Pennsylvania daily telegraph. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1857-1862, August 09, 1861, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    •
A
I /4] 9 E C _P 11
i'ISI;LISIIED EVEC.`i 1)A Y,
13v GEOII. (3r 1;',
N.
rile y ri.ot seb,ribers in the
/1 übEe rib; 73 Will be
City 3 1 ,
eh aged $4 t)
WOOL!, IN WEER! Tii
1r Tr, Ft,. 11 - 11, 1101 INVIC wook dur.ng
the sotoo er • Mill weekly dim qz the
rerreblider o. 0,, ) ail I furnished subicrilferi at
the lollowing i.fic-, ~z :
Single yr:, per year,— ...... Ou
oi " ....... ... 00
Too
Taff LAW OF NEWSPAPER...
ordor the dketelliceduce of their newi
paper,. tb eubli her may continue to rend them until
911 irronr t:os ore paid.
11 ~111.-cribers begleet r. !we to take their newsa.
trots the office to which they arc directed, they arc
poc,ible Until they have ,ettled the bills and orde ell
ti ilFelutonned.
THE BULL RUN BATTLE.
:N ERA L ELL' 6 OFFICIAL RE
DALT o THE, ENUAUMIENf.
,AlvIL itTERS, DEPAIMIENT NtafflEAnEßN
IIttJIMA, :itiifigh , //, air. , August 4. j
Col. E. D. iowNsEND, Assistint Adjutant
,;,•nei,d, H e adquarters of the Army, Wash
digLen, D. U.:
'OI,ON EL ; —1 have the honor to submit the
Ilulting report of the battle on the 21st 01
,iy, near Matee-sas, 1 irginia. lt has been de
till this time itiiw the inability of the
kcmnlttiatil commanders to get earlier a true
it , toot of the state et their Lonnuatuls.
iu tne connutmication to you of the 30th
1 :,taied it as Inv intention to move that
and dri I. the enemy from the east
„ 1 11! I'6llll, to enable the engineers
111,11“1 a suhicicutiy accurate reconnomiance
I. , ..justi , y our name mol taunts. Later in the
.1,, ) they bad obtained enough information of
vain to (N61)411180 with
11 liS cc , alui,,,il“ r, tansl it araw decided to move
it had bum my intention to
mlcni! ,i,lonins out on the road a
, on tilt ening of the 20th, so that
1 I a silo' ter march in the morn
;,•tll to those who had the short
to go, and who preferred starting
moruiug, and making but one
u vveuiug of the 20th ult. my command
1.1, or uear Centreville. 'I'M) enemy
!war Imuasstis, distant from Centre
ut miles to the southwest. Oen-
a village 01 a few houses, mostly on
,i,to of a ridge running nearly north
the road from Centreville to Ala-
=
uru tiou wad along this ridge, and cross
tuu about three miles from the
, Ha( e. The Warrenton turnpike, which
th.drly east and west, goes over this ridge,
h ta , 0 village, awl crosses Bull Run a eout
hum it, Bull Run having a course
ros.hig from north-west to south
h= First division (Tyler's) wasstationed
i:e 'Huth side of the Warrenton turnpike,
tiLl!caSEClll slope of the Centreville ridge,
,:olt•S 011 UAL) same road, and a mile and
n. vanee, to the west of the ridge, and
i on the road from Centreville to
„here it crosses Bull Run, at Black
i , I where (Amoral Tyler uad the en
of the 1 Btli ult. The Second division
•,ter :‘) Was on the Warrenton turnpike, one
• v,v4 4 Centioville. The Third division
[i:l was on a road known as the
a ,id,ioek road, which comes into Centre
:Low the southeast, etbOut a mile and a
n the village. The leilth division
was on the saute road with the Third
and between it and Centreville. A
Li. 11 is herewith, marked A, will show
bettor than 1 Fan thscribt,
a train of tutbsistence ar
i on batoulay its contents were order
-1,, the clemnand, and the men re
-1 I ' , tikret'ditys rations iu their haver
ow. iti r -
tirlte6 A., 3 2 3 - J9r
rs•
ut the ult., my peisoutd re
moiss:oct. of the TOll4lll to the South had
.b.,wn l Lett it was not practicable to carry out
cal plan of turning the enemy's posi
t rat their right. no adair of thy lOU'
!' nitborit"s Vockl tillinvul 1 .7:3 Iva , too strong at
a putt for us to force a past•age there with
e,reat loss, and if we did that it would
I 'slug its in front of his strung position at Am.
