The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-09
General MeEowen's Report on the Bsttle
Of Bull Ran.

MCDOWELL which We did before our reauels
yesterday, has ELECTED very general feeling Of
satisfaction. 1t is simple, soldier like state
ment and clears up many points which had
been placed in doubt by the conflicting testi-
mony of newspaper correspondents and other
spectators of the late battle. We were the first
to publish this important document, having it IN
advance of all other journals, both of the city
and country. In the same manner We antcipat-
ed our contemporaries in the publication of the
new army appointments, and, indeed, of all the
other official papers relating to the war since
its outbreak The HERALD is the only journal
in position to accomplish such feats of enter
prise. Its enormous circulation and large bust
ness patronage place resources at its command
which enable it to make unrestricted use of the
tclegraph-its expenses under this head alone
amounting frequently to over thousand dollars
a week,
The report of General Mcdowell explains, if
not the causes of the failure of the movement
placed under his direction, at all events the
disastrous rout in which i resulted: The time
originally fixed upon with General Scott for
the advance upon Manassas was the 9Th Of July;
but owing to the want of means of transporta-
ton many of the regiments did not cross over
until eight or nine days after the time agreed
upon, and some of them went forward into
action without General Mcdowell even seeing
them, or without their ever having been
together before in brigade. The wagons for
ammunition ard subsistence, and the horses Tor
the trains and artillery did not all arrive for
more tnan a week after the time appointed to
move. When he did set out on the 10Th,
General Mcdowell says he was still deficient IN
wagons, but under the pressure put upon him
he went forward, trusting to their being pro-
cured in time to follow him; and even theh,
owing to the h lrried manner IN winch the
trains were got ogether, as well as TO the mex
perienee of the t eamsters and horses, all new to
the service, an other days delay took place.
rendering it mex .essary to make on Sunday the
attack that sb onld have been made on oa'hr-
day. The time thus lost of course told as adVan'a
geously for tb enemy as it did inJuriousiy Iof
our troops Having information Of the advance
as early as y &c 18th, the rebels had from thas
date until the 2lst to complete their prepa'
rations
These fa IT'S prove two things, vis,-That oui
army was: not in proper condition 70 move a.
all; and tn at with its rear in this state OF disor
ganzaiiop and confusion, the slightest CHECK
was certa n to lead to a disastrous rout Gen
Mcdowell seems to have been impressed will
this COW lotion. but no alternative was left him
He had nositiye instructions to move forward
and he knew that the longer he delayed tn
worsel lis position would become The larges
and be st disciplined part of his force was con
posed Of the three months volunteers, who's
time vas on the point of expiring, and the
| dispe sitjon was manifested by the conduct
| tho Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers and Il
voh nicer artillery of the Eighth New Yol
mi tia. who insisted on their discharge on q
We nv eve of the battle, and actually quilted Il
fiji Id to the music of the enemy's cannon. I'll
n ecessity of advancing at all risks is indirect
orroborated in his recent speech at Newpo
u w Colonel Burnside, himself strongly oppos
IN the movement. 1t was terrible dilemr
| for n commander to be placed in, a
shows how greyous an error was co
mittcd by the government when it accepted
three months volunteers. Unfortunately it h
not even then acquired the conviction that
South was in earnest, and treated the danger
if it had only temporarily to be proyid
against.
One TACT is, however, established by this
mort and that is almost sufficient to compens
hot
u result of previous conflicts on smaller SC
had led to the assumption-by some deemed
che boastful one-.hat in the open field, and "
ANYTHING like an equality of advantages,
eco eco Northern troops would always be certain
GOO victory. The description Of the conduct Of
o Geo men. given bv General Mcdowell, proves
400 contestably their superior bravery and prov
900 Such troops only require energetic and ski
CoV leaders to be invincible in everything they
coo tempt
bee The advanced age and infrmities of Gen'
9th Scott NAV be said TO be in measure
1913 sponsible for this reverse at Bulb
3 in In his better days he would not have allo
ap- bimscli to have been dragoonea or persua
into military measure that his Judgment
approvcd Of The reconstruction OF the a
.;nr will, however, avert any further mistort'
,nnn from such weakness. A larger discretion
the now rcposed in the officers WHO are place
,asd, the head of our troops in the field. With G
| on raj Mcclellan in command of the Eastern
y to parment, General Fremont in command OF
} the Western, and the veteran Commandments
council, there is not much chance of full
's"'o failures. Thus reorganized, we may look
wv, one of the most brilliant campaigns on the
rao.. of our army that the annals of warfare re-
choo, lis result under Providence, will be tn
Fox. establishment, by the first of May next OF
cl. of glorious Union in all its former integrity
im- strength.
Since ---
rsons WEST PoNT OFFICERs-Wc learn that
d but is scarcely single officer at the Military
DENY at West Point who has not expressed
RS Of wish to be employed in active service d