of them were crowded with men, or were followed by others, who clung to them. The ambulances were crowded with soldiers, but it did not look as if there were many wounded. Negro servants on led horses dashed frantically past; men in uniform, whom it were a disgrace to the profession of arms to call "soldiers," swarmed by on mules, chargers, and even draught horses, which had been cut out of carts or wagons, and went on with harness clinging to their heels, as frightened as their riders. Men literally screamed with rage and fright when their way was blocked up. On I rode, asking all, “What is all this about?" and now and then, but rarely, receiving the answer, "We're whipped;" or, "We're repulsed." Faces black and dusty, tongues out in the heat, eyes staring-it was a most wonderful sight. On they came, like him,

66

"Who, having once turned round, goes on,
And turns no more his head.
For he knoweth that a fearful flend
Doth close behind him tread."

on the left no longer maintained their fire. I
was just about to ask one of the men for a light,
when a sputtering fire on my right attracted
my attention, and out of the forest or along the
road rushed a number of men. The gunners
seized the trail of the nearest piece to wheel it
round upon them; others made for the tum-
brils and horses as if to fly, when a shout was
raised, "Don't fire; they're our own men;"
and in a few minutes on came pell-mell a whole
regiment in disorder. I rode across one, and
stopped him. "We're pursued by cavalry,"
he gasped, "they've cut us all to pieces." As
he spoke, a shell burst over the column; an-
other dropped on the road, and out streamed
another column of men, keeping together with
their arms, and closing up the stragglers of the
first regiment. I turned, and to my surprise
saw the artillerymen had gone off, leaving one
gun standing by itself. They had retreated
with their horses. While we were on the hill,
I had observed and pointed out to my compan-
ions a cloud of dust which rose through the
trees on our right front. In my present posi-
tion that place must have been on the right
rear, and it occurred to me that after all there
really might be a body of cavalry in that direc-
tion; but Murat himself would not have charg-
in-ed these wagons in that deep, well-fenced lane.
If the dust came, as I believe it did, from field-
artillery, that would be a different matter. Any
way it was now well established that the re-
treat had really commenced, though I saw but
few wounded men, and the regiments which
were falling back had not suffered much loss.
No one seemed to know any thing for cer-
tain. Even the cavalry charge was a rumor.
Several officers said they had carried guns and
lines, but then they drifted into the nonsense
which one reads and hears everywhere about
"masked batteries." One or two talked more
sensibly about the strong positions of the ene-
my, the fatigue of their men, the want of a re-
serve, severe losses, and the bad conduct of
certain regiments. Not one spoke as if he
thought of retiring beyond Centreville. The
clouds of dust rising above the woods marked
the retreat of the whole army, and the crowds
of fugitives continued to steal away along the
road. The sun was declining, and some thirty
miles yet remained to be accomplished ere I
could hope to gain the shelter of Washington.
No one knew whither any corps or regiment
was marching, but there were rumors of all
kinds-"The 69th are cut to pieces,” “The Fire
Zouaves are destroyed," and so on. Presently
a

But where was the fiend? I looked in vain.
There was, indeed, some cannonading in front
of me and in their rear, but still the firing was
comparatively distant, and the runaways were
far out of range. As I advanced, the number
of carts diminished, but the mounted men
creased, and the column of fugitives became
denser. A few buggies and light wagons filled
with men, whose faces would have made up
a great Leporello" in the ghost scene, tried
to pierce the rear of the mass of carts, which
were now solidified and moving on like a gla-
cier. I crossed a small ditch by the roadside,
got out on the road to escape some snake fences,
and, looking before me, saw there was still a
crowd of men in uniforms coming along. The
road was strewn with articles of clothing-
firelocks, waist-belts, cartouch-boxes, caps,
greatcoats, mess-tins, musical instruments,
cartridges, bayonets and sheaths, swords and
pistols-even biscuits, water-bottles, and pieces
of meat. Passing a white house by the road-
side, I saw, for the first time, a body of infan-
try with sloped arms marching regularly and
rapidly towards me. Their faces were not
blackened by powder, and it was evident they
had not been engaged. In reply to a question,
a non-commissioned officer told me in broken
English, "We fell back to our lines. The at-
tack did not quite succeed." This was assuring
to one who had come through such a scene as
I had been witnessing. I had ridden, I sup-
pose, about three or three-and-a-half miles
from the hill, though it is not possible to be tremor ran through the men by whom I was
sure of the distance; when, having passed the riding, as the sharp reports of some field-pieces
white house, I came out on an open piece of rattled through the wood close at hand.
ground, beyond and circling which was forest. sort of subdued roar, like the voice of distant
Two field-pieces were unlimbered and guarding breakers, rose in front of us, and the soldiers,
the road; the panting and jaded horses in the who were, I think, Germans, broke into a
rear looked as though they had been hard double, looking now and then over their should-
worked, and the gunners and drivers looked ers. There was no choice for me but to resign
worn and dejected. Dropping shots sounded any further researches. The mail from Wash-
close in front through the woods; but the gunsington for the Wednesday steamer at Boston

