The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-07-24
INCIDENTS OF AND COM MENTS ON
The Great Defeat.


| within few hundred feet of masked battery o
six guns.
| They waited till our man got un close and ther
opened on them, firing in rapid succession.
Ten men were killed and wounded belonging t.
| the New York Second regiment, and also four il
| the Second Ohio regiment, by the premature dis
| charge Of our own musk1ts in their hands A re
| treat was ordered, and or men fell back
Schenck failed to rally his column in any order
| The Ohio and New York men scattered through tht
| woods in pursuit of shelter and water. The sur
| was broiiug hot, and almost sutfocaing for thu
men were NV ont OF water.
When the masked battery fired upon Schpnck'.
column, Lieut.. Dempsey, COMPANY c. New York
2nd regiment, killed at the first fire; ant
W m Maxwell, drummer, who was at the time
carrying water. Our troops were kept under this
CALLING fire for fifteen or twenty minutes within a
stones Shrow nt The battery, but brought off al
th e killed and wounded.
few moments after the attack by Schenck, al
Bull Run, on'the Warrenton Road, clouds of dust
came from the direction of Manassas Junction and
Bren'svi viile, showing that the Confederates re-
lnforced. white flag was up at that point. to
show that ''we have been attacked by the main
body of the army. Send help"
DREAD OF MASKED BATTERIES.
Up to about +. NJ, our army victorious,
out the men had a dread of the masked batteries,
that could not be overcome; they placed all
over the hill-tops and sides of ravines and would
open fire on as when least expected.
RoUT.
LleuteDantColonel Elliott of the 10th, rode to-
wards his regiment, having been after rein nt0rce-
ments, when ball cut his horses head off and
threw hin down, bruising him so that he could
barely escape. All the stragglers now commenced
to run towards Centreviile and the caissoDs am
balances, and suffers wagons were ordered to be
taken back at once towards CentrevilIe,
The batteries were ordered around to cover our
retreat, and keep the Conederatas from cutting us
oil from Centrevle, which was about three miles
IN our rear, and where we hsd about four or five
thousand of reserve force; the batteries wheeled
off aud took up the road, and were retreating in
good order, when, about half a mile out one of the
gun Carriages was upset
portion of Shermans and Carlise's were left
in the roadside, the gunners cutting the traces and
running their horses. This put the infantry in a
perfect panic; they broke ranks indiscriminatey
and commenced to run; knapsacks, haversacks
guns, cartridge boxes, hats, coats and everything
being thrown in all directions. The men were
parched for water and We're falling in every drec
tion. Officers were equally panic stricken with the
prvates.
Chas. Ogden, George r. Smith, Sheriff Harper,
Russell Errett. of Pttsburg, and others, begged
our men not to retreat, and pleaded with tears for
them to go back ard get Col Cameron's body We
took muskets and threatened to shoot them down
if they did not; but we might as well have plead
with the winds to cease blnwing. The clouds of
dust were now perfectly suff0catiug.
REPORTERS LEAVING TIE FIELD.
Finding no beadWay could be made on foot, and
being liable to be shot or hewn down momentarilv,
we made for horse we beard rushing through the
woods. and caught him; be had shot trough him
in the flank, and was bleeding profusely and had
no saddle or bride. We mounted, and clinging to
his name, made for the road again lealiDg to Cen
treville.
From The ". 2. Tiibuae
THE CASE OF GENERAL Patterson.
Some six weeks ago General Patterson crossed
the Potomac in Upper Virginia. His army is now
at Martinsburg, nearly 80 600 rank and file. What
he has done be known bv consulting the files of
the w ar Department. What he has mot done can
be seen in the Tribune. His continuance there has
been demonstrated against in private and public
1t has been known that his command has been de-
morazed, and its efficiency and courage made
imbecility and cowardce by want of confidence and
siackUess of movement.
month ago or tbereabout We learn that the
question of ordering General Patterson under
arrest for disobedieuce of ORDERS was considered at
Washington, and from motives Of delicacv or from
some other motives, it was concluded TO leave him
in command. The result is now known.
From the " I. Hsrdld
THE TERRIBLE BLUHDERS OF GEN. PATTERSON.
1t Is known here that Gen Patterson has been
derelict in carrying out the designated plan of
his part ot the campaign, and, therefore, should
any reverse to our arms occur at Manassas, it may
be attributable to his want of the qua lites const
he may say, sensibly feels Paerson'S derelictiun.
