port from the Zouaves, as Col. Farnham is still at hospital. Since the retreat more than threefourths of the Zouaves have disappeared.

I beg leave to express my obligations to the officers of my staff, viz. :-Captain H. S. Wright, Lieut. E. S. W. Snyder, Lieutenant F. N. Farquhar, of the Engineers; Captain Chauncey McKeever, Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant J. J. Sweet, of the Second Cavalry, and Lieutenant J. D. Fairbanks, of the First Michigan, for the able and fearless performance of their duties, and to recommend them to your favorable consideration.

Very respectfully,

S. P. HEINTZELMAN, Colonel of the Seventeenth Infantry, Commanding the

First Division.

REPORT OF COLONEL GORMAN.
HEAD-QUARTERS FIRST MINNESOTA REGIMENT,
WASHINGTON, D. C., July 24, 1861.
Colonel Franklin, Commanding First Brigade
Colonel Heintzelman's Division, N. E. Vir-
ginia:

SIR: I have the honor to communicate, as Colonel of the First Minnesota regiment of Volunteers, the events connected with the movements of my command, comprising a part of your brigade.

This movement was effected at "quick" and "double-quick" time, both by the infantry and artillery, during which march the men threw from their shoulders their haversacks, blankets, and most of their canteens, to facilitate their eagerness to engage the enemy. On arriving at the point indicated, being the extreme left of the enemy and the extreme right of our line, and in advance of all other of our troops, and where I was informed officially that two other regiments had declined to charge, we formed a line of battle, our right resting within a few feet of the woods, and the left at and around Rickett's battery, and upon the crest of the hill, within fifty or sixty feet of the enemy's line of infantry, with whom we could have readily conversed in an ordinary tone of voice. Immediately upon Rickett's battery coming into position and we in "line of battle," Colonel Heintzelman rode up between our lines and that of the enemy, within pistol shot of each, which circumstance staggered my judgment whether those in front were friends or enemies, it being equally manifest that the enemy were in the same dilemma as to our identity. But a few seconds, however, undeceived boththey displaying the rebel and we the Union flag. Instantly a blaze of fire was poured into the faces of the combatants, each producing terrible destruction, owing to the close proximity of the forces, which was followed by volley after volley, in regular and irregular order as to time, until Rickett's battery was disabled and cut to pieces, and a large portion of its officers and men had fallen, and until Companies H, I, K, C, G, and those immediately surrounding my regimental flag, were so desperately cut to pieces as to make it more of a slaughter-house than an equal comOur march from Centreville to Bull Run was bat, the enemy manifestly numbering five guns not marked by any extraordinary event, my to our one, besides being intrenched in the woods regiment leading the advance of your brigade. and behind ditches and pits plainly perceptible, On arriving at Bull Run, the battle began to and with batteries upon the enemy's right, enfirage with great warmth with the advance col- lading my left flank, and within three hundred uinn of infantry and artillery of another divi- and fifty yards' direct range. After an effort to sion, both being hotly engaged. Here Captain obtain aid from the Fire Zouaves, then immediWright, of the military engineers, serving as an ately upon our left, two or three different oraid upon the staff of Colonel Heintzelman, com- ders came to retire, as it was manifest that the manding our division, informed me that my contest was too deadly and unequal to be longer regiment was needed to flank the enemy upon justifiably maintained. Whereupon, I gave the the extreme left; whereupon I moved forward command to retire, seeing that the whole of at "quick" and "double-quick" time, until we our forces were seemingly in retreat. Every arrived at an open field looking out upon the inch of ground, however, was strongly conenemy's lines. After holding this position a tested by skirmishers, through the woods, by short time, Captain Wright, by your direction, the fences and over the undulating ground, unordered me through the woods to take posi-til we had retired some four hundred yards in tion near the front and centre of the enemy's line, in an open field, where we came under the direct fire of the enemy's batteries, formed in "column by division."

On Tuesday morning, the 16th inst., in obedience to your order, we took up the line of march, and on the evening of Thursday arrived at Centreville and bivouacked until Sunday morning, the 21st instant, at half-past two o'clock, when we again took up our line of march, in obedience to your orders, to meet the enemy, then known to be in large force between Bull Run and Manassas station, Virginia.

After remaining in this position for some ten minutes, I received orders from both your aids and those of Colonel Heintzelman to pass the whole front of the enemy's line, in support of Rickett's battery, and proceed to the extreme right of our line and the left of the enemy, a distance of about a mile or more.

reasonably good order, to a point where the men could procure water, and then took up a regular and orderly retreat to such point as some general officer might indicate thereafter.

I feel it due to my regiment to say, that before leaving the extreme right of our line the enemy attempted to make a charge with a body of perhaps five hundred cavalry, who were met by my command and a part of the Fire Zouaves, and repulsed with considerable loss to the enemy, but without any to us.

