Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-09-03

7. Vas At this esge Of the aS,r that remarkable Or.
,lory duel sss commenced spd matt tanned on our tile
With long trsiusd professional oPpouect superior IN
tho chnractsr as web in the number Of bus weapons
proyesd With Improved munitions, and every artillery
AZ piance and at the same Time occupying the CON-
ms,ding position. The results were marvellous and NJ
ting precursors the artillery achievements OF TIE zss
OF Jnly In the outset fire was directed against the
enemys infantry, whose bayoret. cleaning above the
ops alone Indicated their presence and force This
drew the attention Of battery placed on high, COM
handing ridge and tie duel began 10 earneef. Tor q
tine tue aim Of the adversary inaccurate bu, this
wss quickly rrscted and shot fell and shells burt
,bick ard fast In tie very midst Of our battery, wound
p In the coun, Of the combat Capt. Escheman, I've
prlvates and the horse Of Lieut. Richardson From the
po iton of our pieces and the nature OF the gourd,
their aim crud only be directed at the smoke OF the
tpeny's artillery; how skuy and with Whit execution
this was done, can OILY be reaIsd oy all eye'~hness
For few moments, their guns slencsd, but we're
soon reopeped By direction OF Gen L,rgstree', his
lat CIV Was item acvarced, BY hand, cut OF the range
row sscertned by the enemy and shower OF spheii-
cs~ she'll end ronrd shot ~ over the heads OF o.
gum RS but one Of our Psees lad become hois dc
combat fro m an enlarged veIt From the new Doslio1
our euos q, before, with no other aim thin the
smoke and fsh Of their sdserssres pieces-Ien wed
and urged the col ct with such signal vgor and eff
hs gr ,duslly the fire OF the enemy ssckened the INT
etseen their discharges grew longer AID loaser,
final TO cssse ard fred last gun ct teted, hy-
i foe whose heavy masses in the distance pa My
seen to break and scatter, In viii confusion and Utter
rout, srewng the ground with clstawsy guus, bats,
blankets and knapsaeks oursparpg shell were thrown
smcny them In their retreat one OF their pieces Wss
abandoned, but from the nature Of the ground h was
not cent for that night and under cover OF darkness,
the enemy recovered II.
The gurs engaged in this singular cor ct on Our side
we're three FOUNDER rife pieces and four binary elk
FOUNDERS all OF Waltons battey-the Washington Ar
lery of New O.lesrs The officers imm' diaely attach
ed were Can't Eschlemsn Lieuts q. w. squiEes, Rich.
srdson Garnett aud Whit,irgon. At the same lime cur
Infantry held the back Of the stream In advance oil cur
guns and the missiles Of the combattans ew to and fro
above them a. cool and veeran-ike for more than an
hour they steadily awaited the moment and signal for
| the advance
While the cor act was its height before Blackburn
Ford about o'clock p. the enemy again displayed
himself in force before Bonhim position At this, Co
Kersbaw with four compans Of bis regiment, Second
South Carolina and piece Of Kempers Battery were
brown across Mtcheils Ford to the dge which Ken.
Der had occupied that morning. Two solid shot aud
three spherical case thrown among them with pre-.
csou insusursted by that srlerst at Vienna
their dis omhure and DISAPPEARANCE and our troops In
that quarter s-an Withdrawn within our nes, hav.
| ing discharged the duty assigned
At the close OF the engagement at Backburns Ford
u ec.ed General Longstreet 10 Withdraw the First and
Seventeenth gin eats which had borne the brunt Of
he action to a position In reserve, leaving Colonel
Early to occupy the field with bis brigade ana Gariands
regiment.
As part of the history Of this engagement desire
to place on record that the lS;h Of July not one
yard Of entrencbmep ride pit sheltered the men
It Blsckburn's Ford-who. officers and men, with rare
eIceptops-wers that day for the first time under
Are ard who, taking and maintaining every position or.
dsred cannot be too much commend for their sodery
behaviour.
Our artillery was manned and cficered by those who
but yesterday called from toe civil avccations OF
,usy city. They were matched with the picked light ar
tllery OF the dera regular army-Conpauy L. Til
Artillery under Captain Ayres, with armament as
their own Chief Of Artillery admits of two l0.pourder
PARROT rifle guns tso IL FOUNDER howitzers and two
FOUNDER pieces, aided BY two 20pounder Parrot rid
gurs Of Company &C. Fifth Artillery, under Lieutenant
Benz amin; thus matched they drove their veteran adver
ari.s from the fed giving conf ience in and promise
Of the coming efficiency Of that brilliant arm Of our
| service.
