The Eighth, compelled to retreat with nearly half its number wounded or killed, the attack of the enemy was met by the brigade of General Bee, composed of Mississippians and Alabamians, and one regiment, I think, of Tennesseeans. Later in the day Colonel Bartow was shot near this spot, while leading the Seventh Georgia regiment, commanded by Colonel Gartrell. General Bee's brigade could not withstand the fierce tornado of shot and shell sweeping through its ranks, and slowly retired, fighting bravely all the time. The Fourth Alabama regiment suffered terribly, all of its field officers being shot down, and two (Colonel Jones and Major Scott) left upon the field. Colonel Jones was captured, but afterwards retaken during the rout. Falling back upon the position taken by Hampton's Legion, whose prowess can clearly be shown by the heaps of dead in front of their line, a momentary check was thrown on the enemy's approach.

They had now retreated to the brow of the hill, where the brigade of General Jackson was lying perdu, and this was the most critical point of the day. Fighting for hours under a hot sun, without a drop of water near, the conduct of our men could not be excelled; but human endurance has its bounds, and all seemed about to be lost. Our reserve was yet miles distant from the scene of action, whilst the enemy's reserve kept pressing on. From the knoll near the Lewis House, the two generals had remained anxious spectators of the conflict; but the time had come for action, and plunging their spurs into the quick-footed steeds, away went the generals and their staff into the thickest of the fight. Coming up first to the Alabamians, who were without a fieldofficer, General Johnston placed the color-bearer by his horse's side and moved on-each and all of the staff, with the generals, vieing with each other in words of encouragement to the men to come on. And well-timed was this

movement.

Already our line upon the hill-top was giving

the appearance in their midst of our generals, apparently bringing up reinforcements, they pitched into the fray with redoubled ar dor, and from that time yielded not an inch of ground. General Beauregard, riding over to the left, took charge of operations there, displaying his reckless bravery by riding everywhere in the face of the enemy's fire, and having his horse killed beneath him, fortunately escaping uninjured himself. The tide of battle thus checked, away went General Johnston's staff to hurry up the reserves, and assign them to proper positions. They first were met two miles back, covered with dust, and coming at double-quick. On they went, plunging into the midst of the fray, and the sunshine of certainty did not gleam from beneath the murky clouds until General Kirby Smith arrived with a portion of his division upon the ground. Coming from Winchester, he heard the roar of the battle, and without waiting for orders he at once disembarked his men, Colonel Elzey's brigade, and marched hurriedly to our assistance. Colonel Kershaw's and Colonel Cash's regiments arrived upon the ground at the same moment, and with these, 4,000 men, General Smith promptly took the extreme left and turned the tide of battle.

The enemy had so far turned our flank as to have gotten entirely behind us, and nearly 4,000 were marching up to attack us in the rear; seeing this, General Smith determined to cut them off, and would have done so but for his misfortune in being shot through the neck with a grape-shot just as Colonel Kershaw was within twenty yards of him for the purpose of receiving orders. His plan of cutting them off was, consequently, not carried out, and they were enabled to join the main body, hotly pursued by our men. General Jackson's brigade had been lying for hours sustaining with unflinching courage a most terrific fire. The general had his horse shot under him, and a finger of the left hand shot off, but, cool as a cucumber, he still urged his "boys" to be steady, and steady they were, when they charged and butchered the Fire Zouaves and other regiments right and left. The general has a way of holding his head up very straight, and his almost invariable response to any remark, is "Very well," whilst his chin seems trying to get up towards the top of his head. The writer remembers, in the midst of the fight, to have seen the general rallying his men, while his chin seemed to stick out further, and his "Very wells" seemed to sound more euphoniously than ever; and when the writer wished to pour a little whiskey upon the shattered finger, he was told that it was "of no consequence," and away went the general, with a battery following him, to take position in some advantageous spot. If any one was ever entitled to a sobriquet, the general certainly deserved that of cool.

It is worthy of mention, that in all the vicis

situdes of the battle, the enemy at no time took one of our pieces of artillery, and they thundered away all the time, doing great execution, and carrying dismay into the hearts of the Yankees.

