The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-24

site their left began to give way whoreupon they made
an attempt on the left flank Of the federsts which
cd to the alarm of the retiring army
rnE WORK OF ARMY REGENERATION COMMENCED.
In my last letter sent at foS o'clock Tuesday morn
ing by special courier TO Boston, where Il arrived in time
for the "Wednesday packet OF July a. brought down my
narrative to the Monday preceding such as II was and
have nothing to add to IL of much consequence One
tho first acts OF the Secretary OF War; on being made
aware Of the reverse was TO telegraph to Gen Mcclellan
TO to Washington, and to demand reinforcemens
from the Governors Of tho Northern States a. well as to
put the anthorites at Fort McHenry on their guard
against rising in Baltimore.
On Tuesday the rain having ceased in the morning ear
y the streets crowded with baggage carts and with
soldiers who wandered up and down astonishing the
natives with anecdotes Of battle, and doing anything
but duty with their regiments These men have now
been coerced by the mounted rolls to repair TO the
devious assigned FOR them by General Mansfield go
to durance vile; butt for tbs whole day and night the
capital presented an extraordinary aspect, to which u
deeper interest lent by the arrival Of wagons and
ambulances of wounded
RIDE TO ARLINGTON uElcnm-THE suonxss SOLDIERS MORE
RESPECTABLE THAN TIE BAR ROOM OFFICERS.
WEDNESDAY, July "a.
Before breakfast rode over the Iongbrdge to Airing
tor There were groups Of soldiers mostly without
or belts, some few shoeess good many foosorc, going
along tho ground or standing in the streets OF the city
engaged In the occupation called loafng in these parts
Several OF tho stopped 10 inquire after the de
rent regiments to which they belonged They were do
their mein 'oas more becoming than that Of their officers,
,cho are cro'nding about the hotels and talking #
their s'whiTping' atih ccnptacny and tptthoa shane,
Washington paper abiding to the decentralization Of
the regiments yesterday evening, calls these officers
"tcfocgo days duty at The lars and hotels, and to
turn TO their corps Thousands OF follow tho example
Of their saperiors Tho necessities OF others compel them
TO sock out the quarters OF the regiments that they
be fed.
NEEDY wARRIyI THE ESPECIAL TOR A MONTY
LoAS-rHoMAs IRA ecis AEAGlER AND HIS WHITE CHARGER
One man dressed in uniform had the impudencc 10
into my room today, and after series Of anecdotes,
which would furnish stupendous sequel 10 Munchasen,
as to his yaor "masked batteries charges Of cavalry,
&c TO ask for the loan Of So the ground that he
srdcr at the hotel al thich Ihdd stopped Neo York.
could perceive by his talk and by that of other sol
dicrs the mode which these stories about charges"
and 'masked batteries" are made up.
newspaper reporter Is made the victim OF some glo
rous myths by frightened intoxicated or needy war
r0r, and these duly made immortal In type Then
hundreds Of men, anxious to what said about them
IN the parersand, ignorant as soldiers generally
OF the incidents VI the affair in which they have been
engaged, read Of &C Black Horse Rangers" I" Pro
digous slaughter, Fire Zouaves" Captain Aeagher
%h.s :h gre" yag ,s,ng into me n.'aa q
hneires IL is all true adding to their subsequent
ves such incidents Of life and color may be within
their knowledge or Imagination, Excitement has
deriul influence on thtir pcrceptivc faculties.
AN ATTEMPTED ATTACK THE PRISONERS.
Great cxcrons requisite yesterday prevent the
mob of disorganzed soldiers ard the rabbe from nal
treating numbering the Confederate prisoners and it
was necessary to rescue them by patrols Of Dragons In
ono instance naor informed General Mcdowell that
he had seen mob with his own eyes hanging pr
soner, and that gallant and generous officer
rrshed off, II he could not rescue at least TO avcrge
the 'rebei" but on arriving at the place he
was happy to find he was in time to shield tho
the violence ~ crowd That the SenatOr
mistaken an eilgy" for human being. Gen. Mcdowell
has been much distressed by the dastardy conduct Of
some Of the beaten troops towards their prisoners and
there have been strange scenes in consequence Gene
raj, said man. chad known this would have died
hundred times before fell into these wrctchcs' hands
Lot go Free and let any two four Of them
venture to Insult me then I" The soldiers are
however, greatly irri:ated net only by defeat, bat
by reports Of the most horrible cructes and atrocities
towards prisoners and wounded by the Confederates in
dcei 1t should DO the that tho latter burnt hos
pal at Centreve with AL tho wounded, and that they
Cut tho throas Of captvcs and dying soldiers the field
of battle and In the retreat the Indignation and disgust Of
the whole civilized world should visit them and their
boodthrsness than ten such victories could advance it,
For one, am 10th TO credit these stories but it is only
right to that there are mary such current particular
y IN reference to the New Orleans Z0uavcs.
