seeing a regiment of Virginians near, said, | until 7 o'clock, when the firing of cannon and pointing to them, "Take me to your Colonel." musketry became very hot and the action was His captors ignorantly did as he suggested, and fairly opened. Here an unfortunate mistake for actually carried him into the midst of the Vir- a time threw our lines into confusion. The ginians before they saw their mistake. In a few Yankees, infamous in their tricks of war as moments he was rid of them, and again at the well as trade, advanced a large column headed head of his battery, hurling destruction into by the Confederate flag, and when within fifty the ranks of the foe. Kershaw and Kemper yards opened a deadly fire upon the Fourth both deserve to be made Brigadier-Generals, as Alabama regiment. This caused a retreat, this great victory is undoubtedly due to their which the South Carolinians observing, they commands. opened upon the Alabamians, thinking them enemies, and nearly decimating their ranks.

Hampton's Legion and Sloan's regiment displayed the utmost gallantry, but, in the face of superior artillery and great odds, were not sufficiently sustained. We hear that our troops succeeded in capturing cannon from the enemy's left wing, also, to the amount of ten or twelve pieces. If that be so, we have captured forty odd pieces, amongst which is Sherman's celebrated battery. The Palmetto Guard have taken a flag and one or two drums. The Brooks Guard have captured a flag-staff and two kettle drums. The other companies have various articles. I have written the above in great haste, but the facts are correctly stated. I will give you some other incidents at another time. -Charleston Mercury, July 29.

LOUISVILLE "COURIER" ACCOUNT.

About the same time, Gen. Beauregard heard heavy firing several miles to the right, and immediately went with our main body to the scene of supposed conflict. But this was another decoy. The Yankees had sent a large quantity of ordnance with only men sufficient to man the guns, so as to distract the attention of our forces from the main point of attack. Quickly discovering the ruse, Beauregard double-quicked his troops to the former battlefield from which we had been driven back some two miles. Now came the tug of war.

The fortunes of the day were evidently against us. Some of our best officers had been slain and the flower of our army lay strewn upon the field, ghastly in death or gaping with wounds. At noon the cannonading is described MANASSAS, VA., Monday, July 22. as terrific. It was an incessant roar for more Sunday, July 21, will ever be a nemorable than two hours, the havoc and devastation at day in the annals of America. Next to the sa- this time being fearful. McDowell, with the cred Sabbath of our Independence, it will be aid of Patterson's division of twenty thousand the eventful era in the history of Republican | men, had nearly outflanked us, and were just in Governments. The military despotism of the the act of possessing themselves of the railway to North, proud, arrogant, and confident, has been Richmond. Then all would have been lost. But met in the open field, and the true chivalry of most opportunely, I may say providentially, at the South, relying upon the justness of their this juncture, Gen. Johnston, with the remnant cause, though comparatively weak in numbers, of his division—our army as we fondly call it, have gained a victory that in completeness has for we have been friends and brothers in camp never been paralleled in history since the Amer- and field for three months-reappeared and ican continent first dawned from its ocean-girt made one other desperate struggle to obtain the womb upon the eye of the longing discoverer. vantage ground. Elsey's brigade of MarylandBut the victory has been dearly won-purchas-ers and Virginians led the charge, and right ed, indeed, with the hearts' blood of thousands manfully did they execute the work. Gen. of the bravest and truest men of the Confed- Johnston himself led the advance, and wild erate States. But this blood will not only cry with delirium, his ten thousand advanced in alond to the heavens for vengeance, but so fruc- hot haste upon three times their number. Twice tify the soil of the South that here more than was Sherman's battery, that all day long had elsewhere will ever bloom and blossom the glo- proven so destructive, charged and taken, and rious tree of liberty. our men driven back. The third time, Virginians, Carolinians, Mississippians, and Louisianians, captured the great guns and maintained their position.