A

A

leaves at 23 on Monday, and so I put my horse | resolved to keep my own counsel for the second into a trot, keeping in the fields alongside the time that day. And so the flight went on. At roads as much as I could, to avoid the fugitives, one time a whole mass of infantry, with fixed till I came once more on the rear of the bag- bayonets, ran down the bank of the road, and gage and store carts, and the pressure of the some falling as they ran, must have killed and crowd, who, conscious of the aid which the wounded those among whom they fell. As I vehicles would afford them against a cavalry knew the road would soon become impassable charge, and fearful, nevertheless, of their prox- or blocked up, I put my horse to a gallop and imity, clamored and shouted like madmen as passed on toward the front. But mounted men they ran. The road was now literally covered still rode faster, shouting out, "Cavalry are with baggage. It seemed to me as if the men coming." Again I ventured to speak to some inside were throwing the things out purposely. officers whom I overtook, and said, "If these "Stop," cried I to the driver of one of the carts, runaways are not stopped, the whole of the "every thing is falling out." - you," shout-posts and pickets in Washington will fly ed a fellow inside, "if you stop him, I'll blow also!" One of them, without saying a word, your brains out." My attempts to save Uncle spurred his horse and dashed on in front. I do Sam's property were then and there discon-not know whether he ordered the movement tinued.

66

On approaching Centreville, a body of German infantry of the reserve came marching down, and stemmed the current in some degree; they were followed by a brigade of guns and another battalion of fresh troops. I turned up on the hill half a mile beyond. The vehicles had all left but two-my buggy was gone. A battery of field-guns was in position where we had been standing. The men looked well. As yet there was nothing to indicate more than a retreat, and some ill-behavior among the wagoners and the riff-raff of different regiments. Centreville was not a bad position properly occupied, and I saw no reason why it

or not, but the van of the fugitives was now suddenly checked, and, pressing on through the wood at the roadside, I saw a regiment of infantry blocking up the way, with their front towards Centreville. A musket was levelled at my head as I pushed to the front-"Stop, or I'll fire."* At the same time the officers

As a commentary on the picture here presented, we quote part of an article in the Knickerbocker Magazine from an eye-witness of this part of the retreat, who met Mr. Russell at the very head of the stampede.—Editor.

moderately, but their occupants appeared unconscious of We pushed on toward the field. Vehicles still passed disaster or of haste. The first indication of disturbed nerves met us in the shape of a soldier, musketless and coatless, clinging to the bare back of a great bony, wagonhorse-sans reins, sans every thing. Man and beast came panting along, each looking exhausted, and just as they pass us, the horse tumbles down helpless in the road, and his rider tumbles off and hobbles away, leaving the horse to his own care and his own reflections. Still we pushed

on.

[Several visitors from the field, up to this time, had reported a complete victory of the Union troops.]