ute , :sas, uhich was nut desired. Our inkrtua
timt was' that the stone bridge, over which the
Wail - clout' road cro,,sed flult run, to the west
centle ilk, was defended by a battery in
and the road 011 this side Of the strctuu
aped,' by a heavy :Mattis. The alternative
if. .tilore, to turn the extreme kft of his
Echable information was obtained of
I ffild 'Wed lord about three milt above
1 , 1 i.l:;e, there being another ford between it
1.1 the bridge, which was defended. It was
rettd determined to take the road to the
~per turd, and idior crossing, to gut behind
uiu forces guarding the lower ford and the
,idge, and alter occupying thu Warrenton
qui east of the bridge, to send a force to de
troy the railroad at or near Gainesville, and
kink up the communication between the
umy forces at ithillittiSaS and thosu in thy
:they of Virginia, before Winchester, which
'ad been held in check by Major General rat-
Lenoa.
I 2.slier ueneral Tyler was directed to move
N;iilt three of his brigades on the Warrenton
toad, ;nal euntinenee mune:Luling the enemy's
ii,aterbs, while Hunter's division, moving atter
hint, should, after passing a little stream called
Cub run, turn to the right and north, and move
around to the upper ford, and there turn south
aunt get behind the enemy. Colonebileintzel
man s divisiou was to Wow Hunter's as far as
the touting oil place to the lower ford, where
tc waS to cross utter the enemy should have
Levu driven out by Hunter's division, the Fifth
livision (Miles') to be in reserve on the Centre
\ ills ridge.
1 Ltd telt anxious about the road from Ma
nassas by Blackburn's Ford to Centreville,
along this ridge, fearing that whilst we should
,! in torte to the front, and endeavoring to turn
Ihe enemy's position, we ourselves should be
I 'rued by him by this road : for if he should
ace obtain possession of this ridge, which
verlooks all the country to the west to the
ut of the square of the line Ridge, we should
Lave been irretrievably cut off an destroyed.
I had, theretbre, directed this point to be held
in forte, and sent an engineer to extemporize
some held works to strengthen the position.
The Fourth Division (Runyon's) had not been
brought to the front further than to guard our
commtuticatien s by way of Vienna and the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad. His ad
vanced regiment was a b out seven „ lee in the
rear of Centreville.
The divisions were ordered to march at half
lost two o'clock A. M . su HA to arrive on the
ground early in the d'ivy, arid thus avoid the
heat which is to be expected at this season.—
'There was delay in the first division getting out
f its camp on the road, and the Other divisions
were in consequence between two and three
leans behind the time of appointment— a glom
onsfortutte, as events turned out. Thu wood
Lunt leading from the Warrenton turnpik e t o
!h e upper ford was much longer than we count
, d upon, the general direction of the stream
oblique to the road, and we having the
, tltose angle on our side.
Deneral Tyler commenced with his artillery
ut halt past six, A. M., but the enemy diet not
reply, :old after some time it became a question
Whetter he was in any force in our front, and
if he did not intend himself to make an attack,
a n d ral d make it by Blackburn's Ford. After firing
fillies, and obtaining no response, I held
one of Heinzehmuns brigades in reserve M alse
We should have to send any troops back to re-
• o,Off/
le
fAgi-04 total)
'
tititsDiti
44
_ 7"-
VOL. XV.
inforce Miles' division. The other brigades
moved forward as directed in the general orders.
on reaching the ford at Sudley's spring, I found
part of the leading brigade of Hunter's division
(Burnside's) had crossed, but the men were
slow in getting over, stopping to drink. As at
this time the clouds of dust from the direction
of Manassas indicated the immeniate approach
of a large force, and fearing it might come
down on the head of the column before tho di
vision could all get over and sustain it, orders
were sent back to the heads of regiments to
break from the column and come forward
separately as fast as possible. Orders were
sent by an officer to the reserve brig
ade of lieintzelman's division to come
by a nearer road across the fields, and an aid
de-camp was sent to Brigadier General Tyler to
direct him to press forward his attack, as large
bodies of the enemy were passing in front of
itim to diatwk the division which had crossed
over. The ground between the stream and the
road leading from Sudley's Spring south, and
over which Burnside's brigade marched,was for
about a mile from the ford thickly wooded,
whilst on the right of the road for about the
same distance the country was divided between
fields and woods. About a mile from the road
the country on both sides of the road is open,
and for nearly a mile further large rolling fields
extend down to the Warrenton turnpike, which
crosses what became the field of battle through
the valley of a small water course, a tributary
of Bull Run.
