The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-09-05
MIR. RusseIl,s Letter.

Il.
Mr.. Russell's letter, to the London
Times, the greater part of which we
transferred to our columns, yesterday
morning, is, in many respects, remark
able paper. We enjoyed the privilege
of riding from a point couple of miles
east of Centreville, to another point a
mile east of Fairfax Court House, with
MIR. Russell, and when he tells what
took place on that bit of road, we are
competent judges of his truthfulness
and fairness as descriptive writer.
We do not know and do notca what
he saw, or says he saw, of, the fight and
the flight, before we found him; but
from the errors and misstatements in
that portion of the narrative with
which we are Immediately concerned,
we should be justified in believing that
he was not at the battle at all, and that
the materials for his letter were gath
cred from some Fire Zouave or pri-
vate of the Ohio second, who left, ter
ror-stricken, in the early part of the
fray, and carried the fatal news of the
rout and race to- the credulous rear.
We left Centreville without knowing
that repulse had been felt, or that
retreat to that point had been ordered.
Jogging leisurely down the Washing
ton road, perhaps ten, minutes-cer-
tainly not more-ahead of Mr.. Russell,
we saw nothing of the fogging, lash
ing, spurring, beating and abandoning
that he SO graphically describes. The
road was as quiet and clear as if no
army were in the vicinity. A mile
from ;Centreyille,v we met the New
Jersey regiment, a private OF which,
Mr.. Russell says, threatened to "shoot
him if he did not halt" The officers
were turning back the few fugitives,
not a dozen in all, that were On their
way in; but, recognized as civilian,
as the Times correspondent must have
been, we passed to the rear unchal-
lenged. Mr.. Russell, at that moment,
could not have been half mile be-
hind u.s.; Pushing on slowly we were
overtaken by Col. Hunters carriage, in
which he, wounded, was going to the
city. Mr.. Russell saw it, or says he
saw it, attended by an escort of troop
ers, at the head of whom was Major,
who 'sconsidered it right to take charge
".of his chief and leave his battalion .
We saw no troopers nor Major. Hon.
Isaac N. Arnold, of the House, was
riding by the side of the vehicle, and
he, a smooth-faced gentleman in the
garb of "a civilian, may have been mis-
taken by our own correspondent for
a doubtful man of war. Possibly two
!. miles and a half from Centreyille, we
stopped at a road side farm house for
a cup ofswater. While drinking, Mr.
Russell passed. We recognized him
rode along and were soon engaged with
him in discussion of the causes of the
check-it was not then known to be
anything more and, in his company
we went on through Fairfax, in all "a
distance of perhaps six or eight miles
and we can affirm that not one incident
which he relates as happening In thai
! stretch and any foundation in fact. w {
: saw nothing of that Englishman O
: whom he says: :l08g0af1 aaNaT
1t was about this time i meta cart by the road
3 side surrounded by group of soldiers some O
r whom had 6s' on their caps. The owner, as
took him to be, was in great distress and cries
out as passed, "Can you tell me, sir, where TN
69th areg These men say they are cut to pieces;
I can't tell you" "Pm in charge OF the mans
sir, and will delyer them if die for 1t. You ar
), a gentleman and can depend on your word Isl
of the de5Ss1e assured him it was, and asked tn
: men of the regiment how they happened to
there "Shure, the Colonel himself told US TO z