should not be held if it was meant to renew the attack, nor any reason why the attack should not be renewed, if there had been any why it should have been made. I swept the field once more. The clouds of dust were denser and nearer. That was all. There was no firing-no musketry. I turned my horse's head and rode away through the village, and About half-past four, possibly nearer five, Centreville after I got out upon the road the same confu- was still (as it proved) a mile or so ahead of us. We reached the top of a moderate rise in the road, and as we sion seemed to prevail. Suddenly the guns on plodded on down its slope, I turned a glance back along the hill opened, and at the same time came the the road we had passed; a thousand bayonets were gleaming in the sunlight, and a full fresh regiment were overthuds of artillery from the wood on the right taking us in double-quick step, having come up (as I soon rear. The stampede then became general. after learned) from Vienna. They reached the top of the What occurred at the hill I cannot say, but all hill just as we began to pick our way across the brook which flooded the road in the little valley below. At this the road from Centreville for miles presented moment, looking up the ascent ahead of us, toward the such a sight as can only be witnessed in the battle, we saw army wagons, private vehicles, and some six or eight soldiers on horseback, rushing down the hill track of the runaways of an utterly demoralized in front of us in exciting confusion, and a thick cloud of army. Drivers flogged, lashed, spurred, and dust. The equestrian soldiers, it could be seen at a glance, beat their horses, or leaped down and aban-unused to this melting mode, most of them being barewere only impromptu horsemen, and their steeds were all doned their teams, and ran by the side of the backed. Their riders appeared to be in haste, for some road; mounted men, servants, and men in uni- reason best known to themselves. Among them, and rather leading the van, was a solitary horseman of differform, vehicles of all sorts, commissariat wag-ent aspect: figure somewhat stout, face round and broad, ons, thronged the narrow ways. At every shot a convulsion, as it were, seized upon the morbid mass of bones, sinew, wood, and iron, and thrilled through it, giving new energy and action to its desperate efforts to get free from itself. Again the cry of "Cavalry" arose. "What are you afraid of?" said I to a man who was running beside me. "I'm not afraid of you!" replied the ruffian, levelling his piece at me, and pulling the trigger. It was not loaded, or the cap was not on, for the gun did not go off. I was unarmed, and I did go off as fast I could,

gentlemanly in aspect, but somewhat flushed and impatient, not to say anxious, in expression. Under a broadbrimmed hat a silk handkerchief screened his neck like a Havelock. He rode a fine horse, still in good condition, and his motto seemed to be "onward"-whether in per sonal alarm or not, it would be impertinent to say. His identity was apparent at a glance. As his horse reached the spot where we "five" stood together, thus suddenly headed off by the stampede, the regiment behind us had reached the foot of the hill, and the colonel, a large and resolute-looking man, had dashed his horse ahead of his men, until he was face to face with the stampeders.

"What are you doing here?" shouted the colonel in a

tone that "meant something." "Halt!" (to his men.) turning to the white-faced soldiers from the field, and bran"Form across the road. Stop every one of them !" Then dishing his sword, "Back! back! the whole of ye! Back!

man.

