D. H. Hill found opportunity to put in parts of his artillery under Elliott, Boyce, Carter and Maurin. Toombs absent regiments returned as he made his way around to the enemy’s right, and joined the right of Gen. D. R. Jones. The strong battle concentrating against General Burnside seemed to spring from the earth as his march bore him further from the river. Outflanked and staggered by the gallant attack of A. P. Hill s brigades, his advance was arrested. . . . General Cox, reinforced by his reserve under General Sturgis, handled well his left against A. P. Hill; but assailed in front and on his flank by concentrating fires that were crushing, he found it necessary to recover his lines and withdraw. A. P. Hill’s brigades, Toombs and Kemper, followed. They recovered Mclntosh’s battery and the ground that had been lost on the right, before the slow advancing night dropped her mantle upon this field of seldom equaled strife."[1]
Gen. A. P. Hill reports of his brigades: "With a yell of defiance, Archer charged them, retook Mclntosh’s guns, and drove them back pellmell. Branch and Gregg with their old veterans sternly held their ground, and pouring in destructive volleys, the tide of the enemy surged back.
Pender’s brigade was not actively engaged. In Branch’s, General Lane says that the Twenty-eighth was detached, and with the Eighteenth, was not seriously engaged. The Thirty-third, Seventh and Thirty-seventh were the regiments principally engaged. They fought well, and assisted in driving back three separate and distinct columns of the enemy.
The artillery came in for a full share of fighting in this campaign. Latham’s, Manly’s, and Reilly’s batteries did hard service. Manly’s was especially commended for active and accurate service at Crampton’s gap. At Sharpsburg, Major Frobel, chief of artillery, highly applauds Reilly’s conduct of his guns. He reports: "I cannot too highly applaud the conduct of both officers and men. Captains Bachman and Reilly fought their batteries with
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- ↑ Manassas to Appomattox, pp. 261, 262.
