General Bee, of South Carolina, rallying his shattered, broken brigade,
pointed his sword to the strange figure and shouted to his men:
"See Jackson standing like a stone wall--rally to the Virginians!"
A bursting shell struck him dead in the next instant, but the world had
heard and the name "Stonewall" became immortal.
With the last shout, the cry of victory had swept the field to the
farthest line of reserves. John Vaughan secured a horse, galloped to the
nearest telegraph line and sent the thrilling news to his paper. Already
the wires were flashing it to the farthest cities of the North and
West.
Victory! The first and last battle of the war had been settled. He
spurred his horse through the blistering heat back to his regiment to
join in the pursuit of the flying enemy.
They were just dashing across Bull Run going into action, their battle
flag flying and their band playing. They were not long in finding the
foe. The obstruction still remained in the path of the advancing hosts.
The grim figure on the little sorrel horse had just ordered his brigade
to fix bayonets.
In sharp tones his command was snapped:
"Charge and take that battery!"
A low grey cloud rose from the hill, swept over the crack Federal
battery of Ricketts and Griffin and captured their guns.
John's regiment reached the field just in time to see the cannoneers
fall in their tracks at the first deadly volley from the charging men.
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