It was not the good fortune of your correspondent to be in the engagement, that portion of Gen. Johnston's army to which the Kentucky battalion is attached having been detained at Piedmont by a railroad accident. We reached the field of battle just as the victory had been gained, and only had the mingled satisfaction and sorrow of joining in the huzzas and uniting in the sad lamentations.

The battle opened on Sunday morning, about 5 o'clock, near Bull Run, some four miles from Manassas Junction, the Nationals advancing with an immense column 54,000 strong, under Gen. McDowell. The engagement was not general, the artillery only playing at intervals,

About the pieces the dead and wounded lay five deep, so protracted and deadly had been the struggle. Now hope again dawned upon us, and just as the tide seemed turning in our favor, another good omen illuminated the fortunes of the day that at times seemed so illstarred. Riding in a half column along our lines was a single horseman with hat in hand, waving to the men and speaking brief words of encouragement. By intuition all knew it was President Davis, and such a shout as made the welkin ring arose-a shout of joy and de

fiance. The President had just arrived by spe- | own conclusions, and solve the terrible political cial train from Richmond, and Providence problem it presents to the American people. seemed to be with us again. The contest was no longer doubtful. As I heard one of the officers say, our men could have whipped legions of devils. The word "Onward! was given, Davis bareheaded in the van. No more lingering or dallying. It was a grand and sublime onset of a few determined sons of liberty against the legions of despotism. The lines of the enemy were broken, their columns put to flight, and until after dark the pursuit was continued. The rout was complete. Off scampered the Yankees, throwing away guns, knapsacks, clothing, and every thing that could retard their progress. Thus was the day won, and the long bright Sabbath closed, a lovely full moon looking down calmly and peacefully upon the bloodiest field that the continent of America ever witnessed.

It was impossible for me, in the heat of a terrible engagement, exactly to locate the position of our forces during the battle; but I find my conjecture of yesterday verified, that it was not at Bull Run, but at Manassas Gap. In other words, that General McDowell, with an army which, including the reserves at Centreville, did not number more than forty thousand, actually attacked the rebel forces at Manassas Gap, where Beauregard has been for months preparing his fortifications, and where he had lined the hills with elaborate and carefullyconstructed intrenchments, behind which were rifled cannon of large calibre, properly manned and supported by an army which subsequent information leads me to estimate at nearly a hundred thousand men. Behind these batteries the Southern troops fought. They were conOur loss is fully two thousand killed and structed in a manner calculated to deceive the wounded. Among the killed are Gen. Bee, of most experienced eye. The breastworks were South Carolina; Gen. E. K. Smith, Gen. Bar- in the shape of a gently sloping hill, neatly tow, of Georgia; Col. Moore and all the Ala-sodded, with here and there a tree left growbama field officers; Col. Fisher and the Northing, to more thoroughly deceive our troops as Carolina field officers; Adjutant Branch of Georgia, and a host of other leading men. Thomas G. Duncan, of Nelson County, Ky., was in the fight, and shot through the left shoulder. His wound is not dangerous.

Col. Barbour, of Louisville; Capt. Menifee and Shelby Coffee, of Kentucky, were in the hottest of the fight.

We took thirteen hundred prisoners, sixty pieces of artillery, ten thousand stand of arins, and an immense amount of baggage.

This is a sad day. The rain is pouring in torrents. The killed and wounded are being brought in by hundreds, and a gloom pervades all hearts, that even the sense of our great victory cannot relieve. SE DE KAY.

THE RETREAT FROM CENTREVILLE.

WASHINGTON, July 22, 1861.

to their existence. Their line of batteries covered two or three miles. The whole region seemed literally to be one masked battery. What appeared to be a natural declivity, would in a moment bellow forth a most fearful charge of grape-shot, shell, and cannister; and from every clump of bushes or shrubbery, the terrible messengers of death would come at the most unexpected moment.

