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Blackburn's Ford Skirmish
July 18th 12:30 - 1pm
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Capt. Delaware Kemper's crossed the stream and redeploy behind Mitchell's Ford. Skirmishers from the 7th SC take cover in a position to challenge a push down the Centreville Manassas Road. Gen Longstreet ordered the 6 lb pieces of the Washington artillery to withdraw to a safer area. They were no match for the guns firing from the Butler Farm. Ayer's Battery now begin to concentrate their fire upon the area about Blackburn's Ford. The Confederate skirmishers now came running back with the approach of the 1st Massachussettes men. These 3 companies, all in a line, looked formidable to the lone man in the woods seperated from his companions. Longstreet, seeing the men splashing across the stream and clamoring up the banks into their own lines, rode into them with unsheathed sword and shepherded the still green troops back into ranks.The troops under Longstreet holding the Blackburn line were the 1st Va.,17th Va. and the 11th Va. Ayer's now sent his remaining two guns forward to an exposed position to support the advance of the 1st Massachussetts.
*For more detailed information of Blackburn's Ford consult David Detzer's book excellent book DONNEYBROOK and Bradley Gottfried's comprehensive study The Maps of First Bull Run (Manassas)
I am most grateful for their research in the completion of these illustrations.
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