The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-08-13 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR DI AMERICA.

The Tines' correspondent at the seat of war gives a
vivid description of the circumstances attending the
disastrous retreat of the Federal army before the
Secessionists at the Manassas Junction. The following
scene, which preceded the retreat of the main body,
occurred between 9 and 10 in the morning, while he
was on his way to Bull's Run, and between Washington
and Centreville :—A body of men appeared on the redid,
with their backs towards Centreville and their faces
towards Alexandria. Their march was so disorderly
that I meld net bare believed they were soldiers in an
enemy's country—for Virginia hereabout is cataiely so
—bat for their arms and uniform. It goon appeared
that there viva no learn than an entire regiment march-
ing away, singly or 111 small knots of two or three,
*atm:ding for some three or four miles along the road,
A Rebel of tongues rose from them, and they were all
In good spirits, Imit with an air about them I could not
understand. Dismounting at a stream, where a group
of thirsty men wer• drinking and halting in the shade.
I asked an officer "Where are your men going, Sir?'
"well, we're going home, Sir. I reckon, to Pennsyl-
vania." It was the 4th Fensaylvania Regiment,
with* was on its march, as I learnt from the
men. " I Flippo!' there is severe work going
on behind you, jiidging from the firing?' " Well,
I reckon, Sir, there is; "We're going home," he
added after a pause, during which it occurred to him,
perhaps, that the movement required explanation,—
" because the men'sitime is up. We have had 3 months
of this work." —The commencement and gradual pro-
gress of tbe grand retreat, some hours later, are th us power-
fully sketched :—I had met my friends on the road,
and after • few words rode forward at a long trot as well
as 1 could past the wagons and through the dust, when
suddenly there arose • tumult in front of me at • small
bridge *crow the road, and then I perceived the °rivers
of a set of wagons with the heroes turned towards me,
endeavouring to force their wayagainst the stream
of vehicles setting in the other dired. By the side
of the new set of wagons there wpre • number of eon-
tisimmirait men and soldiers, whom at first sight I took
to be the baggage guard. They looked excited and
alarmed, ,ad were running by the side of the horeas—in
front the dust quite obscured the view. At the bridge
the currents met in wild disorder. "Turn back
Retreat!" shouted the man from lb. front, "We're
whipped, we're whipped." They cursed and tugged at
the horses' heads, and struggled with frenzy to get
past. Running by me on foot was a man with the
shoulder-straps of an 00100 r. "Pray what lithe matter
Sir "It means Der, pretty badly whipped, and that
isa fact," be blurted out in puffs, and contiatted his
carter. I observed that be carried no sword. The
teamsters of the &cleansing wagons now caught up the
coy. "Turn back—turn yoar'xones" wasthe shout up
the whole line, and backing.
_plunging, rearing, and
kicking, the horses which bean been proceeding down
the road reversed front and went off towards Centre-
ville. Thoae behind them went madly rushing on, the
drivers being quite indifferent whether glory or dis-
grace led the way, provided they could end it. In the
midst of this extraordinary spectacle aa °Soar,
escorted by some dragoons, rode liirough the nick with
a light Peri in (diary. Another akar on foot, with
his sword leader his arm, ran up against ml. "What
is all this about?' "Why we're pretty
.badly whipped.
We're all in retreat. There's General Tyler there
badly wounded," and on he ran. There came yet
ancaor, who said "We're beaten on all points. The
whole army is in retreat" Still there was no flight
of troops, no retreat of an army, no reason for all this
precipit•tion. True, there were many men in uniform
fiyhig towards the rear, bet it did not appear as if they
were beyond the proportions of • large escort. I
gat my horse up mute the field out of the e
and woo,
on rapidly towards the front. Soon I met soldiers who
were owning through the emu, mostly without arms ;
and presently I saw flrelocks, cooking tins, lumpiest',
and grestmats on the ground, and observed that the
confusion aud speed of the baggage-carte become
greater, and that many of them were crowded with
Mon, or were followed by others, who clung to them.
Ths ambulances were erowded with soldiers, but it did
sot look as if there were many wounded. Negro par-
venu on led horses dashed fri icaiivpast i men
In
uniform, whom it were a disgrace to the erwrolawn
of
arms to call "soldiers," swanned by on makes, chargers,
and oral draaght bones, who had been cut out of earls
or wagons, and went OD with harness dialing to their
heels, friglatemed as their riders. en literally
sereamed with gage and when their way
was blocked up On I tads= all " What in all
%Mealiest r and now and than, but rarely, repairing
the answer, "We're W in or, " We're repulsed.'
AWN Wok sod dvsly, kagiu at is the WA, eyes