As near as can ascertain, it Scott's design
that Patterson should strongly threaten Juhnston
at w inchester, and then by strategic and forced
march reach Leeaburg by the turnpike and county
roa ads. From that point he could precipitate his
whole force by railroad to some convenient point
where he could strike the Manassas Gap road be-
tween Winchester and Manassas GAP Junction
thus cutting If Johnston's retreat and be at the
taking of the junction. 1t is said that Scott is
highly incensed at Patterson's tardy movements
especially after he had recently received all the aid
he asked for to attack Johnston with the hest
prospect OF success. Gen. Scots COED Gumor wss
no way increased by Patterson's inquiry to know
1t be should not fall back ON Harper's Ferry when
he aseertained that Johnston was prepared to
csive Kim at Winchester.
THE CAsK OF GENERAL CoX-RIs DEFEAT IN THE
KANAwHA.
WASHINGTON, July Pal will be rec0ected
that McClean;s second despatch referred to Gen.
Cnxs movements in the Kanawha region remark
ing If Cox had been successful n carrying ont his
instructions, Western Virginia was diseDthralled
iron the secession dominion 1t now appears that
General Mcclellan is entirely di:gusted with Cox's
management, and writes here, in no good humor,
Tor the Department to give him military men fer
general officers, stating that such bluuders Cox
committed will defeat the best laid plans and the
strongest preparations he can command.
From the philadelphia InqHrer.l
THE CASE OF GEN. sCHENCK.
If we are to have any more battles God save US
from such Generals as Schenck and some of the
other commanders who figured on Sunday, as they
are worse enemies than Davis and Lee. gentle
man came to US at a late hour last evening near
Centreyiile and after hearing of Schenck's actions
told US we had opposed him for wanting
and, and he thankful he had not received t,fur
his military Knowledge was insufficient for the
ponsioiiity, and there are more who will throw up
their commissions and take muskets.
THE CASE OF COLONEL MILES.
Colonel Miles las sent with dispatches from Gen
Scott, while be was living in Centrevie in the hot
test OF the fight, for Gen. Mcdowell, which he had
orders to deliver i'm nediat-ly. He at once, with
out making any attempt to do so, said If General
Scott wanted to get his head blown off, let b m
take them himself, be would not do so; and they
never went.
From the " 7. Herald Jaly 23dl
WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFEAT.
There can be no longer a doubt about the disas-
trous nature of the retreat of army from Bull
Run TO Arlington Heights. In killed, wounded and
prisoners the loss amounts probably to twenty
thousand, including many Of the best officers to-
gether with the whole of the splendid artillery. In
fact, it was rout rather than an orderly retreat
and was produced, it appears, by panic such as
sometimes unnacountsbly sezes on the Sravest of
armies. The man veterans of old, Tho conquer
ed the world, were sometimes subject to it. and if
our raw troops have been seized by it, it is only
what has happened in all other nations; and these
panics have often arisen from slighter cause than
the running away of few teamsters.
1t has been Waterloo defeat. General Patter-
son is the Grouchy, who neither came himself nor
prevented the junction with Beauregard of the
force of Johnston. who appears to have played the
part OF Bucher on the occasion. But the defeat is
in great measure due to other than accidental
causes. The troops were not officered as they
ought to have been. Mere politicians held impor-
tant commands, for which they were no more fit
than so many tail0rs or brickayers. This could
not prove otherwise than disastrous to an army
fighting against coed troops, we'll officered. But
the chief cause was the premature bounding on of
General Scott by the Republican press of this city,
and by the fanatical school of Republican poti-
clans.
From the Ne,o Fork Tribune, July 23d
TERRIBLE BLUNDER.
Some one has terribly blundered. whoever
ordered the attack with 10000 men, upon thrice
that number, in a strongly intrepcbed position,
protected by numerous masked batteries, after long
marching, exposure, and deprivation .rations, is
greatly to blame.
From the Ns,c York Times, July 23d.
THE DISASTER IN VIRGINIA.
There is occasion to belitle the calamity
which has fallen upon the country. The gallant
army Of the Union has been routed and put to
flight BY the army of the rebels; and if from the
fragments enough material can be gathered to in
sure the immediate safety of the Capital, the
nation will have melancholy and imperfect Irea:-
son for congratulation.
Nor is it now worth while to enter with spirit
of bitterness into the causes which have produced
this hapless result They will suggest themselves
in various forms, and with more or less weight to
the mind of every intelligent observer. This only
may be said in general terms, that had our prepa-
rations been thoroughly matured desired
by General Scott, there is no likelihood that the
calamity would tave happened. 1t is notorious,
hat the veteran General-in-Chief consented with
the utmost reluctance to order the advance until
another fortnight should eIapse That interval was
required to bring Mcclellan and Patterson to the
points designated by leaders plan of the
campaign; and to afford such additional strength to
Butler as should enable him to make simuitane
Gus advance.
From, the ~ Y. Times Correspondent
The Ordnance Department states that we have
lost probably 20 to rs field pieces, including some
heavy siegeguns that were sent up after the battle
of Thursday.
Our transportation and baggage wagons were
strewed all along the road and it is not impossible