Shortly after the leading regiment of theflrst
brigade reached this open space, and whilst
others and the second brigade were crossing to
the front and right, the enemy opened his lire,
beginning with artillery, and following it up
with infantry. The leading brigade (Burn
sides) had to sustain this shock for a short time
without support, and did it welL The battal
ion of regular infantry was sent to sustain it,
and shortly afterwards the other corps of Por
ter's brigade, and a regiment detached from
Heintzelman's division to the left, forced the
enemy back far enough to allow Sherman's and
Keyes' brigades, of 'l'yler's division, to cross
from their position on the Warrenton road.
These drove the right of the enemy, understood
to have been commanded by Beauregard, from
the front of the field, and out of the detached
woods, and down to the road, and across it up
the slopes on the other side. Whilst this was
going on, Heintaleman's division was moving
down the field to the stream and up the road
beyond. Beyond the Warrenton road, and to
the left of the road, down which our troops had
marched from Sudley's Spring, is a hill with a
farm house on it. Behind this hill the enemy
had, early in the day, some of his most annoy
ing batteries planted. Across the road
from this hill was another hill, or rather
elevated ridge, or table of land. The hot
test part of the contest was for the possession
of this hill,with a house on it. The force engag
ed hero was lionitzleman'sdivision, Wilcox's and
and Howard's brigades on the right supported by
part of porter's brigade and the cavalry under
Plainer, and Franklin's brigade of Heintzel
man's division, Sherman's brigade of Tyler's
division in the centre and up the road, whilst
Keyes' brigade of Tyler's division was on the
iseito s f:*-Aimatalluallarmwirtrr gitaterit
brigade also participated in this attack by its
tire from the north of the turnpike. The enemy
was understood to have been commanded by
J Johnston, Rickete s battery, which did such
c (tali e service, and played so brilliant a part in
this contest, was, together with Griffin's bat
tery, on the side of the hill, and became the
object of the special attention of the enemy,
who succeeded—our officers mistaking ono of
his regiments for one of our own, and allowing
it to approach without firing upon it—in dis
abling the buttery, and then attempted to take
it. Three times was ho repulsed by different
I corps in succession, and driven back, and the
guns taken by hand, the horses being
and pulled away. The third time it was sup
posed by us all that the repulse was final, for
he was driven entirely from the hill, and so far
beyond it as not to be in sight, and all were
certain the day was outs. He had before this
been driven nearly a mile and a half, and was
beyond the Warrenton road, which was entire
ly in our on, from the stone bridge west
want, anil l i.il i :f s e d rigineerti were just completing
the removal of the abatis across the road, to
allow our reinforcement (Schneck's brigade and
Ayers' battery) to join us.
The enemy wore evidently disheartened and
broken. But we had been fighting since half
past ten o'clock bathe morning, and it was after
three o'clock in the afternoon. The men had
been up since two o'clock in the morning, and
had made what to those unused to such things
seemed a long march before coming into action,
though the longest distance gone over was not
more than nine and a half miles ; and though
they had three days' provisions served out to
them the day before, many no doubt either did
not eat them, or threw thorn away on the
march or during the battle, and were therefore
without food. They had done much severe
fighting. Some of the regiments which had
been driven from the hill in the first two at
tempts of the enemy to keep possession of it had
become shaken, were unsteady, and had many
men out of the ranks.
It was at this time that the enemy's reinforee
ments came to his aid from the railroad train,
understood to have just arrived from the valley
with the residue of Johnston's army. They
.threw thamaelvea in the wdbds on our right,
and towards the rear of our right, and opened
ai fire of musketry on our men, which caused
them to break and retire down the hillside.
This soon degenerated into disorder, for which
there was no remedy. Every effort: was made
to rally them,
even beyond the reach of the
enemy's fire, but in vain. The battallion of
regular infantry alone moved up the hill oppo
site to the one with the house on it, and there
maintained itself until our men could get down
to and across the Warrenton turnpike, on the
way back to the position we occupied in the
morning. The plain was covered with the re
treating troops, and they seemed to infect those
with whom they came in contact. The retreat
soon became a rout, and this soon degenerated
still further into a panic.
Findiug this state of affairs was beyond tile
efforts of all those who had assisted so faithftilly
during the long and hard day's work in gaining
almost the object of our wishes, and that noth
ing remained on the field but to recognize what
we could no longer prevent, I gave the neces
sary orders to protect their withdrawal, begging
the men to form in line, and oiler the appear
ance, at least, of organization. They returned
by the fords to the Warrenton road, protected,
l by my order, by Colonel Porter's force of regn
ars. On on the road, and the different corps
coming together in small parties, many without
officers, they became intermingled, and all or
ganimation was hat.
Orders had been sent hack to Miles' division
fora brigade to mote forward and protect this
tetresit, and Colonel Blenker' s brigade wad do.
