Thursday, October 18, 2018

Rebel Rocks !



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At second Manassas, during the crisis of the struggle for the famous railroad cut, Hill sent a staff officer to inquire of brave old Maxey Gregg how he was getting on. “Tell him,” said the old hero, “that our ammunition is exhausted, but rocks are very plentiful, and we will hold our position with them until we can get ammunition.” Sending his staff and couriers to fill their haversacks and pockets with cartridges and distribute them to the men, Hill himself galloped to the line and excited the wildest enthusiasm as his clarion voice rang out: “Good for you, boys! Give them the rocks and the bayonet, and hold your position and I will soon have ammunition and reinforcements for you."

Colonel LeRoy Stafford -- "They made repeated charges upon us while in this position, but were compelled to retire in confusion, sustaining heavy loss and gaining nothing. It was at this point that the ammunition of the brigade gave out. The men procured some from the dead bodies of their comrades, but the supply was not sufficient, and in the absence of ammunition the men fought with rocks and held their position. The enemy retreated. We pressed forward to the turnpike road, there halted, and encamped for the night."

General Bradley Johnson -- "The men fought until their ammunition was exhausted and then threw stones. Lieut. Lewis Randolph, of the battalion, killed one with a stone, and I saw him after the fight with his skull fractured. Dr. Richard P. Johnson, on my volunteer staff, having no arms of any kind, was obliged to have recourse to this means of offense from the beginning."

Federal General Fitz-John Porter -- "Many of the enemy, hard pressed, had not time to reload, and received us with stones, severely wounding many and killing some of our men."

( Text courtesy of Eddie Innman )

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