66

"There's a fright among them," I observed, in | Long Bridge." Up hills, down into valleys, reply to his question respecting the commissa- with the silent grim woods forever by our riat drivers. 66 They're afraid of the enemy's sides. Now and then, in the profound gloom, cavalry." Are you an American?" said the broken only by a spark from the horse's hoof, "No, I am not." "Well, then," he said, came a dull but familiar sound like the shut"there will be cavalry on them soon enough. ting of a distant door. As I approached WashThere's 20,000 of the best horsemen in the ington, having left the Colonel and his escort world in Virginia!" Washington was still 18 at some seven miles on the south side of the miles away. The road was rough and uncer- Long Bridge, I found the grand guards, pickets' tain, and again my poor steed was under way, posts, and individual sentries burning for news, but it was of no use trying to outstrip the run- and the word used to pass along, "What does aways. Once or twice I imagined I heard guns that man say, Jack?" Begorra, he tells me in the rear, but I could not be sure of it in con- we're not bet at all-only retraiting to the sequence of the roar of the flight behind me. It ould lines for convaniency of fighting to-morwas most surprising to see how far the foot row again. Oh, that's illigant!" On getting soldiers had contrived to get on in advance. to the tête de pont, however, the countersign After sunset the moon rose, and amid other was demanded; of course, had not got it. acquaintances, I jogged alongside an officer But the officer passed me through on the prowho was in charge of Col. Hunter, the com- duction of Gen. Scott's safeguard. The lights mander of a brigade, I believe, who was shot of the city were in sight; and reflected by the through the neck, and was inside a cart, es- waters of the Potomac, just glistened by the corted by a few troopers. This officer was, as clouded moon, shone the gay lamps of the I understood, the major or second in command White House, where the President was probof Col. Hunter's regiment, yet he had consid- ably entertaining some friends. In silence I ered it right to take charge of his chief, and to passed over the Long Bridge. Some few hours leave his battalion. He said they had driven later it quivered under the steps of a rabble of back the enemy with ease, but had not been sup- unarmed men. At the Washington end a regiported, and blamed-as bad officers and good ment with piled arms were waiting to cross ones will do the conduct of the General: "So over into Virginia, singing and cheering. Bemean a fight I never saw." I was reminded of a fore the morning they received orders, I beCrimean General, who made us all merry by say- lieve, to assist in keeping Maryland quiet. For ing, after the first bombardment, "In the whole the hundredth time I repeated the cautious accourse of my experience I never saw a siege con- count, which to the best of my knowledge was ducted on such principles as these." Our friend true. There were men, women, and soldiers had been without food, but not, I suspect, to hear it. The clocks had just struck 11 P. M. without drink-and that, we know, affects as I passed Willard's. The pavement in front empty stomachs very much-since two o'clock of the hall was crowded. The rumors of dethat morning. Now, what is to be thought of feat had come in, but few of the many who an officer-gallant, he may be, as steel-who had been fed upon lies and the reports of comsays, as I heard this gentleman say to a picket plete victory which prevailed could credit the who asked him how the day went in front, intelligence. Seven hours had not elapsed beWell, we've been licked into a cocked hat; fore the streets told the story. The "Grand knocked to." This was his cry to team- Army of the North," as it was called, had repsters escorts, convoys, the officers and men on resentatives in every thoroughfare, without guard and detachment, while I, ignorant of the arms, orders, or officers, standing out in the disaster behind, tried to mollify the effect of drenching rain. When all these most unacthe news by adding, "Oh! it's a drawn battle. countable phenomena were occurring, I was The troops are reoccupying the position from fast asleep, but I could scarce credit my inwhich they started in the morning." Perhaps formant in the morning, when he told me that he knew his troops better than I did. It was the Federalists, utterly routed, had fallen back a strange ride, through a country now still as upon Arlington to defend the capital, leaving death, the white road shining like a river in nearly 5 batteries of artillery, 8,000 muskets, the moonlight, the trees black as ebony in the immense quantities of stores and baggage, and shade; now and then a figure flitting by into their wounded prisoners in the hands of the the forest or across the road-frightened friend enemy! or lurking foe, who could say? Then the anxious pickets and sentries all asking, "What's the news?" and evidently prepared for any amount of loss. Twice or thrice we lost our way, or our certainty about it, and shouted at isolated houses, and received no reply, except from angry watch-dogs. Then we were set right as we approached Washington, by teamsters. For an hour, however, we seemed to be travelling along a road which, in all its points, far and near, was "twelve miles from the

Let the American journals tell the story their own way. I have told mine as I know it. It has rained incessantly and heavily since early morning, and the country is quite unfit for operations; otherwise, if Mr. Davis desired to press his advantage, he might be now very close to Arlington Heights. He has already proved that he has a fair right to be considered the head of a "belligerent power." But, though the North may reel under the shock, I cannot think it will make her desist from the struggle,

unless it be speedily followed by blows more | flogging, lashing, spurring, beating, and abandoning deadly even than the repulse from Manassas. that he so graphically describes. The road was as There is much talk now (of "masked batteries,' "quiet and clear as if no army were in the vicinity. of course) of outflanking, and cavalry, and such A mile from Centreville we met that New Jersey matters. The truth seems to be that the men regiment, a private of which, Mr. Russell says, The were overworked, kept out for 12 or 14 hours threatened to "shoot him if he did not halt." in the sun, exposed to a long-range fire, badly dozen in all, that were on their way in; but, recogofficers were turning back the few fugitives, not a officered, and of deficient regimental organiza- nized as a civilian, as the Times correspondent tion. Then came a most difficult operation must have been, we passed to the rear unchalto withdraw this army, so constituted, out of lenged. Mr. Russell, at that moment, could not action, in face of an energetic enemy who had have been half a mile behind us. Pushing on repulsed it. The retirement of the baggage, slowly we were overtaken by Col. Hunter's carwhich was without adequate guards, and was riage, in which he, wounded, was going to the city. in the hands of ignorant drivers, was misun- Mr. Russell saw it, or says he saw it, attended by derstood, and created alarm, and that alarm an escort of troopers, at the head of whom was a became a panic, which became frantic on the major, who "considered it right to take charge of We saw no appearance of the enemy and on the opening his chief and leave his battalion." of their guns on the runaways. But the North troopers nor major. Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, of the will be all the more eager to retrieve this dis- House, was riding by the side of the vehicle, and aster, although it may divert her from the he, a smooth-faced gentleman, in the garb of a scheme, which has been suggested to her, of civilian, may have been mistaken by our own corpunishing England a little while longer. The respondent" for a doubtful man of war. Possibly two miles and a half from Centreville, we stopped at a road-side farm house for a cup of water. While drinking, Mr. Russell passed. We recognized him, rode along, and were soon engaged with him in a discussion of the causes of the check-it was not then known to be any thing more; and, in his company, we went on through Fairfax, in all a distance, perhaps, of six or eight miles; and we can affirm that not one incident which he relates