*had fpr this purpose, and was ordered alto
"INDEPENDENT IN ALL THINGS-NEUTRAL IN NONE."
HARRISBURG, PA., FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 9, 1861.
as far forward as the point where the road to
the right left the main road.
By referring to the general order it will be
seen that, while the operations were to go on in
front, an attack was to be made at Blackburn's
Ford by the brigade (Richardson's) stationed
there. A reference to his report, and to that of
Major Hunt, commanding the artillery, will
show that this part of the plan was well and ef
fectively carried out. It succeeded in deceiving
the enemy for a considerable time, and in keep
ing in check a part of his force. The fire of the
artillery at this point is represented as particu
larly destructive.
At the time of our retreat, seeing great acti
vity in this direction, much firing and columns
of dust, I became anxious for this place, fearing
if it were turned or forced the whole stream
.of
our retreating mass would be captured or de
stroyed.• After providing for the protection of
the retreat by Porter's and Blenker's brigades,
I repaired to Riclutrdson's, and found the whole
force ordered to be stationed for the holding of
the road from Manama by Blackburn's ford to
Centreville, on the March, under the orders from
the Division Commander, for Centreville. I im
mediately halted it, and ordered it to take up
the best line of defence across the ridge that
their position admitted of, and subsequently
taking in person the command of this part of
the army, I caused such disposition of the forces
which had been added to by the First and Se
cond New Jersey and the De Kalb regiments,
ordered up from Runyon's reserve, before going
forward, us would best serve to check the ene
my. The ridge being held in thia way, the re
treating current passed slowly through Centre
ville to the rear. The enemy followed us from
the ford as far as Cub run, and owing to the
road becoming blocked up at the crossing,
caused us much damage there, for the artillery
could not pass, and several pieces and caissons
had to be abandoned. In the panic the horses
hauling the caissons and amunition were cut
from their places by persons to escape with, and
in this way much confusion was caused, the
panic aggrivated, and the road encumbered.—
Not only were pieces of artillery lost, but also
many of the ambulances carrying the wounded.
By sundown most of our men had gotten be
hind Centreville ridge, and it became a ques
tion whether we should or not endeavor to
make a stand there. The condition of our ar
tillery and its ammunition, 'and the want of
food for the men, who had generally abandon
ed or thrown away all that had been issued the
day before, and the utter disorganization and
consequent demoralization of the =us of the
army, seemed to all who were near enough to
be consulted—division and brigadecommanders
and staff—to admit of no alternative but to
tall back ; the more so as the position atßiack
burn's ford was then in the possession of the
enemy, and he was already turning our left.—
On sending the officers of the staff to the differ
ent camps, they found, as they reported to me,
that our decision had been anticipated by the
troops, most of those who had cume in from
the front being already on the road to the rear,
the panic with which they came in still continu
ing and hurrying them along.
At —o'clock the rear guard, (131enker's bri
gade,) moved, covering the retreat, whiok,
inirfax i - titie'hratritir r by the
cars took with them the bulk of the supplies
which had been sent there. My aid-do-Camp,
Major Wadsworth, stayed at Fairfax Court
House till late in the morning, to see that
the stragglers and weary and worn out soldiers
I were not left behind.
I transmit herewith the reports of the several
division and brigade commanders, to which I
refer for the conduct _of particular regiments
and corps, and a censolidated return of the
killed, wounded and missing. From the latter
it will be seen that our killed amounted to nine
teen officers and four hundred and sixty-two
non-commissioned officers and privates, and our
wounded to-sixty-four officers and nine hundred
and forty-seven non-commissioned officers and
privates. Many of the wounded will soon be
able to join the ranks, and will leave our total
of killed and disabled from farther service un
der one thousand. The return of the missing
is very inaccurate, the men supposed to be
missing having fallen into other regiments and
gone to Washington—many of the Zouaves to
New York. In ono brigade the number origi
nally reported at six hundred and sixteen, was
yesterday reduced to one hundred and seventy
four. These reductions are being made daily.
In a few days a more correct return can be made.
01 course nothing accurate is known of the
loss of the enemy. An officer of their forces,
coming from them with a flag of truce, admit
ted eighteen hundred killed and wounded, and
other information shows this to be much under
the true number.
The officer commanding the Eleventh New
York Zouaves, and Colonel Heintselman, say
that the returns of that regiment cannot be re
lied on, as many of those reported among the
castudities have absented themselves since their
return and have gone to Now York. Among
the missing reported were many ef enrourge° ll / 3 3
who remained in attendance on our wounded,
and were against the rules of modern warfare,
made prisoners.