staring—it was • most wonderful sight. On they came
like him

"—rho havinz once turned round goes on,
" And turne no mom hie head.
For he knovreth that • fearful flew'
" Doth clone behind him tread."

But where was the fiend? I looked in vain. There
we., 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 increased, and the column of fugitives became
denser. A few buggies and light waggon,' filled with
men, whose faces would have made up " • gnat
Leporello" In the glioit scene, tried to pierce the rear of
the mass of carts, which were now solidified ant moving
on like a glacier. I crossed a small ditch by the road-
side, got out on the road to escape some snake fences,
and, looked before me, saw there WAS still • crowd of
men in uniforms coining along. The road was strewn
with articles of clothing—firelocks, waist-helts,
eartouelpboxes, caps, gat costa, mess tins, musical
instrumento, cartridges, bayoucts and sheaths, swords
and pistols—even biscuits, water bottles, and pieces of
meat. The road was now literally covered with
bluer. It seemesl to me as if the men inaide were
throwing the things out purposely. "Stop," cried I
to the driver of one of the carts, "everything is falling
out" " you," shouted • fellow inside, "if you
stop I'll blow your brains out." My attempts to save
Uncle Sam's property were then and there dis-
continued.
As to the retreat of the Confederate forces from
Fairfax Goort-house and Centreville to Bull's Run, and
the fight of the 18th, the Ridentoud E.l' i llfr
Secessionist journal) ups :—" The retreat froin these
place* was in accordance with orders, Bull's Run being
selected as the battleground. Our troops, after firing
several hundred rounds, withdrew in order, before
advancing on the fee, and fell hack on Bull's Run.
Here retiring, the forms were met by the Eleventh,
Seventeenth, and First Virginia regiments, and waited,
expecting to fight at day-break. At four o'clock in the
afternoon the main body of the foe advanced to within
half • mile of Bull's Run, and made several attempts to
advaece, each time being repaired with great slaughter:
The retreat had every appearance of signal rout, they
leaving their dead and wounded behind, and leaving six
pieces of artillery. Two Virginia regiments pursued
some distance, capturing a number of prisoner'. The
enemy, in their several advances, behaved at first with
great spirit, quickly rallying and closed up their routed
columns, but finally broke and gave way under the
murderous execution of our musketry and artillery.
On Weinesday afternoon, despatches were sent to
General C. Johnstone to repair with a portion of his ,
command to re-enforce General Beauregard. The
enemy as they advanced displayed accustonied
vandalism by burning and destroying villages. Fairfax
Court-house, Germantown, and Centreville were
reduced to ashes, men and women Seeing in every
direction. The battle extended along Bull's Bun to the
distance of a mile, and within that space there were
left 988 dead and wounded. Our loss being 137 in
killed, wounded, and the missing(since retunied)reduced
this to sixty. The number of the enemy engaged is
estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000 while our force
little exceeded 3,500." The Magnolia Whig calls the
light a skirmish of first-rate proportions. The Provost
Marshal reports having buried 983 of the enemy. The
Southern infantry made a bayonet charge on the enemy,
which swept all before it. The New 'York papers are
filled with criticisms on the late defeat at Bull's Run,
and with accounts of the preparations making to repair
' it. Harper's Ferry was threatened by the Confederates,
and their scouts had reached within five miles of
Washington. The Noe York Daily Nero say it has
been ascertained that the Federal army had 374 killed
awl 632 wounded, and there are upwards of 750 missing.
It appears that the action wow fought against the advice
of General Scott. He casts the whole blame on the
President and his advisers, whom he accuses' of
thwarting him, and with rejecting the plan of operations
he bed formed.