New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-07-29


their swords, but closer inspection the marks
of genius and military skill were unmistakabe.
Their uniform was what took to be plain undress.
Not the least sign of excitement was to be seen on
the countenauces of either as they coolly rode
forward into the storm of iron hail. Beauregard's
! eyes gstened with expectation, no doubt when
he threw himself into the very heart of the action
appearing then, as was afterwards most express
| sively said of him, to be the very representation
| Of the "goG Of war" General Johnston, too
| looked every inch commander, and proved him
self to be the worthy inheritor of the proves and
| virtues of his ancestors.
| on reaching the top of the hill, where was a
white house, owned, | believe, by Mr.. Lewis,
thew were again discovered by the enemy, as the
riHed shot and shell whzzed through the air and
lodged in the hollow behind. The aim was not SC
good at this time the accurate artillerists three
miles below not having yet come up with the
| At about Il O'Clock Beauregard and Johnston
| assumed the command of main body at the
| Stone Bridge. The line of battle extended some
seven miles up and down the creek, and during the
day there were some minor engagements at other
| fords.
At Blackburn's Ford, Gem Jones' Brigade made
! an attack upon the left flank of the enemy who
had two strong batteries in commanding position,
| which it was important to capture. The Fifth S.
| c. Regiment led the attack but our troops were
compelled to retire for a while under the heavy
fire of the batteries and musketry, and the enemy
| Immediately retreated. Up to the time of this at
tack, these batteries had been bombarding all the
morning Gen. Longstreet,s position in his entrench-
|
| Gen. Evans, of South Carolina, was the first to
| lead his brigade into action at Stone Bridge 1t
| consisted of the Fourth South Carolina Regiment
| and Wheat's Louisiana Battalion Sustaining them
| was Gen. Cookies Brigade consisting of the Seven
| teenth and Nineteenth and Twenty -eighth Virginia
| Regiments commanded respectively by Coils.
| Cooke, Withers and Robt I. Preston. These brig
AIDES were the first to bear the brunt of the action,
| as they exposed to Il concentric fire, the OBJ
| iect of the enemy being to turn our left flank while
we were endeavoring to turn his right. These
| regiments of infantry sustaining the famous
| Washington Artillery, of New Orleans, who had
two of their guns at this point; which made terrible
| havoc in the ranks of the enemy. The Federal
troops leading the action consisted of 10000 regu-
lars, sustaining the celebrated Shermans Battery,
these regulars being in their turn sustained by I'M
mense masses of volunteers, the New York Zoiaves
among the number. Gen. Beauregard estimated
| the enemvS numbers IN the action to be not less
| than IS 600 men.
Their artillery far outnumbered ours We have
| captured CT pieces of cannon, while we had only
| eighteen guns on that part of the field. 1t has
| been stated to NE by so many of our soldiers
| cannot but believe it, that the enemy by some
means had obtained our signal for the day-they
| also used our red badge, which fortunately was
| discovered in time, and they carried into action
the flags of the Palmetto State and the Confederate
States 1t has been asserted, too, by numerous in
viduas engaged in the BATTLE that there was great
| confusion and slaughter among our own men, who
| mistook them for the enemy This was less to be
wondered at from the similarity of uniform, and
| the mean advantages above referred to taken by
| our INSCRIPTIONS foes.
They pressed our left flank for several hours
with terrible effect, but our men finched not until
| their number had been diminished by the well
| aimed and steady voleys that they were com
PEELED to give way for new regiments. The Seventh
and Eighth Georgia Regiments, commanded by the
| gallant and lamented Barlow, said to have
suffered terribly during the early part of the bat
| tie. Kempers, Shields and lendleton's batteries
were in this part of the field and did fearful eXecu
| ton.
i, regret to be unable to name all the regiments
engaged, in their Order not having succeeded in
asCertaining their position.
| am inclined to believe there~was some mistake
during the day in the delivery or execution Of
order Of Gen. Beauregards, respecting an attack
| on the enemys rear, which was not effected.
! Between and 3 O'Clock large numbers of men
| were leaving the field, some of them wounded,
others exhausted by the long struggle, who gave
us gloomy reports; but as the fire on both sides
! continued steadily, we felt sure that brave
| Southerners had not been conquered by the over
| whemine hordes of the North. 1t is. however,
due to truth to say that the result at this hour hung
trembling in the balance. We had lost numbers Of
our most distinguished officers. Generals Barlow
and Bee had been stricken down; LieutenantCOl.
Johnson of the Hampton Legion, had been killed.
Col. Hampton had been wounded, but there was
at hand the fearless General whose reputation as
commander staked Oh this battle; and with
that chivalry which is his nature, Gen. Beauregard
promptly ottarcd to lead the Hampton Legion into
action, which he executed in q style unsurpassed
| and unsurpasSabe.
| Gen. Beauregard rode up and down our lines be-
| tween the enemy ana ms own men, regardless OF
| Inc heaVy hre' cheering ah9 encouraging our
troops. Apou5 ms tIl5 Snti siru5h ms morse,
ak'hs us icIL oIl anu hl's INC noi7eS VI LIS
Alds, Messrs: Ferguson ana heyWa1Fa. .,.,.
yen ieauIet5af1 . aus ueaeFye 1ono5apIe men
I nc PaEtcudfIy tnGse Ju1t saleu' aitu Go9neaS
w. foEchtr Ttle9 1alhe5 CheSH"t' 'oHh I'' Man
mug Iil4 a. "a, oniSo',t. r;,,,uo1e ,,-
zen 4 oon5tpn atSo a1Ie" nIself 'L.o .e meg
est OF me tg4t, selz,ng the coorS Of georgia req
lent ana rayln@ lne'i 10 t Inc cHtge s san 1
SSnailzeu tneS!Sei9es " tnel! nuepuntys Goi
Thomas beng E,lieu ana ha]of MASON "othded.
1uui p"u.eI1 e@a NIL Ill.,, ~ tAttaI
70 zen. ,oche' Jus; al Ine c!lLlcal lhoinSn IN
lor oul regL'eh1s rs mlSn Was ahSM eteu' lol
III Iie ostahCt our LtinlotoelenlS ,1PPealeu.
me tuG vi we odttt W a. tutntu III Iu: 'aVor Wy
the arrival Oh 1Sn hHoy 2ll'''I' IRON W lilGMGster
WIN lo4F l!utsiInu lnelt o. Gen JousLo uy'5on'
zen 2h.in nearu' TttG ol " 1ie S a nall
road cars 5Ee roar ol patte ne s.ppp6o ine IRAN
ana hfF'eu us tlooPs alLos" tile 4e'ua " tt POM
just "heTe ne was most heeueu lhey were at lIfSt
supposed 10 ne tIie enemy, inen artSua az thaL
Po1ht OF tlle neg "a oIlni enllLely untApeGIe9'
Inc euenly zen e c' anu d PanlC seIIeu Iielh.
Iheef al'ef cIeGr rom our nleh "enI up anu we
knew lhe oatte mao oteh won. .,..,,
mus was tne pest appoinCed army tllat nag ever