A. P. Hill gives even more credit to Branch. He says: "Winder s brigade, immediately in front of Branch, being hard pressed, broke, and many fugitives came back. Without waiting for the formation of the entire line, Branch was immediately ordered forward, and passing through the broken brigade checked the pursuit, and in turn drove them back and relieved Taliaferro’s flank." Latham’s North Carolina battery was also engaged in this battle.
The Union loss in this battle was 2,381; the Confederate, 1,276. North Carolina’s loss was 15 killed and 102 wounded. This small loss is due to the fact that the Carolinians were under fire for so short a time. The brigades of Taliaferro, Early and Thomas were exposed during the whole encounter.
After the battle at Cedar mountain, General Jackson moved his command to the vicinity of Gordonsville. There General Lee, accompanying Longstreet s corps, joined Jackson, and on the 2ist, the Confederate army moved toward the Rappahannock, Then followed a movement up that stream by both the Federals and Confederates; the Federals moving up the north bank as Lee s army moved up the south.
On the 22d of August, Trimble’s brigade was stationed near Welford’s ford on the Hazel river, a tributary of the Rappahannock, to protect the flank of the wagon train. Bohlen s Federal brigade was thrown across the Rappahannock at Freeman s ford in an effort to damage or capture part of the train. Trimble, supported by Hood, attacked Bohlen s force and drove it back across the river. The Federals suffered considerable loss, General Bohlen himself being among the slain. In this "sharp conflict," as General Trimble denominates it, the Twenty-first North Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton, attacked the center of the enemy, while Trimble’s two other regiments made a detour to the right. "After a sharp conflict with the Twenty- first North Carolina,"
