History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1862 SECOND BULL RUN. 1309
two fires, and they soon fled to the mountains. He had by this time re-formed
his lines in front, and was coming down in such numbers as to make a resistance out of the question, and the General gave the order to fall back. Now commenced a running fight. He followed us for several miles, and kept his batteries at work in a manner that showed that he was familiar with the route. Hlis
cavalry made repeated charges, but was repulsed by the steady fire of our infantry. We finally came upon the First and Second Brigades, drawn up in line,
with General Shields in command, when the enemy gave over the pursuit and
rapidly retired."
From Port Republic the division marched to Alexandria, -whence the First
and Second Brigades proceeded to the Peninsula, and the Third and Fourth
went into camp near the town. The campaign had been a severe one, the
marches long and difficult, the men poorly clad, and much of the time subsisting on scanty rations. On the 25th of June, Samuel M. Bowman of Columbia
county, late a Major in the Fourth Illinois cavalry, who had seen service under
Grant and Sherman, in the Western Army, was commissioned Colonel, Major
Barrett was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant Thomas I. Craig,
to Miajor. In July the regiment broke camp, and marched out to join Pope's
Army. Carroll's Brigade was here attached to Ricketts' Division of M'Dowell's
Corps. In the battle of Cedar Mountain, which occurred on the 9th of August,
the regiment was not under fire until after dark, when a few of the enemy's shots
and shells reached its ranks. On the 14th, it joined in pursuit of the enemy,
following him up to the Rapidan, occupying the line of the river until the 19th,
when it retired to the Rappahannock. Here for a week the rebels were held
at bay, the fighting being general along the entire line, for the most part
with the artillery. As soon as it was ascertained that the enemy had turned
Pope's right flank, Ricketts' Division was sent to Thoroughfare Gap, to check
the progress of Longstreet's Corps, on its way to join Jackson, already at Manassas Junction, in Pope's rear. In the engagement which ensued the regiment
tQok little part. On the 29th it moved into position on the right flank of the
army, near Groveton, and on the morning of the 30th was warmly engaged. It
remained upon the field until after dark, and for several hours after the mass of
the army had crossed Bull Run. It was finally charged by a force of the enemy,
which approached under cover of darkness. Uncertain whether it was friend
or foe advancing, Lieutenant Alban H. Nixon, volunteered to go out and ascertain his true character. He passed the outer pickets without discovery, and
soon found himself in the very midst of General Pender's South Carolina troops,
who were moving upon the flank of the brigade, and only waiting the signal,
that its retreat was cut off, to move upon and capture it entire. At the peril
of his life, Nixonu shouted, " They are the enemy, boys,f when a timely retreat
was ordered, and the greater part of the brigade was snatched from the clutches
of Pender's troops. Enraged at having their well laid plans thus suddenly frustrated, they threatened Nixon with instant death, and were only prevented
from executing it by a fellow prisoner, who seized him by the arm, and exclaimed,' You will not shoot an unarmed man!" He was spared, and with
other officers and men, found upon the skirmish line, was marched away to
Richmond. When the regiment arrived within the defences of Washington,
it had scarcely seventy men in its ranks fit for duty. In consequence of its
severe losses, it was ordered to light duty at Arlington Heights, in the command of General Whipple, where it remained during the Antietam campaign.