CHANTILLY, shan-tilli, or OX HILL, Battle of. On 31 Aug. 1862, the day after the second battle of Bull Run, General Lee marched his army by way of Sudley Ford around Pope's right at Centreville, to seize Fairfax Court House and interpose between Pope and Wash ington; and at night Jackson, who was in ad vance, bivouacked six miles west of Chantilly, on the Little River turnpike, Longstreet some distance in rear. Next morning General Stuart informed Jackson that part at least of the Union army was at Fairfax Court-House, and that Pope's trains were passing on the road from Centreville to that place. Jackson moved cautiously toward Fairfax Court-House, and on reaching Ox Hill, three miles east of Chan tilly, was informed by Stuart that the Union force seemed very strong on the road in front. Then Jackson formed line on Ox Hill ridge, his artillery massed on the left of the road, his infantry on the right, extending in the direc tion of the Centreville road. He had not com pleted his formation when he became aware of an approaching force from the Centreville road, upon which he strengthened his right and threw out skirmishers. About 1 E.M. Pope, who had heard of Jackson's advance toward his rear, sent Gen. I. I. Stevens with nine regiments, about 3,000 men, of Reno's corps to gain the road two miles east of Chantilly and hold Jack son in check until the army could be brought into position at Fairfax Court-House. Stevens moved from near Centreville across the fields, unexpectedly struck Jackson's advancing skirmish-line, thrown out from his right, and drove it back into a body of woods. Jackson then advanced a regiment from the woods, which was immediately driven back by jamin's battery. Stevens now formed a column of assault, six regiments in three lines, two regiments in a line. At 4.30 P.M. he placed self in the centre of this column of 2,000 men, on open ground, and ordered it forward, Ben- jamin shelling the woods in front. Not a sight nor sound betrayed the presence of an enemy, until the advancing column, ascending a gentle slope, came to within 75 yards of the woods, when from a worm fence bordering them came a terrible volley from Branch's brigade, smiting the column with great effect, men going down by the score. At first it began to waver, but quickly bracing up returned the fire; five color-bearers of the 79th New York, Stevens' old regiment, went down in The assault was checked, Stevens ran n-ward, seized the colors and, calling upon hi, men to follow him, :tit rushed forward, routed Branch, and gained the fence, Stevens falling dead on it, with a bullet through his brain and the colors upon his head and shoulders. The
umn pushed on into the woods. At the moment of reaching the fence a sudden and terrific thunderstorm and fierce gale burst over the field, blowing the rain into the faces of the men on both sides, impeding their movements and wetting their ammunition. Jackson brought up fresh men, and after a contest of more than an hour the six regiments were driven out of the woods and fell back to the point where they had formed, and on the ri o t of where Birney's brigade of Kearny's division had come up. Meanwhile three regiments of Reno's mand had been sent in on Stevens' right, one only of which, the 21st Massachusetts, became seriously engaged and was repulsed with great loss. General Kearny now came up with a battery, which he put in position and went to the right for a regiment to fill an interval on Birney's right. He met the 21st Massachusetts as it came out of the woods, and was leading it to the left when his attention was called to the fact that the Confederates were advancing from the woods and through a cornfield on Birney. He spurred his horse into the field to reconnoitre, ran upon a skirmish-line, saw his mistake and turned to ride back, when he was shot through the body and killed. A sharp encounter ensued between the 21st chusetts and the Confederates, which was ended by darkness ; the regiment withdrew, the federates retired to the woods and the battle was ended, neither side having permanently gained a foot of ground. The other two g.ades of Kearny came up, and the ground was held until 3 o'clock in the morning of the 2d, when Kearny's and Reno's men fell back to Fairfax Court-House after the last of Pope's army from Centreville had passed. Pope fell back to Washington, and Lee marched to cross the Potomac into Maryland. The Union loss at Chantilly was about 800; that of the erates about 700. In the death of Kearny and Stevens the Union army lost two of its best officers. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XII); Stevens Hazard, 'Life of General I. I. Stevens' (Vol. II); Gordon, G. H., 'Army of Virginia.' E. A. CARMAN.