The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-08-02

and that it had succeeded
in completely turning the enemy's
rear. A wild shout rose from US all
But soon the lookouts cav that its
ensigns bore secession banners, and
we knew that J ohnston, or some 9th
or rebel General, was leading a
horde Of fresh troops against our
united right and center. 1t was
time for more regiments to be sent
forward, aud Keyes was ordered t.
advance with the first Tyler brigade.
The three Connecticu, regiments
and the iourth Maine came on with
will: the fret Connecticut was
posted in reserve, and the other
three corps swept up the field, by
the ford on the right, to aid tue
struggling advance.
All eyes were now directed to the
distant hill top, now the centre oI
the fight. All could see the encmy's
infantry ranging darkly against the
sky beyond, AMI the first lines OF our
men moving with fine determination
up the slope. The cannonading
upon our advance, the struggle upon
the hilltop, the interchange of po
sition between the contestants, were
watched by us, and Us new forces
rushed in upon the enemy's side the
scene was repeated over and over
again. 1t must have been here, !
think, that the sixty.nipth took and
lost n battery eight times in sue.
cession, and finally were compelled,
totally exhausted, to resign the
completion OF their work to tho
Connecticut regiments which had
Just come up. The third Connecticut
finally carried that summit, unlnrled 4
the stars aud stripes above it, and
paused from the fight to cheer for
the Union cause.
Then the battle began to work
down the returning half oi the circle,
which the enemy described during
the day, driven before the desperate
charges Of our troops, until they
reached the very point where Tyler 3
advance commenced the action. -
Down the hill, and into the valley
,hickets on the left the I)uaves, the
Connecticut ard New York re
rimcnts, with the nncorqncrablc
Rhoie Islanders, drove tho contin
utlly enlarsing but always v ,nquish.
ed columns Of the enemy. 1t WAS
only to meet more batteries, earth
work succeeding eartlIwork, ambus
cade after ambuscade. Oar fellows
were not aud weary, most hal drank
no water during hours Of dnst, and
smoke, nnd insulltrable heat. M
Que knows what choking tho battle
atmosphere produces in lew mo
men's, until he has personally tx
pcrienced it. And so the conflict
luiled for II little while. 1t WAS the
middle Of a blaz ng afternoon. ON
regiments held the positions they
hal won, but the enemy kept re-
ceiving additions, and continued q
flank movement toward onr l1lt-a
dangerous movement for ns, &
movement which those in the rea
perceived, and vainly endeavored t
iniuco some general officer to gnar,
against.
Here was the grand blunler, o
misfortune, of the battle. A mis-
fortune, that we had no troops il
reserve after the Ohio regiment
were again sent forward. This tim
TO assist in building u bridge acros
the run on the Warrenton road, b,
. the side of the stone bri !ge knowi
to be mined. A blundcr in that III
, last reserve was sent forward at all
1t should have bnen retained to guar
, the rear Of the left. and every othe
! regiment on the field should hav
I been promptly recalled over tn
route by which it hal advanced
ordered only to maintain such pc
sitions as rested on supported, Cor
, tinuous line. Gen. Scott says t.
! day, that our troops had already a'
, complished three days work, an
= should have rested long before. BIT
!, Mcdowell tried to vanquish III
e South in a single struggle, ani tt
n sad result is before ns.
!. Az it was, Capt. Alexander. vii
r his Sappers and Miners, was order(
h to cut through the aba,tis by the 81,
= Of the mined bridge, in tho vale
j. directly before us, and lay pontoo,
!. across the stream. Carlisle's arti
= lery was detailed to protect the wor
d and the Ohio and Wisconsin reser,
/, to support the artillery. Meal
IS while, in the lull which | have mel
n toned, the thousand heroic detail
n of federal valor and the shamelcs
70 ness OF rebel trachery began to reaI
i our cara. We learned the loss
lr the brave Cameron, the woundiI
10 of Ileintzclman and Hunter, the {,
ID OF HaggeIty and Slocum and W
N cox. We heard OF the dash Of I
g Irishmen and their defamation, q,
to of the havoc made and sustained
lie the Rhode Islanders, the JIighlan
I'd ere, the Zouaves, and the Connec
cut third; then Of the intrepidity
of Burnside and Sprague--how t
We devoted and daring young Govern
It, led the regiments he had so mum
W Gently equipped, again and again
he victorious charges, and at last spike