I am more than gratified to say that I kept | finement in the Capitol at Washington city, the larger portion of my regiment together, Mr. Irvine, in company with Hon. Morton S. and marched from the field in order, and on Wilkinson, United States Senator from Minthe march and near an open space where Col-nesota, visited him, when he promptly recogonel Heintzelman's column left the Centreville nized Mr. Irvine as his captor, and thanked and Manassas road in the morning, and passed him very cordially for his humane treatment to the right, we, in conjunction with others, and kindness to him as a prisoner. I deem it repulsed the enemy's cavalry, who attempted but just that this fact should be officially known, to charge. as Lieutenant-Colonel Boone was an officer of the highest rank taken in the battle.

Before leaving the field a portion of the right wing, owing to the configuration of the ground and intervening woods, became detached, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, whose gallantry was conspicuous throughout the entire battle, and who contested every inch of the ground with his forces thrown out as skirmishers in the woods, and succeeded in Occupying the original ground on the right, after the repulse of a body of cavalry. I deem it worthy of remark that during a part of the ongagement my regiment and that of the enemy, at some points, became so intermingled as scarcely to be able to distinguish friends from foes, and my forces made several prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant-Colonel Boone, of Mississippi, who is now in Washington, and fully recognizes his captors.

I regard it as an event of rare occurrence in the annals of history that a regiment of volunteers, not over three months in the service, marched up without flinching to the mouth of batteries of cannon supported by thousands of infantry, and opened and maintained a fire until one-fifth of the whole regiment were killed, wounded, or made prisoners before retiring, except for purposes of advantage of position.

My heart is full of gratitude to my officers and men for their gallant bearing throughout the whole of this desperate engagement, and to distinguish the merits of one from another would be invidious, and injustice might be done.

The humble part which I have performed as an officer commanding one of the regiments of your brigade, individually and otherwise, is now left to you and those commanding the division. Respectfully,

W. A. GORMAN, Col. First Regiment, Minnesota.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF COL.
GORMAN, OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, MINNESOTA.

CAMP MINNESOTA, July 26, 1861.

The regimental flag borne by my color-bearer has through its folds one cannon ball, two grape shot, and sixteen bullets, and one in the staff. The color guard wero all wounded but the color-bearer, one mortally. The company flag of Company I was pierced with five balls to my report. Respectfully, and one on the spear head. Please attach this W. A. GORMAN, Col. First Regiment, Minnesota

REPORT OF COL. J. H. HI. WARD.

HEAD-QUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE,
THIRD DIVISION, CAMP NEAR SHOOTER'S HILL,
Monday, July 29, 1861.'

Col. W. P. Franklin, Commanding Third Divi-
sion.

SIR: The temporary command of this brigade having devolved upon me in consequence of the mishap to Col. Wilcox, I have the honor to transmit herewith the following report, also the regimental reports of a portion of the brigade, viz. from the First Michigan regiment, Major Dike and my adjutant bore themselves the Scott Life Guard, Thirty-eighth regiment with coolness throughout. My chaplain, Rev. New York State Volunteers, containing deE. D. Neill, was on the field the whole time tailed accounts of their action during the enand in the midst of danger, giving aid and com-gagement near Bull Run, on Sunday, 21st inst.; fort to the wounded.

Dr. Stewart, while on the field, was ordered to the hospital by a medical officer of the army; Dr. Le Boutillier continued with the regiment, and actually engaged in the fight-neither of whom have been heard from since.

That I have not unfairly or unjustly to the truth of history stated the facts in regard to the gallant conduct of my regiment, is fully proven by the appended list of killed and wounded, showing forty-nine killed, one hundred and seven wounded, and thirty-four missing; the names and companies to which they belong, in detail, will more fully appear in the accompanying lists and abstracts.

Among the incidents of the engagement my command took several prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant-Colonel Boone, of the Mississippi regiment, taken personally by Mr. Irvine, of my regiment; and since said prisoner's con

the remaining regiments of the brigade, viz. : the Fire Zouaves (Eleventh regiment New York Volunteers) and Arnold's battery having already rendered their reports to division head-quarters.

This brigade commenced the action under command of Col. Wilcox, of Michigan, who was wounded while gallantly leading his command, and whose bravery could not have been excelled, and who is now a prisoner in the hands of the enemy. While I deeply deplore the circumstances by which it became my duty to forward this report, yet it affords me much gratification to speak in terms of the highest commendation of the brave and officer-like conduct of the gentlemen composing his staff, viz. Lieuts. Woodruff, Parker, and Edie, in their efforts to bring order out of chaos, under a most galling and deadly fire from the enemy.

