Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-08-02
Battle 1t Bull Run.

blown away. that No begin TO Gee 1t ~ u
Was. Erasrerated and conflicting accounts
for long time rendered the mist that hung
around !, moro dsn.e, and lsft the Incl
dent. aud facts connected VITA the battle
envelorcd in the darkness. that surrounded
IL. Among tho facts already established are
the following:
!. II was q holly contested battle. AT
certain points upon the battle Geld the Eight
ing vas severe. Both armies had brave
men. who laced the canpon's mouth with
all the hsrdihood OF old veterans. The
charge. Of the Fire Zouaves and the 9th
New York regiment, upon the Confederate
batteries. in visor. valor. and all that per.
tain. 10 military skill, never have been eI.
eelled BY soldiers in any army or campaign
IN modern times. The fighting lasted about
nine hours, and. rs . matter OF necessity.
was attended with great loss upon So'h
sides. The exact number killed upon either
side will probably never b known, but
enough l. already understood to make 1t
certain tha, the slaughter wasg great. With
$4,000 upon one side. and 10000 upon the
other, il could not have been otherwise, and
the wonder is that l, WAS no, greater.
. The arrangements before the battle
were good. and 90 far a. our force. were
concerned IL WAS vel planned. Had that
old focy. Gen. Patterson. Obeyed orders.
and engaged johnson, and prevented his
junction with Beaur.gsrd. u complete VIC
tory would have been ours. But instead OF
,hi. he was completely fooled by johnson.
and neither attacked him or reinforced Nc
powelI. Gen. Mcdowell lost the battle al,
bull Ron jus, as Bonapar,e lost the battle
Of wa,erioo.-Grouchey failed the latter
Jus, a. Patterson did the former. To achieve
a victory with such otbcer. ss Patterson in
command would truly bc miracle.
!. A.n was. Mcdowell fairly won the
field. and then lost il BY one Of those aoe'
drufs which sometimes can never be account
ed for.-we mean raa'e. i, seems lot
Of ,e.ms,er. were frightened at the appear
ance Of body Of the Confederate cavalry,
and run. This started the civilians and
spectators, and IN. infection Immediately
.rread to the soldiers. and in lc.s time than
IL takes 10 pen this paragraph there wa' a
regular stampede re,rea, IN all directions.
I, va, at Bull Run jus, as !, has al
~sy. been and Away. will se-when a
panic once fairly seiros hold Of an army IL
become. entirely unnanaScable. and beyond
the control OF Oacer. or any body else. 10
oil such cases every man is for himself.
And 80 il was here. with the exception OF a
few Regiments. led by Gen. Blenker. who
hsrolely covered the retreat, IL was a race
for dear life. and 30 crazed were some Of
the men that they threw away their guns,
blankets. aud everything ,ha, Distracted
their locomo,ion in Oh, least. So valiant,
was one Of the oScers that he cuta horse
from wagon conveying load OF wounded
men. mounted him and run away, leaving
the brave fellows who had been disabled IN
the Sight 90 the cruel mandates Of fate. Bat.
while we record such di.graeeiul oondue,
on the par, OF both Ofscer. and men. it !.
with pride we turn over the leaf aud find
Others, in both stations, cool, brave ana Co.
,ermined. even amid., the Juror OF a has,y
retreat. These men alone saved our army
from complete rOut.
!. The fsh, Was an unequal one. The
rebels had the advantage IN almost every.
thing. They chose their own Geld OF ae'
ton; they selected a strong position, a'
every one will zee who examines the geo
graphical position Of the battle field. To
add to the natural advantages ofihe ground
they built batteries wherever they could
play mos, efrsc,ually upon our army. To
all ,hi, should he added the fac, that after
the arrival Of johnson the rebels had a
force Of abou, $1,000. against which we
had IN action only asoa, 10000. Again,
the rebel. were much better supplied with
cavalry and artillery than Was our army.
S. The enemy, as piece Of strategy. un-
doub,edly intended u re,rsa, from Bull
Run. for the two fold purpose Of securing to
them.elvc. stronger position and drawing
our army more securely within the reach
Of their masked batteries. This ha, been
their policy from the beginning OF this war.
TO build up their forunea,ion' and batteries
q, much a. possible 10 concealed positions,
and then tecoy our men within their roach.
and 80 il was n, Bull Run. From the
wood. and ,hieke,s and sorses. whenever our
men were in position to DO reached. fire
and death belehsd forth from their conceal
ed batteries. Tia, they intended TO retreat
aud no, advance i. plain. from the fac, tina,
they did no, follow M the has'y re,rea. Of
our army. Had they done this, re inforced
as they had been by John.On's fresh troops,
We must have Loot immensely IN killed,
wounded and prisoners.
6. There was evidently mi'manasem en-,
upon the immediate field Of battle. While
the Confederate troops were being cOn,inu.
ally relieved. by marching on, their exhaust.
cd men, and supplying their places with
fresh troops, our yfshiing men we're no, re-
lisved a, all. but left to contend until CON-
ple,ely worn out. When . battery was
taken by the intrepid Zouavcs. or the Goth
New York. fresh men should have been i'm.
medi,tely sent to hold it.