I mention this in order that you may more properly understand the details of this great battle, and more properly appreciate the gallantry of our men. Notwithstanding they had slept on their arms, and had marched ten miles to the place of engagement, they rushed into the contest weary, wanting food and water; they drove the enemy from battery and battery; slowly and slowly pushing them from their position. From nine o'clock till three, the There is no use of concealing the fact, how-battle was a victory, and if at three o'clock ever terrible it may be to realize, that the army there had been ten thousand fresh men to assist of the Union, under command of General Mc- them; if General Patterson had only come from Dowell, has been completely routed. I endeav- Martinsburg, or McClellan over the Blue Ridge ored to intimate the sad intelligence in my letter from Western Virginia—or if even Miles' divisof yesterday; I had hoped, however, that sub-ion of reserves could have been marched from sequent advices would have enabled me to say that the gallant, the superhuman conduct of our troops had met the rewards of bravery. Every account that comes, comes filled with disaster. Every eye is sad, and the exultation of yesterday has given place to the gloom and apprehension of to-day. The present is one of sorrow, the future has but few gleams of hope. We have sent into Virginia the best appointed division of our grand army, we have fought the greatest battle ever fought on the continent, and we have been not only beaten, but our army has been routed, and many of its best regiments wholly demoralized. The narrative of this disaster will be my duty; you may make your

Centreville, we could have driven them from the field and won the day. Our men were weary, and in many cases inefficiently commanded. The enemy was being constantly reinforced. So rapidly did they arrive, that many of their regiments rushed into the field with their knapsacks on their shoulders, and I could distinctly see with a strong spy-glass, even from the hills beyond Centreville, regiment after regiment of the rebels coming from the neighboring districts, and passing over the roads to Manassas. In many cases the colors of their flags could be easily distinguished.

The causes of our defeat appear to be these: A premature advance on the enemy without a

sufficient force, which may be attributed to the | sylvania regiment any way concerned in the clamors of politicians, and newspapers like the action. This body had been intended as a part New York Tribune; the negligence of General of the advance, and with that impression its Patterson in not intercepting General Johnston soldiers had left their quarters at the early at Winchester, and preventing him from join-hour of the morning when the movement coming Beauregard at Manassas; the want of an menced. There was a change in the programme, efficient force of artillery to answer their mask- however, and they were instructed to remain ed batteries; the inefficiency of many of the at Centreville as a reserve regiment. They officers; the want of proper discipline among were stationed in a large field on the north of the volunteers, and the general panic which the town, and below the hill which commanded seized upon our forces in the latter part of the a view of the distant field of battle. I had the action. opportunity of paying them a few moments' I have heard many stories of the bravery of visit. There was the greatest dissatisfaction some regiments and the inefficiency of others. among the men because of their inaction. The But if we can make any such distinction, it is cannonading and musketry could be distinctly with the officers who commanded, and not with heard, couriers were constantly going to and the men who obeyed. The material of our army from the field, the various reports of victory is of an extraordinary character, and this dis- were constantly being repeated, but the day astrous battle has shown it; for the men who passed on into the afternoon, and no signal of could fight double their numbers behind mask- advance was given. Some of the men were ed batteries for ten hours, in a country where sleeping under the shade of the trees, a few water could not be found, under the torrid were cleaning and preparing their muskets, rays of a Southern summer sun, and make that others were writing letters home, and some, fight a victory until their endurance had been anxious and mortified, were actually weeping overtasked, and the ranks of the enemy had at the want of an opportunity to join in the been filled up by fresh men, are capable of any fight. Col. Einstein was galloping hither and thing which may be demanded of the soldier. thither, anxiously awaiting the orders to march, And this is the story of the battle of Manassas; and every minute scanning the horizon with this is the substance of every rumor-the logi- his opera glass, in the hope of seeing the courcal result from every fact the contest furnishes. ier, which would signal him to victory. DurThe general panic took place about 5 o'clock ing the time of my brief stay, an aide arrived in the afternoon. There are a number of sto- with an order to prepare for action. The comries told as to the apparent reason for the pre- mand was given, and received with the most cipitate flight of our troops; but, without intense enthusiasm on the part of the men, who stopping to relate them, or even to consider rent the air with repeated shouts. In less time their manifest absurdity, I would simply say than it takes to write these ten lines, they were that it was caused by their utter exhaustion, in line, every man at his position, expecting the and the terrible fire of masked batteries, which order to march. As I witnessed this spectacle, were taken by them, again and again, at the and recollected that in this regiment alone point of the bayonet, only to find, when taken, Pennsylvania was represented, I could not but that others would open upon them. The re-feel proud of my State, and regret that her solinforcements vastly strengthened the enemy, their fire was increased, and, before that fire, our men retreated. If they had been properly commanded, they might have retreated in good order, like the regulars under Major Sykes; but this, and the want of experience, gave rise to a panic, which soon swept every thing before it, and carried our army, like a tumultuous mob, from Manassas to Washington.

