about noon
But the courage and tenacity of the Southern troops averted defeat and rout in detail . Jackson , in his strong position near the Henry house , in the cellars of which women were hiding , refused to give an inch of ground . Beauregard , called by the cannon , arrived upon the field only an hour before noon , meeting on the way many fugitives , whom he and his officers drove back into the battle . Hampton 's South Carolina Legion , which reached Richmond only that morning , came by train and landed directly upon the battlefield about noon . In five minutes it was in the thick of the battle , and it alone stemmed a terrific rush of Sherman , when all others gave way . Noon had passed and the heart of McDowell swelled with exultation . The Northern troops were still gaining ground , and at many points the Southern line was crushed .