Letter from Brigadier General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch Describing the Fighting at Second Manassas, August 29, 1862
Frederick, Maryland
September 8, 1862
We have done so much hard fighting since crossing the Rappahannock that I cannot undertake to give particulars. In the fight of Friday near Manassas . . . the enemy made six distinct attacks . . . with as many fresh columns, but did not succeed . . . and . . . the fiercest battle of the war took place. During the two last attacks, I had not a round of ammunition in my brigade, and all I could do was to stand in line of battle with bayonets fixed, determined to receive them in that way if they should break the line before me. . . . When I wanted to throw out pickets, I had all the cartridge boxes examined and could only find 24 cartridges in the brigade. I placed a regiment on picket with orders to give the 24 cartridges to twelve picked men, and the balance of the regiment should stand guard with fixed bayonets. Ask your father if he stood on picket in the war of 1812 with fixed bayonets and no powder, within four hundred yards of the enemy. The expedition of Jackson's Corps from the Rappahannock to Manassas and thence to this place is the most daring and extraordinary in the history of wars.