DKrENcEs wAsrINGToy-A GENERAL M'powKL.
In previous letter some account was given Of the de-
fences the right bank Of the opposite Washing
ton Men were engaged in working at the tae De psn
and letting the water Of tho river into the newly dug
ditch 1t is probable the Long Bridge is Mined as
is allowed to smoke upon IL; but the cartors, many OF
whom are negroes do not pay much attention to the
order when the sentries are not locking.
Apropos OF negroes ii is condentay asserted that
corps Of them employed by the Copfcdcrntes camp
duty If not for 1shting and that they certainly
employed to guard the prisoners TO the intense anger
of federa.ists. One officer who came in says that
no was actually in their custody. He escaped
by method not often resorted to by officers, for he
pledged his word CT honor he would not attempt
10 go away If he were allowed to go for drink OF
and when he had done he made the best of his
way to Washington, and told the anecdote in society
among whom member of the British Legation There
is an Increase Of tie camps the heights up to Arlington
and there must now be strong fierce Of infantry there
though there is deficiency of field artillery. Or
gus Of position in the works there Is the greatest
abundance The road UP to tho Arlington Ilonso
few of whom were encamborcd with nrelocks..
General Mcdowell was ting with some officers before
his tel under the tree which shaded the pace from tlc
He man in the prime II life, some forty aad odd
years of age very powerfully built, with kind y, hon
est solderly expression III face and manners
pleasant to that though c not proud of being
"A
should feel who has been beaten by his enemy, but
who knows he has done his duty. Originally he had
proposed series Of operations different from those
which actually adopted and his dispositions for tho
advance Of his columns alter the scheme OF attack
decided upon careful and elaborate. But no mis-
calculated somewhat the powers Of regular troops. All
his subsequent operations vtated by the impcss
biity Of gaining the points liked on for tho first day
march, and General Tyler who engaged somewhat too
seriously with the enemy on the lett at Bull run on tho
Thursday before the battle in making what was mere
reconnaissance but them on the alert and fastened up
Johnston
TILE GENERAL DEFENDS mMsE1y AND HIS PLAN ACTION.
The General kind enough to go tho plans Of
the attack with me, ana to auaint with the DISPOSE
tons he had mace for carrying out the orders he had re
ceivcd to make IT, and to my poor judgment they were
udcous and clear With the maps laid out the table
before his tent he traced the movements Of the various
columns from tho commencement Of offensive measures
the disastrous advance upon Manassas. 1t evident
that the Confederate Generals either informed
OWNED the general object Of his pan which in fact
70 effect turning movement Of his centre and right,
while his left menaced heig right on Bull run, and to get
round their left acgcthcY for they had soon after bo
moved advanced their columns to meet him. and brought
engagement, which he obliged 10 accept on
ground aud at time where and when he had not conte
plated lighting. The Initial failure OF tho movement
took place several days earlier when his columns were
late tho march, though ample time had been allowed
to them that instead OF getting to Contreve aud to
the Run he obliged to halt at Fairfax Court House,
lose another day in occupying tho positions which
ought TO have been taken when no first advanced.
By moving out to attack or meet him the enemy
obliged him to abandon the design Of turning them
and getting round their left below Manassas, and when
they did II became obvious that no had not
much chance Of succeeding unless he could actually push
back the enemy and keep them moving with such ra-
pdy that they would fly into and out Of their lines just
his troops did from the field. The officers who
present all agreed that the federats had ad
vanced steadily on the right and centre, and that they
bad driven back the COnfederates with considerable
the regiments en- the flank Of the right, which
stated tho issue Of an order for the retirement Of
the whole force and the advance of the reserves t.
| cover IL. The volunteers who had broken could
| not be rallied, the movement always dangerous
with such materials, under such circumstances was
misunderstood by the wagon drivers and by other rcgi