The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-10
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
lFROM OUR OWN CoRRESPONDENT.l
MAyAssA JuScrloS, Sept. 9Th, 1851.

MASAs5A JUNCTION, Sept. 5th, 1851.
1t was early yesterday morning when we
arrived 1t Manassas, after eighteen hours
travel and Il weary night ride in "A closely
packed coach. With the first streak of day
light the white tents OF our soldiers came in
sight, and At sunrise we We're al the head
quarters Of the Army OF rhe Potomac For
some time previous evidences OF the presence
OF an army had been noticed, and the picket
guards here and there, the frequency Of en-
canpnents, and the distant CLEAN of camp
iTcS, served as guile-posts 10 indicate our
approach to it, When morning came
were within the lines, and soon after pro
cured the requisite passports from the Pro
vest Marshal.
For several days but little Of interest has
transpired here that could be published, OK
that a careful and experienced journalist
would venture to put III print Mere ru-
rnors and specutatiUns are of little yaiue TO
the public, and only serve 20 keep al fc-
Yerish element in the minds OF those rest
less indiN iduI.s vino are never content un-
less circulating news. Facts, such rs have
become matters of history, ale IL climate
subjects TO write about, and / shall euGeaycr
to collect as many as possible. As stran Ct
as it may appear, there are Is laany runors
and false reports here rs there arr ia kIcn-
mond, and il requires great care aud aIt2n-
ton TO details 10 ne able IA separate the false
FROM the true. will give one example, to
show how easy it is to fail into error. Last
night, a courier CAME from the advance pos Is,
bringing the news of battle that had been
Tough that morning near Arlington He igh Is
Everybody was on the gtt r50e for further
information, and of course questioned all who
came from Fairfax. Some Two hours after
the news was received another courier came
in and denied the story in toto. and said he
had passed the day with Que of The regiments
reported il the engagement, and that they
We're iifteen miles from the batJle site. Here
t ~ u kIV Il
much questioning among the officers of the
post, it was found this particular regiment
had been detached from the brigade to which
il belon red, and were assigned IL some special
duty. Both couriars told their stories cor
| reclly. but q single error of ignorance caused
the whole 10 bo dlscredi ted. ! mention this
| 10 show that II IS no easy task 10 get correct
news ever. at the headq uarters of tn9 army.
Yesterday morning. while attending the
services Of raising u shaft on the spot where
! Barlow fell, heavy firing was heard in the
| direction Of the Potomac, which lasted some
| two hours. Oaly the larger guns Were dis
tinguisha bic, the dali, heavy report of which
| raverbefating over the hills, came 10 our ears
| like the distant sound of thunder. 1t was
| then believed 4 general engagement had
| taken place: but the firing soon ceased, con-
viuciug us it was but SkiTInish Only 4 few
neagre facts have yet been obtained OF thc
| affair, and have waited up to the last mo-
,nent for further accounts. What has been
| learned here can be told in q few words
| Early yesterday morning eight thousand of
the Federals marched up 10 ManSon >
| Hill, which our men were terrifying, and
made attempt TO dIslodge them
| Our advance consists of Longstreets and
| Bonham's brigades, stationed near each
| other, and close By Munson's Hill. Long
streets force is coInp posed of the FIRST Slr-
| ginia Regiment, commanded by Lieut.. Col.
| Fry in the absence of Col Moore, who was
| wounded q the battle of the 18th the Sey-
| enth Virginia, Col. kemper, Lieut.. Col
| Williams, and Major Patton the Eleventh
| Virginia, Col. Garland; the Seventeenth
| Virginia, Col. Corse; one Georgia Regi-
| ment attached az present, and several pieces
| of artillery. Gen. Bonham has four Son I'll
| Carolina regimen ts--the I'd, Col. kershaw 4;
| the 80, Col. Cash the 18th, Col sloan. and
| the 5th, Col. Williams portion OF these
| were sent against the approaching enemy,
/ and the engagement commenced. After
severe light the Federals were repnised, and
| fed towards their line.
There was another small affair still fur
| ther up the river which took place yesterday
! at about the same time. With all their fears
! of masked batteries TO drive them from the
| vicinity OF a patch of woodland where one
| might be- placed, the Yankees ran upon one
near the Falls, but a short distance above
| them. The 2d company OF the Washington
| Artillery, com mmanded by Iieutenenl Squier,
! had been located upon the bank OF the Poto-
| mae, and yesterday the Yankee force march
| ed exactly opposite, and were preparing ior
| an eucanpment when the battery opened
| on them. Three or four rounds were fired
! exactly in their midst. causing great havoc
| Perfectly terror stricken, the Federal soldiers
| ran IN every direction-a large body Of them
taking refuge in q church near BY. Another
| round from the terrible masked battery caused
| them to raise the white flag, when the nring
| ceased. How great loss they sustained Is NOT
known but ii is safe to say il was onsidera BILE
| The Washington Artillery does not throw idle
| shot IS has been proven in two previous en-
| gagemeuts.
/ This has been a rainy day, and n very disa-
| yretlble one TO he out in. Ii is almost impos-
sibIe TO get about account of the mud and
| we wait q few hours sun 10 make the roads III
| a conditi on 10 move forward. q. M.