The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-12
The Omcial Reports Of the Battle Of Bull
~

The Ohlcial Reports OF the Battle OF Bull
Run Reviewed.
In reviewing the reports of the battle of Bull
run, that of General Mcdowell first claims our
attention, both from the position Of the writer
and the clear and dispassionate manner in
which he has treated a subject in itself abound
ing in obscurity and disorder. 1t necessarily
partakes more of the character Of panorama
than the reports of his subordinate officers, and
presents to us q comprehensive and succnct
statement of an event which is invested with
more tragic interests than any other produced by
the war. While the reports ofhis officers occa-
si0nally wander into weak and personal nara
tive, General Mcdowell, with soldier like sim
plicity and terseness, confines himself to the
point which it became his serious duty to illus
trae to the best of his ability for the satisfaction
of the country at large. His own reputation de-
manded that he should dispel the confusion and
doubt that fingered in the public mind with re-
spect to the conduct Of this engagement, which,
although in itself disastrous, is made to appear
in a much more satisfactory light by the plain,
unvarnished tale he has supplied. That
General Mcdowell is not only charitable but
generous man, is evident from the obvious
leniency with which he refers to the faults and
shortcomings of others. Yet, at the same time
that he almost entirely screens his subordinates
from blame, he does not act similarly towards
himself Without parading or justifying his
errors, he makes no effort to conceal them.
They can be detected as we peruse his report,
- Of
whatever we may think of his generalship on
the memorable occasion to which he refers.
But although man may blunder once, it by no
means follows that he should repeat the mis-
take.
That the battle was an unfortunate mistake
though bitter, has been without profit. In
future we shall know better what to
do Casting a critical eye over the
details of the report, We at once
perceive one great cause Of the disaster. The
Union army, we are told, started from its en-
campments along the Potomac on Tuesday, the
18th of July, and marched towards Centreville,
but halted unexpectedly at Fairfax Court
House. Yet no engagement took place till the
2lst, by which time the rebels, who had of
course been cognizant of the plans of our gene
rails. had been enabled to concentrate their
forces from the surrounding country. Delay is
ALWAYS dangerous, but in this case it was TO us
fatal. It turned what would have been vic
tory into defeat. OF the advance and condi-
ton of the troops the report thus speaks:-
When di set out on the 1sth was still deficient in
rpr nts
her hiug nrocca ~ ,;s ~ sao, Wal Ths'g 70
thus hurrcdly gathered together, with horses, wagons
other, moved With dTcnIty and disorder and was the
cause OF day delay in getting the provisions forward
should have made on saturday / could not, with every
exrn gea with inc Troops earlier than we did
have taken there The nth and enabled u.s. so far as
Of be but when Went from me Fa y onrt
H9qss beyond Germantown to urge them forward was
had only come from Vienna, about six miles, and II was
not more han six ana half miles s further to Centreve
foot weary, not much, told by the distance
nv bc in The road an the aoy nacc @ hod
to move to avoid ambuscadcs The men were moreover
unaccustomcd to marching their bodies not in condition
for that kind Of work. ard not used to carrying the
load of light marching order.
n'bo ;mnrass;on ,bo4 tho coI5;or. ,uoro not f,,
Aho 'iiP 'o's'oA 'n"' 'i' 'oi"i'i9 WY NV i"'--
nishcd with rations is corrected If therefore,
!, -. =. =, :,
the men were without supplies, the fault was
that of tho rep;montal ofscar.
49, W WV o'io''
Ihat the absence OF proper "Reminiscences
and unfamiliarity with the roads tended greatly
to impede the march is evident. Hence the ir-
regularity which marked the arrival of the va
rious divisions at the field of battle. Our en-
tire attacking force, it appears, amounted to only
eighteen thousand men, while that of the enemy
is estimated to have been much greater. Our
loss included nineteen officers and 462 non-com-
missioned officers and privates killed, and sixty
four officers and 947 non-commissioned officers
and privates wounded. This is the best contra
diction we can have of the exarperated accounts
80.
OF the federal loss III THIS engagement, which
wore at frat nuhl;shed altbourb +boro
b" 'neio
is much to deplore in the bare facts
Tho dorLost srot ~ tho ,,.ho,o -,
Inc uarkest spot III tne WnOle report
is that where the Fourth Pennsylvania regiment
and VarIan's battery OF artillery attached to the
New York Eighth arethus alluded to-
L. he Wis