The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-07-25
INCIDENTS OF AND COM MENTSGN
The Great Defeat.
[ From the Cor. Nev FORK Express |

| the American flag, IN order to deceive our forces
and lead them on step by step to one of their mask
cd batteries. They partially successful in this
--cne of their leaders crying cut, as our troops
came up, "Don't shoot your triends!" Some of the
volunteers dis;rusted this and one of the United
States troops answered, at is cheat, and charge
upon them"
| COL. HUNrER's CHARGE
Oce great event of the day was the gallant charge
of Col Hunter, L. :. A ho led the centre column
This was abou, O'Clock, when, discovering that
our batteries failed to make the desired impression
upon that of the enemy, he determined to charge il
with infantry Some six regiments followed him and
took the battery by storm, amidst most murder
ous fire. This terrific charge so fierce, that the
firing was heard at Washington city.
SUDDEN RETREAT THE REGIMENTS.
The success OF this charge was so grand and COM
| pete that the day seemed to be in favor, but
at this precise moment Of time, an immense rein
furcement Of the enemy came up, numbering not
less than 10 000-rour correspondent heard them
! and saw them. They came first from Manassas
Junction, and with tremendous whoop and charge,
| led on by an immense body of cavalry. Our men
had then been fighting actively for four hours, and
without nything to eat, save taste from their
tions. The day was hot and they we're thoroughly
| exhausted. This charge turned the tide, and the
der came to retreat. C0lOnels CamsrOn, S0-
cum, Wilcox, Farnbam, and host of other officers
had been killed or wounded, while leading their
| regiments.
As many as eight or ten regiments at once com
menced the retreat and escaped through the woods
| fer half a mile towards Centreyille As the fore
most of them emerged to the open ground they
| seemed not to Anticipate any pursuit, and fell off
into the fields and grounds to rest ald recuperate.
FINAL RoUT.
The killed and wounded far possible, had
been taken to a building by the woods, where
one ot your correspondents was aiding the wounded
| and diving. In an instant came an immense body of
the ensmy's cavalry and fired revoIvers and
bines, the sh ats from which fell in all directions ike
| hail-stene among scattered troops. This
charge created perfect panic, and the men
! like sheep, throwing away their guns, kpaPsacks
and all ihey possessed. SO many officers
killed that the men felt they were without leaders.
Reason, courage and coUiness, all were gone, and
here commenced the second rout, which continued
tn Centreville with some, and with others to
Washington. The cavalry brought up
by battery led by body of our men. and in tn
and scat tered down the street; soon, however,
rallying again aud making a road through our
! scattered forces.
| At Centrevile our troops attempted to make
stand, and they rallied for a seasou-some three
regiments in all, while large numbers Kept on their
| retreat. This. however, was soon after overcome
the enemy wing heavy gun, ,tak-n from u.s. in
! position. They fred again aod again, and thus
came the second panic, and third retreat. fourth
| retreat followed in the course of the night nj all
our iJrces, and wei! on to the banks of the POtO
mac and to the Notifications at Arlington, CorGo-
ran, Alexandria aud elsewhere.
From the Correspondence Of the Phi1a. Press
MIDNIGHT RETREAT FROM CENTREvILLE
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Jalv 22-There is no use of CON
cealing the fact, however terrible it NAV be to
realize that the army of the Union under command
o. General Mcdowell, has been completely routed.
! endeavorcd to intimate the sad intelligence in my
letter of yesterday; | had hoped, however, that
subsequent advicss would have enabled me to say
that the gallant, tie supeThuman conduct of our
troops had met the rewards Of bravery. Every
account that comes, comes filled with disaster
Every eye is sad, and the ex1tatiOa OF yesre'd:v
has given place TO the gloom and apprehension Of
to-day. The present is of sorrow, the future
has but few CLEANS Of hope We have sent
into Virginia the best appointed division of our
grand army, we have fought the greatest battle
fought the Continent, and have been
not only beaten, but cur army has been routed, and
many Of its best regiments wholly deAOralizsd.
The narrative Of this disaster will be M duty;
you may make your own conclusions, and solve the
terrible political problem it presents to the Ameri-
people.
Finding it impracticabie to return to Cenrevlc,
determined to remain at Fairfax until morning,
in the hope Of learning that forces had oceu-
pied Centreville. aud maintained the comUluHca-
ti0ns open by which could return. The only
accommodations to be found was a small mattress
in the corner Of parlor, where soon fell into
deep sleep. The floor covered with mattresses,
and my bed companions soldiers, weary from
the field, and civilians of all conditions About | |
o'clock in the morning awakened by a SOL |
6ier Of a New York regiment, who informed me
that there regular retreat Of the army; that
forces had bsen completely routed; that Beau
regard was in full pursuit, and that army was
falling hack upon Washington | arose at the |
alarming intelligence, and on looking from the |
window that 80 far army being in re- |
treat was concerned his information was correct |
The broad street was filled with large bodies nf
ct 6t tfs TIE a6 weary has
y dressed, and in company with those who had |
been companions of the night, took up the line |
of march.
