St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-08-08

as cook When the regiment went
iuto action he left bis pots and ket
ties, obtained gun and joined in tho
advance. When a charge was made
he came face to face with an officer Of
the rebels. Surrender " said tho
officer. The volunteer replied by
shooting him, taking his sash, sword
and opera glass, and retiring in safe
ty. He wore his cooking frock, a
blue blouse, which is in the possession
of Senator Footc. saw it yestcr.
day ; four bullets passed through it
lie also had one through his hat, YET
escaped to continue his cooking un
l,3rmed. The name of this hero is
John c. Thayer, theological student
Of Fairfax, Vt.
During the heat of the engagement
the men Of one of the Massachusetts,
regiments were observed to fire when.
ever they could see an object at which
to aim, reload their pieces, and then
resting a moment, eat a cracker, and
then blaze away again. One of them
said he had had no breakfast, and felt
hungry "but," said he, al guess III
fire whenever ! can see darncd Sc
ccsh--there's one now" Just as he
spoke, the sun glanced on bright
gun-barrcl that seemed to come up
out of the ground. 1t was riAeman,
in rife pit. The cracker-eater fired
and evidently hit him, for he leaped
up out of his pit, and Immediately
dropped back into it, throwing his ri
he on the grass.
A Rhode Island soldier writes I:
"Our own men had been carried of,
but in the corn-feld l found numbers
of the enemy dead or dying. After
rendering what assistance we could,
l conversed with some not SO severely
wounded. They belonged to New
Orleans and Alabama regiments, and
stated that their Colonel was mortal
ly wounded. They seemed grateful
for any kindness, and said they were
now convinced that we were neither
brutes nor towards, as we had been
represented to them. One poor fellow
shot through the hip, begged us to
send home the body of his lieutenant,
lying near, as he was "of wealthy
family, who would pay any amount
for the service"
The Black Rangers, a company Of
four hundred, formed of Virginia gen.
tlemen riding their own horses, came
from the cover of the rebel batteries
with the shout, "kill the id red
caps !" The Zouaves, who were on
the point of retreatiug, faced about
and received the charge with a volley
which swept many from their saddles.
The scattered soldiers at the wayside,
turned and fired on the Rangers. The
Zouaves, their pieces being discharg-
ed, pulled others of the riders from
their horses, and finished the work of
death with the bayonet. The gentle
man who witnessed this, all unused
to such scenes, describes the fall of
these riders as spectacle most awful.
He saw seven only escape, and count
ed them twice.
On Thursday, the day of the first
attack on Bulls Run, the news came
to Richmond that the Federal forces
had outhanked the Confcderates that
the secession army was routed and in
retreat upon Richmond, closely fol-
lowed by the United States army.
This intelligence created panic in
the city. For weeks past the mer-
chants have been sending their goods
into the country, and when the news
of the defeat began to circulate, the
Union feeling made itself known, and
the citizens very generally clamored
for a surrender of the city, in order
to avoid its bombardment and conse-
squcnt' destruction by the Federal
troops. The pressure of public senti-
ment was so great, that jeff. Davis
orderM The public records, DC, packed up
and sent on 10 Raleigh, North Carolina,
and it was generally understood that
the rebel President and his Cabinet
were preparing to remove their head
quarters to that city.
Capt. Ellis, of the New York list,
who was wounded and placed out of
danger on an eminence in the neigh
borhood of the field, from whence he
could overlook the scene, represents
that the fight of our troops occurred
in this wise "One of the Maine reg.
iments were gallantly charging the
enemy, who vacated the ground, and
as the Maine boys pursued, suddenly
the most terrific sheets of flame and
smoke burst out Immediately upon
them, either from some concealed
mine or huge masked battery, tearing
the regiment apart in wild confusion,
killing some and wounding others,
and as the dense clouds of smoke and
dust cnveloped and obscured all, they
fled Unfortunately. The panic was
thus communicated to other regiments,
who followed them, and the rout in
time became general"
The following touching incident is
given in letter from young officer
in the Second Rhode Island Regiment:
After the battle was fought l went
into grove where the secessionists
had been concealed. i found the
ground covered with the dead and dy-
ing. The sight was one that pray
never to see again. One poor fellow
with his leg blown off called me to
him and asked me to shake hands
with him. He then asked me if ! had
any i'll feelings toward him. l re-
piled, No but am sorry that broth
ers should be obliged to slaughter
each other in this manner The poor
fellow burst into tears and said he
came from Georgia, and that they
would have shot him in his own house
if he had not come.
The 9th New York Regiment was
marched IA miles before they went in
to the fght-the last mile and half
on the double quick. They had had
no breakfast and were weary and
faint. They were almost instantly
ordered under fire, when thew threw