Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-08-22

whole mass OF infantry, with hXed bayonets |
ran down the bank Of the road, aad some |
falling as they ran must have Killed and |
wounded those among whom they tell. As |
knew the road would soon become impassa-
BILE or blocked up, put my horse TO a galloD |
and passed on towards the front, But mount |
ed men still rode faster, shouting out HCaval- |
ry are coming" Again ventured r. speak |
10 some officers whom / overlook, and said, |
fIf these runaWays are not stopped the whole
Of the posts and pickets into Washington will |
fy also" One of them without saying q
word, spurred bis horse and dashed on In |
front. do not know whether he ordered
the movement or not, but the van Of the fu.
gitives was now suddenly checked, and press
ing on through the wood at the roadside /
saw a regiment of infrantry blocking up the
way, with their front toward Centre
vile A musket was leveled at my
head as pushed to the 'front.' and the re-
msrk-'stop, or Ill FIRE" At the same time
the officers were shouting out, Don't let 4
soul pass" ! addressed one of them and
said, 'SiFl am British subject, / am not,
assure you, running away. ! have done
my best to stop this disgraceful rout las |
had), and have been telling them there are
no cavalry within miles Of them ~ can't
let you pass, Sirl" l bethought me Of Gen.
ScOtt's pass. The Adjutant read it, and the
word was given along the line, "Let that
man passl" and so / rode through, uncertain
if could now gain the Long Bridge in time
to pass over without the countersign. It
was about this time l met cart by the road
side surrounded ny group of soldiers some
of whom had "69' on their caps, The owner,
as / took him to be- was in great distress,
and cried out as passed, "Can you tell me,
Sir, where the 69th are2 These men say
they are cut to pieces" HI can't tell you. !"
az m in charge of the mails, Sir, and will
deliverer them if die for it. You are a
gentleman and can depend on your word.
Is it safe for me to 20 ONT" Not knowing
the extent of the debaels, | assured him il
was, and asked the men of the regiment how
they happened to be there "Shure, the Col
Onel himself told US to go OF every man on
his own hook, and TO fly for our lives" re-
piled one OF them. The mail agent who
told me be was an Englishman, started the
cart again. sincerely hope no bad result
TO himself or his char, ,,e followed my advice.
! reached Fairfax Court House; the people
black and white, with anxious faces were
at the doors, and the infantry were under
arms. l was beseiged with questions,
though hundreds OF fEgitives had passed
through before me. AT one house | stopped
TO ask for water for my horse: the owner
sent his servant for it cheerfully, the very
house where we had in vain asked for some
thing to eat in the forenoon. " There's a
fright among them," observed in reply to
hs5 -.
drivers. "They're afraid of the enemy's cav
airy" Are you an Americana said the
man. "No, am not" "Well, then" he
said, "there will be cavalry on them soon
enough. There's 10000 of the best horse
men in the world in Yirginniyl' Washing
ton was still ls miles away. The road was
rough and uncertain, and again my poor
steed was under way; but it wes no use of
trying to outstrip the runaways. Once or
twice l imagined heard guns in in the rear,
but / could not be sure of it in consequence of
the roar Of the fight behind me.
II WAS most surprising to see how far The
foot soldiers had cOntriEed to get on in ad-
vance. After sunset the moon rose, and
amid other acquaintance logged along side
an officer who was in charge Of Col Hunter,
the commander of brigade, believe, who
was shot through the neck, and was inside
cart, escorted by few troopers This officer
was, as / understood, the major or second in
commasd of Col. Hunters regiment, yet he
had considered it right to take charge Of the
chief and 10 leave his battalion he said
they had driven back the enemy with ease,
but had not been supported, and blamed-as
bad officers and good ones will do-the con-
duct OF the General: $50 mean fight new.
er saw" l was reminded of Crimean Gen.
eral who made us all merry by saying after
the first bombardment 'In the whole course
of my experiences, never saw a siege con-
Quoted on suehlprineiples as these" Our
friend had been without food, but not, sus-
pect, without drink-snd that, We know, af-
| fects empty stomschs very mReh-slnce two
o'clock that morning. Now, what is to be
thought of an oficer-gallant, he may be, as
steel-who says, as l heard this gentleman
say to a picket who asked him how the day
went in front: "Well, we've been licked in
to cooked hat; knocked to -" This
was his cry to teamsters, escorts, conveys,
the officers and men on guard and detach-
ment, while 1, ignorant of the disaster be-
hind, tried to mollify the effect of the news
by adding, "0hl it's q drawn battle. The
troops are reoccupying the position from
! which they started in the morning" Per-
haps he knew his troops better than did
It was strange ride, through country now
still as death, the white road shining like
river in the moonlight, the trees black as eb.
ony in the shade; now and then figure fit
ting by into the forest or across the road
| frightened friend or lurking foe, who could
H., Nc ny,I -
all asking, 'What's the neEs?" and evident
ly prepared for any amount Of loss. Twice
or thrice we lost our way, or our certainty
about it, and shouted at isolated houses, and
received no reply, except from angry watch
dogs. Then we we're set right as we ap-
preached Washington, by teamsters. For an
hour, however, we seemed to be travelling
along q road which, in all its points, far and
near, was ''twelTe miles IRON the Long
Bridge" Up hills, down into valleys, with
the silent grim woods forever by our sides
Now and then, in the profound gloom, brok-
en- only by q spark nom the horses hoof,
came a duh but familiar sound like the shut
ting of q distant door. As approached
Washington, having left the Colonel and his
escort at some seven miles on the south side
of the Long Bridge, found the grand guards,
pickets' posts and individual sentries burn
ing tor news and the word used to pass
along, tfWhat does that msn cay, Jsck7"- =
'Begorra, he tells me were not let at all
only retraiting to the ould lines for eonvani-
eucy of fighting tomorrow again. Oh, thsfs
iligantl" s -,l5. 52.... -
In silence I passed over the Long Bridge.
Some few hours later il quiVered under the
steps of q rabble of unarmed men. At the
Washington end a regiment With piled arms
were waiting to cross over into Virginia,
singing and cheering. Before the morning
they received orders, believe, to assist in
keeping Maryland quiet For the hundredth
time I repeated the cautious account which
to the best of my knowledge was true.-
There were men, women and soldiers to hear
it. The clocks had Just struck IL P. N. as
passed Willard's. The pavement in front