No. 57.
Report of Brig. Gen. William D. Pender, C. S. Army, commanding Sixth Brigade.
Headquarters Sixth Brigade, Light Division,
[August 21?], 1862.
General: I have the honor to state that, in obedience to your orders, I formed my brigade on the left of General Archer’s, on the left of the road going from Cedar Run to Culpeper, in the battle on the 9th instant. As he had moved forward before my line was complete, and as I had to move through thick woods, I found myself some distance to his left on coming into a field, and consequently flanked to the right; but on receiving a request to go to the support of troops in front, which were being flanked on the left, faced about and moved to the left until I had reached the wood on the extreme left of our position, and then I moved to the front. This maneuvering placed my line obliquely to that of General Archer, and as we moved forward, came together again, and from this time co-operated. However, before we had joined our troops, I met the enemy, repulsing him with heavy loss in almost the first round. He made but slight resistance again during the evening. I thought it prudent during my advance to detach the Twenty-second North Carolina to operate well on my left, as it looked probable that I might be flanked in that direction. This turned out to be timely, for as we advanced into the field after dusk a body of cavalry was seen on the left, but it soon scampered off, as this regiment was coming up in its rear and our advance was cutting it off. General Archer and myself advanced well to the front, and halted until we could feel our way with skirmishers in the wood on the opposite side of the Run. At this time we had gotten to the right of the wood. Here we received orders to halt, and remained until late, when we were ordered to the road to follow in pursuit.
My loss in killed was only 2, in wounded 11, and in missing 2, making a total of 15.
The officers and men behaved well. Lieutenant-Colonel Gray and Major Cole, Twenty-second,* and Captain Ashford, Thirty-eighth,* handled their men skillfully, showing great coolness.
Captain Ashe, my assistant adjutant-general, deserves notice for his conduct, being found at every point almost at the same time, cheering the men; and Lieutenant Young, my aide-de-camp, acted with his usual efficiency. Language cannot express the appreciation I have for his services in action.
[W. D. PENDER]
*North Carolina regiments.