"At Once We Began Digging Trenches"

This account by a South Carolina infantryman shares recollections of early war drilling and preparing simple entrenchments near Manassas during the summer of 1861. Although the First Battle of Bull Run was not fought in trenches on July 21, 1861, it is interesting to note that some regiments adopted the use along picket or advance lines for protection from enemy fire.

In July, 1861, four regiments of South Carolina troops were camped at Fairfax, Va.—the 2d Col. J.B. Kershaw commanding; the 3d, Colonel Williams commanding; the 7th, Col. T.G. Bacon commanding; and the 8th, Colonel Cash commanding. These constituted Gen. M.L. Bonham's brigade, the first brigade formed in Virginia.

We spent most of our time drilling. We hardly had time to cook our rations. In the morning we had squad drill, company drill, skirmish drill, battalion drill, regiment drill, and brigade drill. In the afternoon we had the brigade drill, regiment drill, battalion drill, skirmish drill, and company drill. If there were any other kinds of drills, "we had 'em."

On the morning of July 16 the long roll beat. The enemy was advancing, and our pickets were being driven in. Some of my company were on picket duty. They came running in out of breath; they had been doing the double-quick for two miles. We fell back to Centerville, then to Bull Run. Here we formed a line of battle on the south side of the Run, at Mitchell's Ford, about three miles north of Manassas Junction. At once we began digging trenches along the bank of the creek. We worked day and night. The ground was hard, and tools were scarce. The enemy hurried us up by throwing shells in our line for four days from a battery up the road toward Centerville. Colonel Bacon climbed a high tree, and from it he could see the smoke of the cannon before we could hear the sound, then he would call, "Look out!" and into the trenches everybody jumped.

Source:

C.K. Henderson, "Just Before Manassas," Confederate Veteran Magazine, Volume 23, 1915.