diers could not have taken part in the great events of this momentous day.

As I have said, it was necessary that I should reach Fairfax at an early hour in the evening. Fairfax is about eight miles from Centreville, and is approached by a devious and rugged road running through a woody country, and traversing a succession of hills. It is a small sleepy town of the old Virginia style, and will The day was so closely contested, that when be remembered as the scene of Lieut. TompI arrived at Centreville from the field of battle, kins' brilliant cavalry charge in the early part at five o'clock in the evening, it was with the of this campaign. It is situated in a valley, or impression that the conflict had either resulted rather on the brow of a gradually sloping hill, in a drawn battle or in a dearly-bought victory. surrounded by a scenery which is somewhat It was important that I should go to Fairfax monotonous, but certainly romantic and beauin order to forward you my despatches, no com- tiful. The houses are small, and built like munication existing between Washington city Virginia houses generally, with a view to comand Centreville. I had taken rooms in the only fort and aristocratic display. It was intended hotel of the place, and intended to have return- as the advanced post of governmental commued the same evening in order to complete my nication with Washington, wires having been observations of the battle and follow the army extended that far to a telegraph station, which in its further progress. At that time there were was operated by an officer of the Government. five regiments of volunteers as a reserve, and The tone of the people was certainly not one among them Colonel Max Einstein's Pennsyl- of friendship to the Union, although the pres vania volunteers, the only distinctively Penn- I ence of a fine regiment of Western volunteers

VOL. II.-Doc. 31

of the wounded and weary. I hastily dressed, and in company with those who had been our companions of the night, took up the line of march.

neutralized any attempt at open hostility. The | them on foot, and trains for the transportation people were sullen, or reluctantly civil, and the hotel keepers extended their hospitality in a most niggardly spirit. I put up at a small inn, which was filled with soldiers, senators, officers of the army, members of the House of Representatives, and citizens, who had visited the scene of battle much after the manner in which we are accustomed in the North to patronize trotting matches and agricultural fairs.

As we left the inn and joined in the line the scene was most exciting. The night was gloomy. Large black clouds rolled over the sky, while big drops of rain were occasionally falling. The weary soldiers had just come from the field, with torn uniforms, empty canteens, and many of them without either muskets or haversacks. The utmost confusion existed. No dozen of the soldiers seemed to belong to the same regiment. There were men from Rhode Island, from New York, from Ohio, and from Michigan. Every soldier had a dozen rumors; every rumor was of the most conflicting and animating character. There were tales of death and daring; of havoc and desolation. Each particular act of bravery was recorded, and every soldier had a tale to tell of a comrade who had fought bravely and died gallant