The lane of this hard fought battle, in which
certainly our troops lost no credit in their con
flict on the field with an enemy ably command
ed, superior in numbers, who had but a short
distance to march; and who acted on his own
ground, on the defensive, and always under
cover, whilst our men were of necessity out
on the the open fields, and should not prevent
full credit being given to these officers and corps
whose services merited success if they did not
attain it.
To avoid repetition, I will only mention here
the names of those not embraced in reports of
division and brigade commanders. I beg to
refer to their reports for the names of those
serving under their immediate orders, desiring
that on this subject they be considered as part
of my own. I claim credit for the officers of
my staff, and for those acting as such during
the day. They did everything in their power,
exposing themselves freely when required, and
doing all that men could do, communicating
orders, guiding the columns, exhorting the
troops, rallying them when broken, and pro
viding for them the best the circumstances ad
mitted. They are as follows :
First Lieutenant H. W. Eingsbury, Fifth ar
tillery, aid-de-camp.
Major Clarence S. Brown, New York Militia
Volunteers, aid-de-camp.
Major James B. Wadsworth, New York Mili
tia Volunteers, aid-de-camp. The latter, who
does me the honor to be on my personal staff,
had a horse shot under blot in the hottest of
the fight.
Captain James B. Fry, Assistant Adjutant
General.
- ti4stain 0. If. llinghast , Assistant Quarter
, wbo discharged alone the important
and burdensome duties of his department with ,
the army, and who was mortailymatunV, Xh il e
`acting with the aztillery;to utbiclate merly
belonged, and in which he was deeply in
terested.
Captain H. F. Clark, Chief of Subsistence De
partment
Major Meyer, Signal Officer, and Major Mal
colm McDonnell, who acted as aids.
Surgeon %V S. King and Assistant Surgeon
Magruder, Medical Department.
Major J. G. Barnard, Engineer, and senior of
his department with the army, gave most im
portant aid.
First Lieutenant Fred. S. Prime, Engineers.
Captain A. W. Whipple.
First Lieutenant H. L. Abbott and Second
Lieutenant H. S. Putham, Topographical En
gineers.
Major W. F. Barry, Fifth artillery, Chief of
Artillery.
Lieutenant George O. Strong, Ordnance Offi
cer.
Major W. H. Wood, First infantry, Acting
Inspector General.
Second Lieutenant Guy Henry, who joined
me on the field, and was of service as an aid de
camp.
The following officers commanded divisions
and brigades, and in the several places their
duty called them did most effective service and
behaved in the most gallant manner :
Brigadier General Tyler, Connecticut Volun
teers.
Colonel David Hunter,Third cavalry, severely
wounded at the head of his division.
Colonel S. P. Heintzelman, Seventeenth in
fantry, wounded in the arm while leading his
division into action on the hill.
Bngadierilleneral Schenck, Ohio Volunteers,
commanding Second brigade, First division.
Colonel E. D. Keyes, Eleventh infantry,
commanding First brigade,First division.
Colonel W. P. Frankli, Twelfth infantry,
Elist brigade, Third division.
Col. W. T. Sherman, Thirteenth infantry,
commanding Third brigade, First division.
Colonel Andrew Porter, Sixteenth infantry,
commanding First brigade, Second division.
Colonel A. E. Burnside, Rhode Island volun
teers, commanding Second brigade, Second di
vision.
Colonel 0. B. Wilcox, Michigan volunteers,
commanding Second brigade, Third division,
who was wounded and taken prisoner while on
the hill, in the hottest of the fight.
Colonel 0. 0. Howard, Maine volunteers,
commanding Third brigade, Third division.
Colonel 7. R. Richardson, Michigan volun
teers, commanding Fourth brigade, First di
vision.
Colonel Blenker, New York volunteers;com
mending First brigade, Fifth division.
Colonel Davies, New York volunteers, com
manding Second brigade, Fifth division.
