Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[240] He had therefore not a moment to lose; he adopted his course with decision and acted promptly. Leaving only four companies near the stone bridge, he fell back, with about one thousand remaining men, as far as the intersection of the turnpike and the Sudeley road, making a change of front to the left, in order to form his line a little in advance of the road, along the slopes of a hill which is rounded at the north by the stream called Young's Branch, and rested his left upon the Sudeley-Springs road. By this movement he succeeded in forestalling the Federals. Hunter's first brigade, commanded by Burnside, being fatigued by seven hours march, had rested near the fresh waters of Bull Run. McDowell, impatient at the delay of this brigade, proceeded in advance of it, and debouched into the fields which extend beyond Sudeley Springs, where his skirmishers exchanged the first shots with Evans's sharp-shooters. The latter had found a position on the hill he occupied which compensated for his numerical inferiority.

It is nearly ten o'clock when the heads of Burnside's column appear on the opposite slopes, and they are immediately saluted by a well-sustained fire. In their inexperience they return the fire without taking time to form; being young troops, who had never manoeuvred, they do not know how to deploy rapidly in face of the enemy, so that their first attack, which is merely a brisk discharge of musketry, is not successful in dislodging Evans. The combat lasts nearly three-quarters of an hour, during which time the other brigade of Hunter's division, under Andrew Porter, hastens to get into line. At last the Confederates, who, with only 1000 men, are defending the extreme left of their army, which a well-concerted movement might have crushed, are also about to receive reinforcements. Beauregard, still believing that the attack of the Federals was directed against the stone bridge, had sent the two small brigades of Bee and Bartow, numbering 2800 men, with a field-battery, to join the defenders of that point, while Jackson proceeded to take position upon Bull Run, between Cocke and Bonham. But, warned by the distant rattling of musketry and subsequently by Evans himself, Bee and Bartow change their direction, and arrive in time to assist the latter just when his soldiers are beginning to fall back before Burnside,