About sunrise of the 17th instant the picket of the Seventh Regiment, stationed on the Flint Hill road, three miles above Fairfax Court-House, was fired into by the enemy's advance, and retreated without loss. Immediately as this information was received I ordered the tents struck and the baggage-train loaded. by 9 a. m. the train was ready, and ordered to move to Centreville, thence to their camp half a mile beyond Bull Run Creek, in the direction of Manassas.

At 8.30 a. m. I marched the Seventh Regiment to the trenches, as ordered, and remained there until near noon, when the enemy had approached within cannon range of our embankments, presenting as they approached several lines of battle, fronting from one to three regiments. Before an attack was made the Seventh Regiment was ordered to retreat to Centreville, crossing from the Fairfax to the Braddock road. We reached Centreville at 2 p. m., where we remained as a regiment of vedettes until 1 o'clock a. m. of the 18th, when, marching orders being received, we again retreated quietly and in good order to Bull Run, arriving at the run 3 a. m. Immediately the Seventh Regiment began entrenching, and in a few hours were securely protected against musketry.

Quite early on the morning of the 18th instant the enemy appeared on the northwest side of the Centreville road, about twelve hundred yards distant. by 9 a. m. they had located their batteries, and forthwith commenced throwing shot and shell against the embankments behind which the Seventh Regiment was located. Random firing was kept up against this and adjacent points during the day, and until the close of the battle fought by General Longstreet's Brigade on Bull Run, just to the right of the Seventh Regiment. The pieces directed against our embankments seemed to be rifled and 6 pounder cannon, throwing 12-pounded conical shell and 6-pound round balls.

During the 19th instants nothing of material interest occurred, and we continued strengthening our position. in the mean time the enemy were constantly is sight at the point they first appeared. Occasionally the pieces of the Seventh Regiment would approach within firing distance of the enemy's outposts, and a few of the enemy's pickets were captured or killed by the pickets of the Seventh Regiment South Carolina Volunteers.

Throughout Sunday, the 21st instant batteries, near the same locality they were on the 18th, continued fright at the embankments on Bull Run. The shot and shell were the same as those of the 18th, but thrown with less accuracy. At 5.30 p. m. the Seventh regiment, with other regiments, were ordered from their entrenchments to charge, if necessary, the batteries on the Centreville road; but before they reached the top of the hill the batteries were withdrawn and the enemy were in full retreat, leaving scattered along the road and in the forest on both sides what appeared to be their entire camp equipage. We pursued but a short distance, being recalled by dusk to our entrenchments of Bull Run.

At 8 a. m. on the 22nd instant the seventh regiment, with other portions of the First Brigade, were ordered to march on to Centreville. There we remained during the day, assisting in collecting the myriads of articles the enemy had abandoned, with which the earth around Centreville seemed literally covered. Throughout this day the rain fell constantly and often very heavily. From 8 to 11 p. m. of the 22nd the soldiers of the Seventh Regiment were arriving, much wearied and fatigued, at their entrenchments on bull Run, which post they again left on Tuesday, 23rd, at 12 m., or shortly thereafter. At 2 p. m. they

34 R E-VOL II