2nd Manassas Say What? Saturday: Quotes From an Incident at Chantilly

[Andy Cardinal]

The Battle of Chantilly, or Ox Hill, was fought in a driving rain storm on September 1, 1862. It was the final engagement of the Second Manassas Campaign.

After his victory at Second Manassas, Robert E. Lee sent Stonewall Jackson on another flanking movement in an attempt to get between John Pope's army at Centreville and Washington. Pope successfully blocked this movement primarily with Isaac Stevens's division of the Ninth Corps and then Phil Kearny's division of the Third Corps.

Late in fhe day, Branch's brigade of A. P. Hill's division was engaged against Birney's brigade of Kearny's division. Branch told Hill that he wasn't sure his brigade could hold much longer since the rain had soaked their ammunition. Hill told Branch to hold his position with the bayonet if necessary. However, Hill sent a message to Stonewall Jackson: "My compliments to General Jackson and my request to be permitted to take my command out of the line because all my ammunition is wet.”

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The messenger found Jackson and then relayed his reply to Hill: “My compliments and tell him the enemy’s ammunition is equally wet as his!”

 

[Cavalry Charger]

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The Battle of Chantilly, or Ox Hill, was fought in a driving rain storm on September 1, 1862. It was the final engagement of the Second Manassas Campaign.

After his victory at Second Manassas, Robert E. Lee sent Stonewall Jackson on another flanking movement in an attempt to get between John Pope's army at Centreville and Washington. Pope successfully blocked this movement primarily with Isaac Stevens's division of the Ninth Corps and then Phil Kearny's division of the Third Corps.

View attachment 347908​

Late in fhe day, Branch's brigade of A. P. Hill's division was engaged against Birney's brigade of Kearny's division. Branch told Hill that he wasn't sure his brigade could hold much longer since the rain had soaked their ammunition. Hill told Branch to hold his position with the bayonet if necessary. However, Hill sent a message to Stonewall Jackson: "My compliments to General Jackson and my request to be permitted to take my command out of the line because all my ammunition is wet.”

View attachment 347909
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The messenger found Jackson and then brought relayed his reply to Hill: “My compliments and tell him the enemy’s ammunition is equally wet as his!”

I love this double quote and the wit of Jackson

I often imagine Jackson to be too serious for a bit of wit, but I was wrong as the last couple of weeks have proven!

Thank you Andy for sharing this great exchange which will surely light up a few folks weekend.

We just need to get it at the top of the homepage now!

(Oh, and because it's a quote from my birth date it will now stick with me on that day every year )

 

[lelliott19]

This is a good one @Andy Cardinal !!!!

I imagine Hill's and Branch's response to Jackson's somewhat sarcastic reply was "I sure hope so."

 

[JPChurch]

I see Starke is shown on the map. A portion of his brigade wound up getting cut to ribbons along the fence rows at Sharpsburg a little more than two weeks later.

There's not much of the Ox Hill battlefield that's been preserved. It's all high dollar townhouses or single family homes squeezed onto 1/8 acres plots of land. The Fairfax County property/real estate tax rates are unbelievable. Traffic is a nightmare around there.

 

[Jamieva]

I see Starke is shown on the map. A portion of his brigade wound up getting cut to ribbons along the fence rows at Sharpsburg a little more than two weeks later.

There's not much of the Ox Hill battlefield that's been preserved. It's all high dollar townhouses or single family homes squeezed onto 1/8 acres plots of land. The Fairfax County property/real estate tax rates are unbelievable. Traffic is a nightmare around there.

The battlefield park is less than 5 acres. That is all of the battlefield that is left.