New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-07-23

cane IL from CenFeville his evening for the ex-
press pupose of sending yon abe latest intelligence Of
the great battle Of to-day. l lef Centreyie az $3.50,
and each, here at midnight ssur "a spach 10 Il e
Office but is be subjected to lie censorship Of
tie Government which gvs no bipt OF what it reflses
permission 10 pass, | have ns means Of kn wing
vhe her its conrepisreached yoor not must there
fore repeat ls contents.
The ratie yesterday one of the most severe and
saDpuipa'y fought on mis- Continent aud it esded
IL TIE failure Of The Union troops to old al o. posi-
tons which they Fought to cary. and which they a.
nally did carry, and in their reat 10 CeHtreviIe
wi ere they have made st,Dd, and where Gen. Me-
Dowell believes that they able to maintain them
selves.
As | teleraphed you yesterday, the attack wa,
made IN three columns, two OF which, however, were
miny iens, in'euded 70 ;muse and occupy 81 e ent-
my, while the Substantial work was done by the third
II has been KIN, wn for lor time that the range Of
hills which border the small, svampy Hreain known
ss Bulls Run, had been very thoroughly aud exter.
siyely fortified by the rebssthat batteries bad teen
plnn at every available point, usually concealed in
the wo0is and bushes which abound in that vicinity
aud covering every way Of approich TO the Region DO
yond These are tie advanced deieDses If Manassas
.unction which is some three miles further off
Cut these were carried, 10 aptro ch nd
DC made 10 that place; ami after they sh d
be carried oilers Of similar character would
tay0 TO be overcome Gt every point WI ere
icy could be erected. The utmost that military skll
lg,nui,y could accCmI sh for Tie defense Of this
point 0as done. Gen. Mcdowell was un wiling 70
make attack directly in face of these batteries as
tLey would BE- OF doubtful btue, aud must inevitably
rcsut in very serious lOss Of life. After attack
bid been resolved upon therefore, he eDdeavo ed 10
fud some way Of tUrniag the petition. His first in
tention 10 do this on the SDuthrnJ de-to throw
Topg column iIto tie place from ,hat direction, while
feigned Il tack should DO made in front. On Tnurs-
day, when the troops were bdvauced TO Cenreve, IL
found that tie roads tie south side OF these
positions we!e almost impuictcAble--that they
We're narrow, crooked and stony, ind that it
would g ,lmost impossble " bring upenoug ar ery
10 be che rive IN tho ZINE required Ths original plan
was therefore absndonedi aud Fri lay was de vOrd
an examination by the typographical engineers Of the
rolthtTn side Of the position Mi. Barnard aud Capt
Whilple reoonuoered the place To- miles around, and
reported thait the Iorou could be entered b, pau
coming from tie north, though it wa somewhat long
and circutous. This was selected, therefore, tie
mode and pony Of attack.
On Sluldly the troops were oil brought Closely mp
10 Crntrevile-and all needfu elanrions made
for the Mtncl which wis made this day. TIL s mon
ing, Therefore, the army marcbed-by two roids-Col
Richarison with bis aud taking the uthern,
which leads 10 Bulls Ron, and Gen. Tyler the North
eru--,uuuing parallel TO it at distance Of ab a
mile and half. The movement commenced ut about
o'co,k. got mp at lire before 4, AID found & o
long line Of troops extended fur out on either
road. took the road by which Coouel Hun.
ter with his command and General Bic
Dowell and staff. had gore, AID pushed d..
reciy for the front After going out about two
niles Col. Hunter turned to the Matchmaking eb
Eque toward the Run, which be TO some
four mile higher mp and then down upon the IT,
enobed positions os,the enemy On the other side.
Col Miles was left at Cenrevlle and on the rad,
with reserves which be waato bring whenever they
might be needd. Gen. Tyler went directly forward
to engage tie enemy in 'front.' aud send renorcemenis
to Col Hunter whenever it shoull be seen tina, 10
engaged.
went out as 1 have already stated, upon what is
marked IA tie northern rUad. 10 billy, like ali the
surface of this section. After going out about three
milee you come % point down which the road lead
ng through forest, dee. ends then it pr ceeds by
succession o. rising and falling kuols for quarter of
mile when il crosses idge, AID then rises by
a steady slope To tic higLts hey Ond Al the top Of
thar slope the reoels mad planted heavy batteries and
,e wood. below were filed Win their tro"re aud with
concealed cannon. We advanced down the road To
the hrst of thu small knobs mentioned when the whole
column halted. TIE 30-pOunder Parrot gun,
~hich has longer range than any other
in the army, was planted directly in the
rood Capt. Ayres's battery was sta.ioncd
in the weeds O little TO the right. The isJ Ohio
and I'd New York Regiments were ttrwn into the
woods IN a ivance on the left The 9Th New. York,
toe ls, I'd and Sd Connecticut Regiments were snged
behind lem .aLd the I'd Wisconsin was thrown into
the woods on tie right. At about half as six O'clock
the 30poandcr threw two shells directly into tie bat
terry at the summit If the sOre, on the opposite hight
one Of which, ~ learned afterwards struck aud ex-
plvded Getty in the uid-t OF tie bstey ana occioned
the utnUo, havoc and confnfiUn. After about half an
hour Capt Ayres threw ten or fifteen shot aud she'll
from his hsiteyy into the plce. But both failed
10 elicit any reply. Meo could DO seen moviug
about the opposite slope, bat tho batteries were
stnt. An hour or 20 afterwards we beard trae
or lou guns from Coz. Richardson's column nj Bills
Run and these were continued intervals for Two or
three bourr, bat they not answered, even by a
sngle gum IL very clear that the enemy intended
% take his time for paying his RESP ecs 20 us Gnd
that be mrant moreover, TO do It In his own way.
Meantime we could hear in the distance the sound Of
Col Hunters axtnen, clearing hs way, and awaited
with some mpaience the sound Of his cannon on the
OF posito heights. Time wore along W tn OCCASIONAL
shots from our guns, as well as those OF Col Richard
sons column, but without, IN snole instance, re-
ceivinp any rcply.
At litle before Ii o'clock the LIT Ohio and "a
Now.Yors which were lying in the wood ON the leit
- Il -. A -. .a,.,eo ubey d,d o--nassing out Of