The scene of carnage was beyond description. Here a pile of dead and dying men; there struggling, crippled horses, and over the surface of the hitherto peaceful fields, the surging, angry waves of battle still adding its victims to the long list. Our light artillery batteries seem to have been more than a match for the rifled cannon at a short distance, for our guns would be fired three or four times to their once. But it must be admitted that some of their batteries were fired with the precision, almost, of a rifle at one hundred yards' dis

tance.

There was a constant struggle during the day over the enemy's batteries. Time and again were they captured by our men, and very often retaken by the enemy. The most excited creature on the battle field was the Rev. Mr. Repetto, Captain of the Page Co. (Va.) Grays, who claimed the honor of taking Rickett's (Sherman's) battery. Of his whole company, nearly one hundred strong, he had only eighteen uninjured. Another of our reverends, Colonel Pendleton, a graduate of West Point, a resident of Lexington, Virginia, and an Episcopalian minister, was quite busy during the day, and doubtless did more than any one else to check the advancing enemy. The inquiry among the prisoners was very general, "Who commanded that battery on the left that killed so many of our men?" Our reply was that it was a saint named Pendleton.

About 5 o'clock our anxious minds were relieved by the cessation of cannonading from their side, whilst upon ours the thunders still rolled out long and loud. Then we knew we had them. A long line of dust towards Centreville proclaimed that the "stars and bars" waved triumphant over the field. A long line of fugitives defiled across the fields, and the cavalry were ordered to pursue. The history of that pursuit upon our part could well be written in words of blood, for more men were killed then and there than had fallen in the battle. Our infantry hurried on as rapidly as possible, while our batteries gave a parting "fire in the rear." The amount of plunder strewn upon the road is almost incredible. The quantity of arms taken it is hard to get at, as many of them are in the hands of those who first took them. For instance, one company of Virginia troops, in returning from the pursuit, captured enough Minié muskets to arm the whole command-eighty strong. It is estimated, however, that twelve thousand smallarms will be added to our stock of ordnance. Enough powder was taken to supply the army for another big battle, and sixty-three pieces of artillery, with the caissons full of projectiles, which will be returned shortly, with our compliments, to their former masters. Many hun

dreds of our brave boys now sport splendid blue overcoats, the owners of which did not have time to call for them.

There is no earthly doubt that our army was overcome several times between 12 and 3, and that the bulletins sent by the enemy are, in the main, correct; but, alas! "the best-laid plans of men and mice aft gang aglee,” and in this instance, verily, was there a great" slip between the cup and the lip." With all their preparations made, their "grand army," complete in every department, it is too bad that destruction should come upon them when victory seemed perching upon their standard. And they cannot lay the blame this time upon "those infernal masked batteries." They chose their own ground, and we met them in the open field with no other intrenchments but bright steel bayonets above our brave-hearted soldiers. The whole plan of attack had been mapped out, as was shown by a splendid map of the entire country, which the writer received from Col. Wilcox, of Michigan, commanding the second brigade. Upon that map, which had been drawn up by order of the War Department from the coast survey records, showing the topography of the country from Washington to Manassas, it was evident that the plan of action had been mapped out by old Scott. At Sudley Springs, where the crossing was made, three columns indicated that the crossing was to be made there.

The number of men actually engaged on our side was 18,000, though some think it was less. The number engaged upon the other side, taken from the admission of captured officers, was about 37,000. What was the secret of our success against such odds? The enemy fought bravely-there can be but one opinion about that-and forced our lines back more than half a mile. Our success can alone be attributed (beyond that which Divine Providence acceded to us) to the dauntless bull-dog courage of our men. They could not quit fighting. Said one of Lincoln's officers: "What sort of men are yours? We broke your regiments all to pieces, and yet we did not whip you." And so it was. Scattered as they were, every man was for fighting on his own hook, and you could have picked a thousand at any time ont of the pine thickets who did not know where their companies were, but kept loading and blazing away. From these scattered fragments of companies General Johnston gathered several hundred, and requested Colonel Thomas to take them to a position, which he indicated a short distance off. It was in performing this service that this gallant gentleman fell, pierced to the heart.

The artillery captured upon the field had splendid horses attached to them, caparisoned in the best style. Sixty-two of them were brought together the next morning. In the rout, however, the artillerists, to save themselves from Colonel Stuart, of our cavalry, cut loose the horses, and left the cannon in the road.