Having thus related the main or general results ard
events Of the action Of Bull Run, in copclusior, IL Is
oroper to sgnaz. Some Of those who contributed most
| 81 the satisfactory results Of that day.
Thanks sre due 10 Brigaoier Generals Bonham ond
Ewe and to Col Cooke and tie Ulcers under them, for
tue ability shown in conducting aud executing the retro
grade Bull Run, directed In my orders OF
the 18Th July-moyements which hung the fortunes
Of this army.
Rrieadier General Lougstreet who commanded imns-
diatey the troops engaged At Bsckburrs Ford Oh the
18th, equaIed my confident expectations, and may
ty say that By his presence h. the right place, at Il
right moment, snorg his men, by the exhibition Of
Characteristic 1ess and by his words Of encourage
msrt to the Of his command, be infused confidence
aud spirit that contributed largely to the success Of our
AIMS on that day.
Col Early brought his brigade into position, and sub
.equenly into action, With Judgment and, ct the proper
moment, he displayed capacity for command and pee
soral gsllantry.
CO. Moore, commanding the lst Virginia Volunteers,
vas severely wounded tho head Of his regiment the
command Of which subsequently devolved upon Major
acknowledgements Color 81 Fry having bcen obliged TO
Lave the field in consequence of sun-stroke
An accomplished, promising oiicer, M'jor Carter b.
Harrison II I'll Regiment Virginia Volunteers, was los
TO the service while leading two companies Of his reg
nent against the enemy; he fell, twice shot, MORALLY
wounded.
Brig. General Longstrest, while finding on al s'ds
aacrty ardor and intelligence mentions bis special OBJ
legations to Co.'s. Moore, Garland and Ccrse commsnd
ing seyeraly, regiments of bis brigade, and TO their
officers, Lieut. Coils Fry, Fuusten and hunford, and
Msj rs Brent and Skinner OF whom be says: They
displayed cooress and energy Than s ususl amorg
veterans OF the old service" General Longsteet also
mentions the condue of Capt Mayre, OF the i7th Vir
GINA younteees especially gallant on one occasion,
Ia advaoos Of the Ford.
Til. Regiments of Early's Brigade were commanded
By Colonel Harry Hays and Lieut. Colonies Wilismsard
Hirston who hanclsd their commands In action with
satisfactory GOODNESS and sk supported by their field
officers Lieut. Colonel De Choiseu and 81 jor Penn, OF
the 7th Louisiana and Major Patton, Of the 7h Virginia
Volunteer
The skill the conduct and the sodiery qualities of the
Washington Artillery engaged we're all that could be de-.
sired. The officers aud attached 10 the seven pieces
already spec fsd, for their Battalion stiDcion
vi h feel assured viii never be tarnishcd and which
will even to urge them and their corps to high en-
dsavor. Lieutenant Squires worihily commnded the
pieces In action The commander Of the Battalion was
necessarily absent from the ipmedats field under orders
the sphere Of hiS duties but the fruits Of bis discipline
lrfsliar md.
we're present, and must REBOUND to bis reputation.
On the left of hichels Ford vhile no serious engage
ment occurred, the conduct OF all wasaemineny salts
factory 70 the general officer 10 command
IL due, however, to Kemper, Virginia forces, to
express my sense OF the value Of his services in the prep
aration for ard excution Of the retreat from Fairfax
Court House Bull Run. Called from the bead OF bis
Regiment by what appeared to me an imperative need
OF the service to take charge OF the superior duties OF
the QlIrterrnss:eFs Department, with the advacs at
that critical urc ore, he accepted the responsibilities r'
volvet aud eminenty Efficient
For further information touching officers and indvidu-
sl Of the lat Bgade, and the details Of the rerograde
movement have refer particularly to the report OF
Briyadier General Bonham herewith.
Is proper here state that while from the outset il
had been determined the approach of Ia enemy 10
forca 10 fall back and hyht him the line OF Bull Ru
yet the position occupied By General Ewes Brigade II
necessary could have been maataincd against largely
superior force This WAS especially The case with the
position Of the Fifth Alabama Volunteers, Colonel Rodes,
VII oh that excellent eff bad made capable Of resc-
Lutte protraced deierc5 against heavy odds According
y on the morning of the l7sh ulimo when the enemy
appeared before tina, position, they checked and
ted bay, with cotfsied loaS, 10 skirmi.h In
advance Of the works IN which Msj,r Morgan and Cap
tain Shelly Fifth Regiment Alabama Volunteers, acted
with intelligent gasn,ry aud the post was only aban-
dcn,d under general but specific, imperative oidsrs 10
conformity with long conceived established plan OF ae
ton and battle.