Page "Abner Doubleday" Paragraph 9

Doubleday was promoted to major on May 14, 1861, and commanded the Artillery Department in the Shenandoah Valley from June to August, and then the artillery for Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks's division of the Army of the Potomac.

He was appointed brigadier general of volunteers on February 3, 1862, and was assigned to duty in northern Virginia while the Army of the Potomac conducted the Peninsula Campaign.

His first combat assignment was to lead the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps of the Army of Virginia during the Northern Virginia Campaign.

In the actions at Brawner's farm, just before the Second Battle of Bull Run, he took the initiative to send two of his regiments to reinforce Brig.

Gen. John Gibbon's brigade against a larger Confederate force, fighting it to a standstill.

( Personal initiative was required since his division commander, Brig.

Gen. Rufus King, was incapacitated by an epileptic seizure at the time.

He was replaced by Brig.

Gen. John P.

Hatch.

) His men were routed when they encountered Maj. Gen. James Longstreet's corps, but by the following day, August 30, he took command of the division when Hatch was wounded, and he led his men to cover the retreat of the Union Army.