It was the impression at Fairfax, where I arrived about dusk, that we had obtained a victory, but in about an hour the news of a retreat was obtained in a despatch from General Tyler. The receipt of the news created a commotion among the temporary residents of the place, although the hope was expressed and entertained that the brigade of Colonel Miles would make a stand at Centreville, and hold that position as an advanced post for future operations, or as a stand-point around which to rally our retreating forces. Numerous bodies of troops, however, began to come into Fair-ly. In one thing they were agreed, and that fax, some of them mounted on artillery horses, some transportation wagons, and a few in ambulances, having been wounded. A rumor obtained currency that a body of the rebels had taken one of the roads leading to a point below Fairfax, with the intention of cutting off the retreat of our army and capturing the town. This announcement created a panic among the Union men, and a rush was made for Washington by all who could, for either love or money, obtain the means of conveyance to the capital. A number of distinguished representatives of the New York press took this occasion to leave the scene of danger, and they left at an early hour. So anxious were some of them to leave, that I saw one offer a traveller his gold watch and his purse if he would drive him to Arlington. The offer was refused, and the anxious and excited civilian remained.

was, that a regiment of rebels had outflanked the army in retreat, and intended to intercept the march at a point below Fairfax. There were the most gloomy and desperate speculations upon the result of any such a conflict. About one-half of our men were armed, and it was the determination to oppose any attempt at capture by a fierce resistance. I am confident, if we had met the enemy at the point anticipated, there would have been a fearful conflict and terrible slaughter.

The road from Fairfax was hard and rough. On each side there were deep gulleys or ravines, and for a great portion of the way our path was between woods, which would have afforded a splendid opportunity for an ambuscade, and through hills where, on either side, a company of soldiers with a battery could have repulsed almost any body of men. Many of the volunteers fell away from sheer exhaustion. Along the sides of the road small bodies of men might be seen lying, wrapped in the deep sleep which answers the demand of exhausted nature. Some of the soldiers endeavored to

could see a dozen or a score of men seated at different points of the road, and hear such cries as "This way, Ninth!" "Come over here, Rhode Island!" "Here you are, SeventyNinth!" "All together, Zouaves!" "Fall in, Ohio!" "This way, Massachusetts!" and so on, as the different regiments happened to be designated. The attempt, however, was not very successful, and the men marched wearily onward, sad and silent.

Finding it impracticable to return to Centreville, I determined to remain at Fairfax until morning, in the hope of learning that our forces had occupied Centreville, and maintained the communications open by which we could re-march by regiment, and for a mile or two I turn. The only accommodations to be found was a small mattress in the corner of a parlor, where I soon fell into a deep sleep. The floor was covered with mattresses, and my bed companions were soldiers weary from the field, and civilians of all conditions. About 1 o'clock in the morning, I was awakened by a soldier of a New York regiment, who informed me that there was a regular retreat of the army; that our forces had been completely routed; that Beauregard was in full pursuit, and that our army was falling back upon Washington. I arose at the alarming intelligence, and on looking from the window saw that, so far as our army being in retreat was concerned, his information was correct. The broad street was filled with large bodies of troops, many of

We passed the point of danger, and no signs of the enemy were manifest. There was a constant cry for water. "For God's sake, give us a drink!" "Can't you help a sick man?" "I'm thirsty and almost dead," were the cries we heard constantly and appealingly from the weary soldiers as they lay on the roadside.

Once or twice a well was reached, and it was instantly surrounded by bodies of thirsty soldiers, clamoring for the merest drop of the refreshing beverage. Men were constantly falling from sheer exhaustion. In one case a lieutenant came along on horseback, carrying behind him a wounded soldier. The horse had been cut from a battery, and it still had on its military harness. The animal could go no farther, the men were almost fainting, and could not dismount. A soldier of the same regiment came along and tenderly lifted his commander from the weary animal, placed him on the roadside, and, in answer to the appeal of a comrade to continue his journey, replied that he could not go, for his place of duty was by the side of his officer. And by his side, carefully bathing his brow, anxiously binding up a severe wound upon his shoulder, we left him, and passed on.

