New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-07-30

down. the men cut the traces and fed. The am /
munoD wagon was left the field. We should .
Judge that ten thousand guns and rifles we're lost
on the way, while the cartrIdge-boxes, bayonets, !
sabre bayonets and swords were lnnunefabie. !
About mile from Centreville an attempt vas
made to rally the men, but with little sncccss. a
few thousand stopped, bat many without !
weapons. On the high hill top at CentreVille col
umn OF Infantry was seen. with their geamlHG pay
| onets. On the top the artillery were also seen
draw n up prepared to fire.
The Garibaldians Ejnsteins and Blenkers regi-
ments were drawn up at the foot Of the hill and
escaping men ordered to fall in. Loud cheering
done, and the ralying cry given, but it was
little OF no use-tnen had no officers when they did
! halt, and so they kept on retreatng. water
| water" was the cry; g give me water, or III
sink" was heard from all sides. Not drop was
| to be had fit to drink TAe wells wore all drained,
and the clouds of dust 9led the air at every point
! We got in the Of a negro hut, and there Sc
cured water thick with filth, but it was the best to
| be had. number Of buildings were used for hos
pitals, and Oh every side cries were made for sur
| geona
Al the inhabitants nearly had fed from Centre !
| vile, expecting it to he stormed by the rebels. |
Guards were statODed at the few wells not dry, to
allow no water except to the wounded and sick a
house on the top Of the hill had been burnt the pre-
vious night, and hat few men could be induced to
work were engaged in throwing np cmbank
ment. some eight feet thick, out OF the ruins and
| of dirt. 1t was about two hundred feet square.
Orders were now circulated for the men to gather
at their last camping ground. around Centrevie
it was needed by some, but others neglected 1t and
kept up the stampede. No provisions were to be
had, aud the men were all hungry, having had
nothing to eat since O'Clock A. ~. and but little
| or no water. At 81 o'clock P. NJ, when we started
for Washington, the troops were coming in and no
one of any GOODNESS or sefpossession supposed our
forces would retreat from Centreville.
As the hours passed on, the fight became more
and more terrific. The fortunes of the day began
| to wayer, especially az the Federal troops did not
seem to gain any material advantage, and only
made their advances slowly laboriously and at
great loss Of life. The rebels were strongly en-
trencbed behind masked batteries of rifle cannon.
Again and again men charged upon tlIem only
to find when they had dslodged them in one place
they had re-appeared in another, until at last the
Federal soldiers were compelled to fall on their
faces to avoid the swift messengers of death. It
was found, too that the rebel forces largely out.
numbered those of the Federals. Ihave no means
of knowing the exact strength of either Of the
armies but the best authorities state that the Sc
cessionsis numbered 10000, while at no time had
| Gen. Mcdowell in action as many as 4D,CC0 Our
troops mainly Infantry; our batteries as
general thing, were small though well managed; ;
they were no match for the cannon OF larger cal
ibre manned by the rebels.
The fight continued until after O'Clock, without
exhibiting any material result. The rebels had
most decidedly the advantage in position and guns
and they used it with fearful effect. The bravery
| of our troops was superhuman but what bravery
could meet the unerring and unceasing cannon
1 which came sweeping from almost every tree or
heap of brush? Our men unmasked them, battery
upon battery, only TO find their lessened ranks
:, were unequal to the task. retreat was COM
.rnenced by a New York regiment, and very soon
9 became general.
with artillery, and their cavalry rode through and
through, cutting and slashing with perfect ieudsh
= ness. We heard Of numbers of the most infamous
and damninE acts committed by savage tribes.
Col. Miles was sent with dispatches from Gen.
Scott, while he was lying in Cenrevle, in the hot
ties: of the fight, for Gen. Mcdowell which he had
;. orders to deliver Immediately lie at once, With
i out making any attempt to do so, said it Gen Scott
wanted to get his head blown of let him take
. them himself; he would not do so, and so they
J. never went.
+. Gen. Mansfield with artillery and an immense
force, was coming up to turn the rebels back.
!, About mile east of Centreyle. we met the First
New jersey with their Colonel leading at their
head, and his staff pleading for the men to return
= his drummer corps were playing Yankee Doodle
e and their colors were flying; the men kept cheer
10 ing all the time and urging one another to return
they were nearly worn ont with their forced march
n from Vienna. They were followed by the New
IN Jersey Third.
IL They inspired courage into the retreatng sol
. diers but many fell exhausted by the way.side
considering it safe 10 remain few minutes Longer
- to rest. Large numbers of the men fell into thei
n old camp grounds and the baggage wagons drove
=, in the fields all along the road but the most sor
~ | rowtul sight the loss of provisions and al
kinds of stores, that lined the road for five miles
N The cowardly retreat on the morning OF the tight
d. by the Pennsylvania 4th, and various batteries ha
~ a depressing effect upon our force and encourage
"a the rebels by the story that our men were running
- That their time was up, IS an excuse that VIII no
n answer.
10 10 Members of the 7lst say that 200 of that reg
III ment have been captured but that its loss, kille
- and wounded, is not severe.
H. The Zouaves have probably suffered most
~ | Their conduct beyond praise. ---.5
u. OF 800 marines, only As were counted at til
~ | Long Bridge this morning.
e. Tie sight which met the eyes of Col Hunter
~ ~ brigade when, after marching through the wood
IL IL and taking battery, it came in sight of tn
" enemy, is described as grand one. Their line c
r. battle had been formed in splendid order, an
~ fresh troops were brought in by rail constantly
w W. A New Orleans ZOuave, captured yesterday b
@ 90 the Fire Zouaves, boasted that the rebels ha
u u shown no quarter the Federal troops, having
w. W., many instances cut the throats Of the wounded
M | He had sooner made this disgusting dlsclosnl
ha | than he was suspended in the air.
ne Daring the retreat Heiutzelmans columns wei
o., followed by the Rebel cavalry, who literal
% buchered our men: 1t is reported that when IL
on left wing reached the batteries second time, the
q, ~ took them and routed the Rebel forces.
N. The rebels, however, being reinforced agar
VA came up and retook them. When the retreat
40 the left wing commenced, the enemy made an q
"e ,n. tack on Gen Schenck's men, who were still
IF command, defeating them and causing them to 7
IL; treat Most of the fighting of the enemy at tt
IA | point was done with bOwieknves.
@ o 1t has been ascertained that the rebel force nul
no Der about IS 900 i'll and about Manassas. Gener
~ Scott received this information to-day, and "
AM, asked by member of Congress what was Il
ou @ strength Of the Union force. 1t is enough, W
0n 1n the laconc reply of the General
,,5 Dn A rebel was observed stabbng some of our mt
,,d ,nd who fell in battle He captured and hung
VIZ wv Il tree in sight OF the rebel pic&es, and renlnnt
WI there dangling in the air, with his face as black
' any negro.
left WHAT TIE CORRESPONDENT OF THE NEW Yol
md TRIB, Ne sAYs.-The engineers were about co
a strurtug q bridge for the artillery, the rcgul
civ stone bridge having been mined, and the t'
I,S columns under Gen. Tyler and Hunter the latt
inr of which was led by Gen. Mcdowell, had actua
ere completed the junction when the order to retire
IL; yyos Crvp W n IIarS