wooded ravine and Jackson had moved his men into
a position to breast the shock of the enemy's avalanche.

In his excitement Johnston seized the colors of the fourth Alabama
regiment and offered to lead them in a charge.

Beauregard leaped from his horse, faced the troops and shouted:

"I have come to die with you!"

The first of the reserves were rushing to the front in a desperate
effort to save the day. But in spite of the presence of the two
Commanding Generals, in spite of the living stone wall Jackson had
thrown in the path of the Union hosts, a large part of the crushed left
wing could not be stopped and in mad panic broke for the rear toward
Manassas Junction.

The fate of the Southern army hung on the problem of holding the hill
behind Jackson's brigade. On its bloody slopes his men crouched with
rifles leveled and from them poured a steady flame into the ranks of the
charging Union columns.

Beauregard led the right wing of his newly formed battle line and
Jackson the center in a desperate charge. The Union ranks were pierced
and driven, only to re-form instantly and hurl their assailants back to
their former position. Charge and counter-charge followed in rapid and
terrible succession.

The Confederates were being slowly overwhelmed. The combined Union
divisions now consisted of an enveloping battle line of twenty thousand
infantry, seven companies of cavalry and twenty-four pieces of
artillery, while behind them yet hung ten thousand reserves eager to
rush into action.

Beauregard's combined forces defending the hill were scarcely seven
thousand men. At two o'clock the desperate Southern commander succeeded
in bringing up additional regiments from his right wing. Two brigades at
last were thrown into the storm center and a shout rose from the
hard-pressed Confederates. Again they charged, drove the Union hosts
back and captured a battery of artillery.

The hill was saved and the enemy driven across the turnpike into the
woods.

McDowell now hurried in a division of his reserves and re-formed his
battle line for the final grand assault. Once more he demonstrated his
skill by throwing his right wing into a wide circling movement to
envelop the Confederate position on its left flank.

The scene was magnificent. As far as the eye could reach the glittering
bayonets of the Union infantry could be seen sweeping steadily through
field and wood flanked by its cavalry. Beauregard watched the cordon of