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Colonel James W. Allen, commanding the 2nd Virginia Infantry: “About 1 P. M. I was directed to station my regiment at the edge of a pine thicket to support the battery immediately on my right, with orders to fire when the enemy appeared in sight over the hill, then to charge and drive them back with the bayonet. In this position my men lay somewhat under cover of the hill for more than an hour and a half, during all of which time they were exposed to the effects of shell and shot from the enemy’s batteries.... Many of my men and officers were wounded by explosions that took place immediately in their midst; yet they stood their ground, awaiting the approach of the infantry.” -- Allen’s battle report, quoted in “Thirty Third Virginia at First Manassas,”in Southern Historical Society Papers, volume 34 (1906), page 365
Private William N. McDonald of the 2nd Virginia Infantry: “So close were the contending batteries, that sometimes we could not tell the reports of our own from those of the enemy. Discharge followed discharge so quickly that it seemed as if it were two mailed giants hammering each other with huge battle-axes. In front and on our right we could hear volleys of musketry and loud shouting, but could see nothing. Soon the air was filled with bursting shells, and bullets tore the the bushes above our heads and hitting some. Many cried out, ‘Let us charge, anything is better than this.’ But the officers yelled at us to keep our places and obey orders.” -- McDonald’s article, “Jackson and his Brigade at Manassas,” in The Southern Bivouac, volume 2 (1884), pages 537-538
Ted Barclay of the 4th Virginia Infantry: “Lying on our faces we received the enemies fire about two hours. Six of our men were killed. William Paxton shot fairly in the heart with a cannon ball through his breast killing him instantly. Ben Bradley struck on the right hip with a piece of bomb shell, he lived five or six minutes; his last words were, ‘Oh. Lord have mercy on me a poor sinner. Boys pray for me.’ Charlie Bell who was killed with a part of the same bomb, lived about two hours, his whole right shoulder was torn off. William B. Ott, who was shot in the heart with a musket ball, killed instantly. Henry Wilson, who you will recollect we called ‘Fenster,’ was shot in the hip with a musket ball, killed instantly. The last was Calvin Utz, struck on the head with a piece of bomb, he died the next day.” -- Letter from Barclay to his mother, six days after the battle, quoted in Ted Barclay, Liberty Hall Volunteers: Letters from the Stonewall Brigade, edited by Charles W. Turner, page 25
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