As my position may warrant, even if it does
not call, for some explanation of the causes, as
far as they can be seen, which led to the re
sults herein stated, I trust it may not be out of
place if I refer in a few words to the immediate
antecedents of the battle. When I submitted
to the General-in-Chief, in compliance with his
verbal instructions, the plan of operations and
estimate of force required, the. time I was to
proceed to carry it into effect was fixed for the
! , b , .u. July, Monday: 'PerY fSacilit pod
4su.c_
Leads'Wine Adetliefftrmative Department& in
making the necessary preparations. But the
regiments, owing, I was told to want of trans
portation, came over slowly. Many of them
did not come across till eight or nine days after
`the time fixed upon, and went forward without
my even seeing them, and without having
been together before in a brigade. The sending
reinforcements to Gen. Patterson, by drawing
off the wagons, was a further and unavoidable
alma of delay. Norwithstanding the herculean
efforts of the Quartermaster General, and his
favoring me in every way, the wagons for am
munition, subsistence, Ste., and the horses for
the trains and artillery, did not all arrive for a
week after the time appointed to move. I was
not even prepared as late as the 15th ultimo,
and the desire I should move became great,
and it was wished I should not, if possible, de
lay longer than Tuesday, the 16th ultimo.—
When I did set out on the 16th, I was still de
ficient in wagons for subsistence. But I went
foeward trusting to their being procured in
time to follow me. Tne trains thus hurriedly
gathered together, with horses, wagons, drivers
and wagon managers, ail new and unused to
each other, moved with difficulty and disorder,
and was the cause of a day's delay in getting
the provisions forward, making it necessary to
make on Sunday the attack we should have
made on Saturday.
I could not, with every exertion, get forward
with the troops earlier than-we did. I wished
to go to Centreville, the second day, which
would have taken us there on the 17th, and
enabled us, so far as they were concerned, to
go into action on the 19th instead of the 21st;
but when I went forward from Fairfax Court
House, beyond Germantown, to urge them for
ward, I was told it was impossible for the men
to march further. They had only come from
Vienna, about six miles, and it was not more
than six and a half miles farther to Centre
all a march of twelve and a half miles;
but the men were foot weary, not so much, I
was told, by the distance marched, as by the
time they had been on' foot, caused by the ob
structions in the road and the slow pace we had
to move to avoid ambuscades. The men were;
moreover, unaccustomed to marching, their
bodies not in condition for that kind of work,
and not used to carrying even the load of light
marching order.
We classed Bull Run with about 18,000 men
of all arms, the fifth division (Miles and Rich
ardson's brigade) on • the left, at Blackburn's
ford to Centreville, and Schenck'a brigade, at
Tyler's division, on the left of the road, near
the stone bridge, not participating in the main
action. The numbers opposed to us have been
variously estimated. .T. may safely say, and avoid
even the appearance of exaggeration, that the
enemy brought up all he could which were not
engaged elsewhere. He had notice of our coin
ing on the 17th, and had from that time until
the 21st to bring up whatever he had. It is
known that in estimating the force to go against
Manassas, I engaged not to have to do with the
enemy's forges under Johnson, then kept in
check. in the valley by Major General Patterson,
or those kept engaged by Major General Butler,
and I know every effort was made by the Gene
ral-in-Chief that this should be done, and that
even if Johnson joined Beauregard, it would not
be because he could be followed by General Pat
tersort, hit from causes not necessary for me to
refer to, if I knew them all. This was not done,
and the enemy were free to assemble from every
direction in numbers onlylimitedby the amount
of his railroad rolling stock and his supply of
provisiona. To rces, therefore, which we
drove in from Fair* Court House, Fairfax sts
thin, Germantqwn Oentreville,and Lhoseun
der Beauregapi at 'Manassas, must be added those
under Mauston from Winchester, and those
p ty s ht Davis from ,Richmond awl °the*
at mb Honth, towl4h is to ha added the levy en mane 'ordered' by the Ilicluxond Mae*
ties, which was ordered to assemble at Manassas.
What all this amounted to, I cannot say--cer
tainly much more than we attacked them with.
I could not, as 1 have said, more early push
on faster, nor could I delay. A large and the
best part of my forces were three months vol
unteers, whose term of service was about to
expire, but who were sent forward as having
long enough to serve for the purpose of the
expedition. On the eve of the battle the Fourth
Pennsylvania regiment of volunteers, and the
battery of volunteer artillery of the New York
Eighth militia, whose term of service expired,
insisted on their discharge. I wrote to the re
giment, expressing a request for theta to remain
a short time, and the Hon. Secretary of WaT,
who was at the time on the ground, tried to
induce the battery to remain at least five days,
But in vain. They insisted on their discharge
that night. It was granted, and the next
morning, when the army moved forward into
battle, these troops moved to the rear to thti
sound of the enemy's cannon.
In the next few days, day by day, I should
have lost ten thousand of the best armed, drill
ed, officered and disciplined troops in the army.
In other words, every day which added to the
strength of the enemy made us weaker.