exultation of the South can only be understood by those who may see it; and if the Federal Government perseveres in its design to make Union by force, it may prepare for a struggle the result of which will leave the Union very little to fight for. More of the "battle" in my next. I pity the public across the water, but they must be the victims of hallucinations and myths it is out of my power to dispel or rectify just now. Having told so long a story, I can scarcely expect your readers to have patience, and go back upon the usual diary of events; but the records, such as they are, of this extraordinary repulse, must command attention. It is impossible to exaggerate their importance. No man can predict the results or pretend to guess at them.

COMMENTS ON MR. RUSSELL'S LETTER.

From the Chicago Tribune.

as happening in that stretch, had any foundation in We saw nothing of that Englishman of whom

fact.

he

says:

"It was about this time I met a cart by the roadside, surrounded by a group of soldiers, some of whom had ' d' 69' on their caps. The owner, as I took him to be, was in great distress; and cried out, as I passed, 'Can you tell me, sir, pieces. I can't tell you.' 'I'm in charge of the mails, sir, where the Sixty-ninth are? These men say they are cut to

and I will deliver them if I die for it. You are a gentleman, and I can depend on your word. Is it safe for me to go on? Not knowing the extent of the debacle, I assured him it was, and asked the men of the regiment how they happened to be there. 'Shure, the colonel himself told us to go off every man on his own hook, and to fly for our lives,' replied one of them. The mail agent, who told me hope no bad result to himself or his charge followed my he was an Englishman, started the cart again. I sincerely

advice."

We rode into Fairfax together.

MR. RUSSELL'S letter to the London Times, the greater part of which we transferred to our columns yesterday morning, is, in many respects, a remarkable paper. We enjoyed the privilege of riding from a point a couple of miles east of Cen-white, with anxious faces, were at the doors, and the in"I reached Fairfax Court House; the people, black and treville, to another point east of Fairfax Court fantry under arms. I was besieged with questions, though House, with Mr. Russell, and when he tells what hundreds of fugitives had passed through before me." took place on that bit of road, we are competent judges of his truthfulness and fairness as a descriptive writer. We do not know and do not care what he saw, or says he saw, of the fight and the flight, before we found him; but from the errors and misstatements in that portion of his narrative with which we are immediately concerned, we should be justified in believing that he was not at the battle at all, and that the materials for his let

ter were gathered from some Fire Zouave or a private of the Ohio Second, who left, terror stricken, in the early part of the fray, and carried the fatal news of the rout and the race to the credulous rear.

We left Centreville without knowing that a repulse had been felt, or that a retreat to that point had been ordered. Jogging leisurely down the Washington road, perhaps ten minutes-certainly not more-ahead of Mr. Russell, we saw nothing of the

It is a small matter, this, but it marks the accuracy of the man. Not a question was asked of Mr. had passed that way; the infantry-another New Russell nor of us; not a "fugitive," we dare affirm, Jersey regiment, if we are not mistaken-were at their usual evening parade, supposing, no doubt, that their companions in arms had won a great victory.

the owner sent his servant for it cheerfully, the very house "At one house I stopped to ask for water for my horse; where we had in vain asked for something to eat in the forenoon. There's a fright among them, I observed in reply to his question concerning the commissariat drivers.

They're afraid of the enemy's cavalry. Are you an American?' said the man. 'No, I am not.' 'Well, then,' he said, 'there will be cavalry on them soon enough. There's twenty thousand of the best horsemen in the world in Virginny."

At the little one-horse tavern in Fairfax, the