On the morning of the 21st, in obedience to brigade orders, the regiment was formed, the Retiring to a road about one hundred yards men equipped in light marching order, and distant, my regiment was again formed in line prepared to leave its bivouac at or near Cen- of battle, and under the eye of the commandertreville. The march, however, was not com-in-chief, Gen. McDowell, the men, inspired by menced until 6 o'clock A. M., when the regiment, with others constituting the brigade, advanced towards the scene of future operations.

fact, that was under fire the previous day, that returned to and occupied their old camp ground previous to their advance towards the field of battle. It is with great pride, sir, that I mention this fact, evincing, as it emphatically does, a degree of subordination commendable in any regiment, and reflecting great credit upon the gallant officers and men of my own, particularly under the extraordinary circumstances connected with the occasion.

ing been previously compelled to retreat in the face of superior numbers and a great loss in their ranks. Before arriving at the brow of the hill, we met the enemy in large force, one of his infantry regiments, apparently fresh upon the field, advancing steadily toward us in line of battle. A large number of the men of this regiment had advanced in front of their line, and had taken possession of Rickett's battery, and were endeavoring to turn the guns upon us. A well-directed and destructive fire was From the time my regiment was ordered immediately opened upon the enemy by my into the battle-field until forced to retire thereregiment, and a portion of another that had from, a period of four hours, it was almost conrallied upon our left (I think the Fourteenth,stantly under fire from the enemy's batteries, New York State Militia), and after a sharp conflict he was forced to retreat in disorder and with great loss, seeking shelter in the woods from whence he had previously emerged. The enemy not succeeding in taking with him Rickett's battery, which seemed to have been the chief object of his attack, it fell into the hands of my regiment, by whom three of its guns were dragged a distance of three hundred yards, and left in a road, apparently out of reach of the enemy.

Another rally was then again made by my regiment, the gallant men readily responding to the orders of their officers. Advancing in double-quick time to the right and front towards a dense wood, in which the enemy had been concealed in large force during the day, and from which evidences of a retreat were now visible, my regiment, with detached portions of others of our force, became engaged in a sharp and spirited skirmish with the enemy's infantry and cavalry, and we appeared for a time to have complete possession of the field.

This was the last rally made by my regiment: suddenly and unexpectedly the enemy, reinforced by fresh troops, literally swarming the woods, poured in upon us a perfect shower of lead from his musketry; his batteries reopened upon us with terrible effect; and a panic at this moment seeming to have taken possession of our troops generally, a retreat was ordered, and my regiment, in comparatively good order, commenced its march towards Centreville, where a greater portion of it arrived about 9 o'clock that night. Here, on the same ground that we had bivouacked previous to the battle, the regiment was halted. After a rest of about two hours, it again resumed its march, joining in the general movement made by the army towards this place.

After a forced and wearisome march of seven hours, the men suffering from the fatigue of the previous fifteen hours, without food for that length of time, with scarcely water enough to moisten their parched tongues, many of them wounded, sick, and otherwise disabled, my regiment, with the exception of about fifty, who had straggled from their respective companies and joined the mass that were thronging to the capital, halted at its original camp ground near Alexandria-the only regiment of the brigade that did so-the only regiment, in

and engaged with the infantry; and through your coolness and courage alone, during that time-your frequent orders for the men to lie down when the enemy's fire was the hottest, and your constant effort to protect them as far as possible at all times-was the regiment saved from presenting a larger number of casualties than its large number now shows.

Of the courage displayed by the men generally on the field during the entire day, of the readiness of the gallant fellows to obey at all times all orders, I cannot speak in too high terms, or express in words my admiration. During all my experience in a former campaign, and presence on many a battle-field, I have never witnessed greater bravery or more soldierly requisites than were displayed by the men of my own regiment during the entire battle.

The conduct of the officers generally, I cannot speak too highly of. Always at their posts, cheering on their men by their soldierly examples, and displaying marked gallantry under the trying circumstances, I acknowledge my inability to do them justice in words. Major Potter was disabled during the early part of the engagement, while gallantly performing his duty, and subsequently fell into the hands of the enemy. The brave Captain McQuaide, while cheering on his men, fell, from a severe wound in the leg. Lieut. Thomas S. Hamblin, a gallant young officer, also received a wound in the leg while discharging his duty; and he, with the former officer, subsequently fell into the hands of the enemy. Captains McGrath and Allason both received injuries during the engagement, the former by being run down by the enemy's cavalry, (from the effects of which he is now suffering,) and the latter by a slight musket shot. Lieut. John Brady, Jr., while bravely participating in the fight, was severely wounded in the arm. Assistant Surgeon Stephen Griswold was on the field, and, under a heavy fire, at all times humanely and fearlessly discharging his duties to the wounded. He and Quartermaster Charles J. Murphy, who was assisting the wounded, were also taken prisoners.

In conclusion, I again assert my inability to do justice to the gallant conduct of the officers generally; and while it would afford me great pleasure to mention the names of many whose

conduct fell under my personal observation, Iloney, Privates Timothy Sullivan, Michael must refrain from doing so, lest by omitting Kennedy, Joseph Sheppard, Patrick Coyle, others I should do injustice to many equally as Lawrence Mooney, John Holland. meritorious.