In conclusion, I desire to say, in reference to
the events of the 21st ult., that the general or
der for the battle to which I referred was, with
slight modifications, literally conformed to ;
that the corps were brought over Bull Run in
the manner proposed, and put into action as
before arranged, and that up to late in the af
ternoon every movement ordered was carrying
us successfully to the ebject we had proposed
before starting—that of getting to the railroad
leading from Manassas to the valley of Vir
ginia, and going on it far enough to break up
and destroy the communication and interviens
between the forces under Beauregard and those
under Johnston. And could we have fought a
day or a few hours sooner, there is everything
to show how we could have continued success
ful, even against the odds with which we con
tended.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your most obedient servant.
IRWIN MoDOWELL,
Brigadier General, Commanding
BY THEO
PROM OUR MORNING EDITION.
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON.
=I
A FEMALE REBEL SPY ESCAPES
TO VIRGINIA.
Government Horses Drowned at
Havre de Grace.
: „ :1
Threatened Obstruction of the Potomac
Navigation.
WAsaiNerox, Aug. 8
Mrs. Heart, the wife of the late Superintend
ent of Public Printing, formerly of Charleston
S. C., has escaped from this city into Virginia
by way of the Potomac.
She has been trying to get away for some
weeks, and as she is a furious Secessionist, she
has undoubtedly carried important information
to the rebels.
Two cars loaded with homes for the Govern
ment, were accidentally run into the Susque
hanna river at Havre de Grace this morning,
and eighteen horses were drowned.
Mr. Faulkner, the late 11. S. Minister to
Franco, has left Baltimore for his residence at
Martinsburg, Va.
Lieutenant Dempsey, of the New York Sec
ond regiment, is wounded at Manassas, and
not killed as has been heretofore reported.
[sECIOND DI:WATCH.]
A vessel that came up the river arrived at
the Navy Yard at noon to-day. She reports
that some negroes came on board the Potomac
squadron yesterday, and informed the officers
that the rebels were erecting batteries at Mat
thias Point.
It is the opinion of experienced off►cers that
if a battery is once planted there, the rebels
will be able to sink passing vessels by cannon
shot. The channel is within a few hundred
feet of the shore, and the navigation of the
Potomac would thus be stopped.
WARFARE OF THE CHIVALRY
I=l
WISE'S CAMPAIGN IN '11:1b, KANAWHA.
VALLEY.
Wanton Destruction of Property
Infamous Outrages Upon Union Men
I=l
THE PEOPLE SICK OF SECESSION
Moderate Secessionists Threatening to
Shoot Wise.
[From the Wheeling Intelligencer of Aug. 7.J
By the arrival of a gentleman yesterday from
the Kanawha country, we have further accounts
of the doings of Wise in that region. The ac
count which we receive is in confirmation of all
previous news that we have had about the in-,
famies and outrages which Wise committed
while in the Valley. For cool and wanton
atrocity in robbery, theft and destruction of
property, his career has no parallel in modern
times. For weeks previous to his hurried and
precipitate retreat, he kept his guerillas con
stantly scouring and marauding the counties o
Kanawha tu t d jack f ionrseizirgall the cattle and
horses of Union men; and pretending to tiny
them of the disunion man,- but never-paying
anything to anybody.
taint •
t -t; •
Having paisPain Prot.., we are prepar
ed to paeaute ./OH PRINTING °revery , often',
non cheaper than oui-bojtse at any other eatablieh
meattn tee country .
- • - _ .
al" Fonr tines or I. ss constitute one•hi ifsquare Eight
hue-. or more than fear, consiii.ute a square.
Half :-:quare, one day - -
one
one month s
three month*
ffIX months
one year,
One Square, one day
one week 200
008 month
tpreo mouths 6 00
six months 10 00
tI 008 year ..... .• • .... ..... 15 00
TMFir Business notices Inserted in the Local Chiapas, or
befo - .6e Mortises and Deaths, FIVE CONVSPER LINE for
each inserilon.
NO. 85
JR- Marrfges and Deaths to he charged as menhir Vd
•
veli.pnr•nlA
These cattle and ho on to the
east, until there are very tt; good horses left
in the counties named. Other counties fared
but little better. He burned nearly ever 3,
bridge in the valley, except the fine suspension
bridge across Elk river, which he ordered cut
down and fired. His order was partially pre
vented by the vigilance of some of the citizens.
The bridge, however, was so weakened as to
render it useless. He burned two fine steam
boats after he was compelled to abandon them,
and it is said, although our informant will not
vouch for the truth, of his own personal knowl
edge, that one of these boats contained the
bodies of several that were killed and wounded
in the tragedy by which his troops fired into
each other, in mistake, in their retreat. Many
of tlie more moderate of the secessionists are
as bitter towards Wise as the Union men.