The mortality was immense on both sides. Upon ours the returns will show about six hundred killed and twenty-five hundred wounded. Upon theirs about fifteen hundred fell dead, and forty-five hundred wounded. We could have had as many prisoners as ten thousand, but what good would it have done to take them and feed them?

-Richmond Dispatch, July 29.

VISIT TO THE BATTLE-FIELD.

A correspondent of the Richmond Enquirer says: The writer of this, on Monday last, 29th ult., passed over the scene of the battle of the 21st, near Bull Run. It was gratifying to find, contrary to rumors which have gained some eirculation, that the dead, not only of our own army, but also of the enemy, have all been decently buried. In the whole area of that terrible onset, no human corpse, and not even a mangled limb, was to be seen. The earth had received them all, and, so far as the human combatants were concerned, nothing remained to tell of those who had fallen victims of the shock of battle, save the mounds of fresh earth which showed where they had been laid away in their last sleep.

In this area are included five dwelling-houses; all of which we visited bore evidences of the storm which raged about them. Many were killed in the yard of the house of Mr. J. De Dogan. A bullet-hole in a chamber door remains a memento of the battle. His family escaped just as the battle joined.

But it was on the hill south of the turnpike road, where the enemy's farthest advance was checked, and where the final issue was fought, that the inwrapped dwellings showed most plainly the fury of the fight.

A house here, late the abode of a widow lady-Mrs. Judith Henry-was riddled with cannon and musket shot. Hissing projectiles from the cannon of our enemies had passed through the walls and roof, until the dwelling was a wreck. It is a sad story that we tell. This estimable lady, who had spent here a long life, illustrated by the graces that adorn the meek Christian, was now bed-ridden. There she lay amid the horrid din, and no less than three of the missiles of death that scoured through her chamber inflicted their wounds upon her. It seems a strange dispensation of Providence, that one whose life had been so gentle and secluded, should have found her end

mid such a storm of human passions, and that the humble abode which had witnessed her quiet pilgrimage should have been shattered over her dying bed.

pany.

Numerous dead horses, scattered over the area, show where the batteries of flying artillery were captured or disabled, or where some officer was dismounted. The prostrate fences, too, served to mark the track of the battle. Where the infantry crossed they were broken down so that a man might step over, and wide gaps showed where the artillery carriages had thundered along. The ground, too, tramped by the feet of rushing men and horses, evidenced where the struggle had been fiercest.

Of relics of the battle, already but few remain. The field has been searched and gleaned by daily crowds of visitors seeking for mementoes. A few bullets that had run their errand, some fragments of exploded bombs, a haversack and a few other things, were all that an extensive ramble brought under our view. Canes cut from the battle-field are also considerably in demand.

The enemy's column of advance, as shown by the battle-ground, presented a front of about one mile. Their onward march from the point where they encountered our advance bodies to the limit where they met our full line, and the fall battle was joined, and the fate of the day decided, was about a mile and a half. A parallelogram of about a mile by a mile and a half, therefore, covers the scene of the great conflict.

tired, the aged sufferer was still alive, and she lived long enough to say that her mind was tranquil, and that she died in peace-a peace that the roar of battle and the presence of death, panoplied in all his terrors, had not disturbed. Noble matron! The daughters of the South will emulate your virtues, and the sons of the South will avenge your sufferings! The heaps on heaps of the enemy that were piled around your doors when you died, are but the earnest. A hundred yards to the right of the house of Mrs. Henry lay five horses in a heap, and near by another heap of as many more. Ilere a portion of Sherman's battery made its last advance; just as it reached the top of the hill, our riflemen, approaching it in another direction, reached it too. At once they poured in a fire which cut down horses and men, and made the pieces unmanageable. The gallant boys followed, the fire with a bayonet charge, and the guns were taken. It was here that Lieut. Ward fell. The cannon were taken and retaken several times in the furious fight; but the horses had been killed, and they could not be removed or used.

On the left of Mrs. Henry's, distant about a fourth of a mile, is a neat house belonging to a colored man named Robinson. A cannon-ball drove through this also. Between these two is an orchard of small trees, where Hampton's Legion fought and suffered so severely. graves are here. One of them, which covers the remains of a near relative of Ilon. J. L.

Their