay down on our arms, feeling that
the morrow would bring more hard fighting and wounds and
death to many. :

Early on Saturday, the 30th, the whole command was
ready and under arms, but all quiet until about 4 p. m., when
we were startled by the roar of artillery, and looking to the
front we found the whole Federal army rushing on us, and
we were hard pressed until dark, sustaining at least six
charges, but we held the line until just before dark a general
charge was ordered along the whole line, and with one mad
rush the whole of Pope’s grand army was driven from the
field and across Bull Run, and ends the second battle of Man-
assas.

OX HILL.

On Sunday, 31 August, we were again in motion, and cross-
ing at Sudley’s Ford we struck the little river turnpike, and