Many talk about shooting him—even some that
were in his army. Many of his followers and
adherents have left the country, now that he
has gone ; others are ready to swear allegiance,
while others ask to be left alone. They say
that this wanton destruction of property is
more than they bargained for. Many honora
ble and worthy men have been carried to Rich
mond for expressing Union sentiments, some of
whom have large families depending on them
for sustenance. A great amount of suffering
must be the result. The most violent of the
rabble secessionists have gone with Wise's
army, and many of their families are in a dis
tressed and destitute condition All hands are
sick to death of secession. It has been a ter
rible thing to them. The new government of
the State, although looked upon with consid
erable distrust by some, will eventually be sus
tained by a large majority.
New 20vertisments.
A CHANCE FOR A BARGAIN.
910 close up the concern the entire
slack of SHOE 3, 50013, &.,•late or OPver Be I
men, deceased, in the rooms In the VarkeeSquare, will
be sold at private sale at IIXOT; and the rooms will be
rented to the pnrohnier If &sired. The term~ will be
made easy. jell dtf DAN't HoA: Agent
SCHEFFER'S BOOK •STOItE !
(Near the llarrisburg Bridge.)
ok.2s.J.ll,V.',oß..!4;?,!l eo V u Ell imi l t!9 m the
ct AL. NtYfE
APR, wtiteli we will sell at $1.25 per ream.
$:41.6U per roan fur NOTE l'at'Ett, decorated with
the latest and very handsome emblems and patriots •
mutual.
113,50 for 1000 vravvc ENvirwrkz, with national mai
ItThiutio emblems*, printed In two colors.
Please give ue a oath TRW) tiCtir'FFER,
ja2l-d Harrisburg.
All Work Promised in One Week
104.
P EN NS YLV ANIA.
STEM! DYEING ESTABLISHMENT,
104 Market Street between 4th ana sth,
HARRISBURG, PA.,
VIV HIRE every demeription of Ladies'
and Gentlemma' Garments, Piece Goods, an., are
cleansed and entailed in the heat 111111/1:10r and al
01.ml:torte-A notice nOrtaY /a Cu.,
Vov8•.1•-v1. "TOIITIOtnr.
JUST PUBLISEIhO
MILITARY SURGERY
HINTS ON ME EIIERGENCIEzi
Field, Camp, and Hospital Practice.
S. D. GROSS, M. D
07,11.... • • . ' • . 4 amiau . COLL/DOI
For sale at BBRGNRIt'S CHEEP BOOKSTORE
may 24
JOHN WALLOPER, Agt,
GENERAL FORWARDING
COMMISSION MERCHANT.
G OODS AND MERCHANDISE prom p tly forwarded by Philadelphia and Reading, Norn
C.mtral, Cumberland Valley and Pennsylvania Railroads
..13,1 Canal.
HAULINQ AND °RAYING to arm Crone all iekn e e l w e
city to the different Railroad depots will cie done at the
very lowest rates.
FAN LI itg3 removing will be promptly atteaded to.
Orders .eft at Brant's European Hotel, or at toe store
of K. S. Zoilluger,mrill regive premix atttagtou. the
eignmeuts of freiget respectfully eolicited
JOHN WALLOOIRR JS., Agi,
apt Ogles Reading Depot.
HE ATTENTION OF GENTLEMEN
T
bblabitad to our very large assortment of
Usneatunitni ABO DILLWItits of every size and quality.
Germ' looms Km ()LOVAS. best article manufactured.
All the different kinds of Wm taut aura
Largest assortment Of Hilantat iu tbo city.
MAYA; SCHMID'S/a, riaNDicittebtUltPS, Rattly thstm e d
And everything in Oents' wear, at
;, FOE SALE.
FRoxi One to Five Hundred Dollars
wor th of CITY BONDS. goquito of
C. O. 21k111111RAL&N,
wand Nn, 2ff souths.mod atr.sl.
DR. T. J. MILES,
SURGEON DENTIST'
lAFFERS his services to the eitizens o
I L " Harrisburg and its vicinity. He solicits a share 0
the pubee.patrouara, and gives assurance that hie best
endeavors shall he given to reedsraadafaction in Wm prO•
%Won. Being an old. will Wee dentist, he feels sale in
the pub& geuerelly to. -WI mg bum, amearime
Hem thee they, not, be dissatbdled with his ierNS'elly
LAINEeeNo. lUldheiret street; fn fhb hbiiee forinerlyen -
ast=Jacob R. Eby, near the MAW Siam Hotel,
burg. Pa. my/141y
RA !ES OF ADTERTMKG
MEM
A MANUA
I=
CATIICA ttt'S,
Njo,rt th.• Hoo.Frush•lev 14$int
7
SO 25
1 00
2 00
3 00
E. 00
8 00