five miles from Washington, who stood on the roadside and furnished the troops with water. At about six o'clock in the morning we came in view of Washington city and Georgetown; of Fort Corcoran, with its frowning black guns, and patrolled by solitary sentinels; and of the long rows of white tents where the New Jersey brigade was encamped. And above the hills of Arlington, in the gray hour of that gloomy dawn, and amid a shower of quicklyfalling rain, we saw our dear old flag-God bless it still streaming to the breeze-the type of liberty, and law, and constitutional freedom; the emblem of a glorious past;, the harbinger of a more glorious future; and, though covered to-day with temporary disaster, soon to float again over rebellion crushed, a Constitution defended, a Union restored, and the majesty of a mighty and invincible Republic.

J. R. Y.

P. S.-I attach to this letter a copy of a letter addressed by an officer of the regular army to a friend, who has kindly consented that I may use it. It is graphically written, and will tell you many things which only an officer can tell:

We passed on, and in silence. Few words were spoken, for there was a deep grief in every heart, and the few sentences which occasionally fell upon my ear, expressed not so much the mere mortification of defeat, as the deep and bitter determination to cover that defeat by a future of glorious victory and fearful retribution. About six miles from Fairfax a body of regular cavalry came up to us and passed on, having retreated in good order. From them we learned that our army was in full retreat, even from Centreville, and that the retreat was being covered by the Third Infantry, under Major Sykes, of whose bravery I may have occasion to speak, and that a detachment of the enemy were in pursuit, harassing them with shell. With the Third Infantry were the reserve regiments, including that of Col. Einstein, whose men were ordered to fall in with the retreating troops without having fired a musket. Trains of baggage wagons were constantly passing us, many of them being filled with wounded men. There were numerous horses which passed, nearly every animal hav-assas, a distance of about eight miles. At six ing two riders. On arriving at the road leading to Alexandria, a great part of the retreating column proceeded to that town. We took the road which leads to Arlington, and continued our march.

The march from our bivouac, near Centreville, was taken up at 23 A. M. on Sunday. Among officers and men the impression prevailed that the action would occur at Bull Run, the scene of Gen. Tyler's repulse a day or two previously. In this they were disappointed. Tyler's brigade posted themselves at the bridge over Bull Run, where they were ordered to feign an attack as soon as Col. Hunter's division was known to be in position. This order was partially obeyed. Hunter's division, composed of Burnside's brigade and Porter's brigade, after proceeding a mile beyond Centreville, made a detour to the right, and proceeded over a wood road, well covered from observation, to the left flank of the enemy, at Man

o'clock firing was heard on the heights at Bull Run, from a battery in Tyler's brigade, which was promptly answered by the enemy's batteries. Their position thus revealed, the advance division (Hunter's) ascended a hill at double quick, and almost immediately the Rhode Island battery and Griffin's West Point battery were in brisk action. The former was supported by the First regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, who maintained their ground no

The morning came, but it was very gloomy -the sky was a mass of heaving and rolling clouds, and the sun arose in all his purple golden, and, as it seemed to us, bloody splendor. Our path was a small, narrow one, leading from the main turnpike, and approaching Washing-bly for a half hour. At this moment Porter's ton by a more direct road than that generally travelled. The country was even more hilly and densely wooded than that we had just traversed. The ambulances, wagons, and horsemen having gone forward, we were left behind, and to the number of about a thousand, in mere straggling groups, and covering some three or four miles of ground, we continued our march. The only evidence of hospitality we received was at the house of a farmer, about

|

brigade, composed of the Fourteenth, Seventh, and Twenty-seventh New York, with a battalion of U. S. Marines, under Major Reynolds, and a battalion of U. S. Third, Second, and Eighth Infantry, under Major Sykes, took their position in line of battle upon a hill, within range of the enemy's fire. Burnside's battery being sorely pressed, the enemy having charged closely upon it, the gallant Colonel galloped to Major Sykes and implored him to come to his