As we left the inn and joined in the line the scene
most exciting. The night was gloomy. Large |
black clouds rolled over the sky, while big drops
of rain were occasionally falling. The weary SOL
diers had just come from the field with torn uni |
forms, empty cauteens, and many of them without
either muskets nT haversacks. The utmost confu- !
sion existed. No dozen of the soldiers seemed to
belong to the same regiment. There were men
from Rhode Island, from New York, from Ohio, |
and from Michigan. Every soldier had a d u
mors; every rumor was of the most conflicting and
anmating character. There were tales of death
and daring, of havoc and desOatOn.
About one-half of our men were armed, and it
was the determination to oppose any attempt at
capture bv fierce resistance. | confident, il
we had met the enemy at the point anticipated,
there would have been fearful conflict and terri
BILE slaughter.
The road from Fairfax was hard and rough. On
each side there were deep gues ravines, and
for great portion of the way path was be
tween woods, which would have afforded splendid
opportunity tor an ambuscade, and through hills
where on either side, company of soldiers with
battery could have repulsed almost any body OF
men. Many of the volunteers fell away from sheer
exhaustion. Along the sides of the road small
bodies OF men might be sen lying, wrapped in n
deep sleep which answers the demand of exhausted
nature. Some Of the soldiers endeavored to march
bv regiment, and for a mile or two | could see a
dozen or n of men seated at different points
| of the road, and hear such c?ies as "Ehis way,
Ninth!' "Come over here, Rhode lslandP "Hera
! you are, Seventy-ninth!' "Aitogether, Iouaves!"
"Fall in, Ohor' "This way, Massachusetts" and
on, the different regiments happe ned to be de-
signated. The attompt, however, not very
successful, and the men marched wearily onward,
| sad and silent
/
! The enemy manifest. There was constant
| cry for water. 9" For Gods sake give us drink "
! Cant YOU hslp sick MANI" "Pm thirsty, and
! almost dead" were the cries heard constantly
and appeairgY from the weary soldiers as they Law
on the roadside Once or twice well was reach
| ed, and it instantly surrounded bY bodies of
thirsty soldiers, clsmoring for the merest drop of
! the refreshing beverage. Men constantly
| falling from sheer exhaustion. In case lieu
| tenant came along on horseback, carrying behind
| him wounded soldier. The horse had been cut
from battery, and it still had its military bar
! ness. The animal could go no farther, the men
| were almost taintng and could not dismount
| soldier Gf the same regiment came along and ten
| derly lifted his commander from the weary animal,
| placed him on the roadside, and, in answer to the
! appeal of a comrade to continue his Journey, re
piled that he could not go, for his place of duty
by the side of his officer. And by bis side, care
| fully bathing his brow, anxousy binding up
severe wound upon his shoulder, we left him, and
! passed on.
The morning came, but it very glonmy-the
| sky was mass of beaving and rolling clouds, and
| the arose in all his purple golden, and, as it
seemed to u.s. bloody splendor. Oar path was
small narrow one leading from the main turnpike
and approaching W Washington by more direct road
than that generally travelled. The country was
even more billy and densely wooded than that we
| had Just traversed. The ambulauces, wagons, and
| hOrsemen having gone forward, we were left be-
| hind and to the number of about thousand in
mere Struggling groups, and covering some three
or four miles Of ground, we continued our march.
| The only evidence Of hospitality received
at the house Of farmer, about five miles from
Washington, who stood ON the roadside and fur
nished the troops with water
At about six o'clock in the morning, we in
view of Washing ton city and Georgetown; of Fort
Corcorsn, with its frowning black guns, and patrol
led by solitary sentinels; and of the long of
white tents where the New Jersey brigade
camped.
| From the Cor. ". y Worl1l
| And now in what order shall describe the event
| of Yesterday? Even now, how shall one pretend
to give a synthetic narration of the whole battle,
based on the heterogeneous statements of a thOus-
| ana men; battle whose arena tract miles in
breadth and length, Interpreted with hills and for
es.s; whose contendipg forces were divided into
dozen minor armies continually iDterchaGging
their positions, and never all embraced within the
cognizance of any spectator or participator. Even
| the general commanding the Federal columns was
ignorant at the close, of the positions of his several
corps; ignorant, at the beginning of the topn-
| graphy of the dangerous territory which he at,
tackled overpOwerng foe Was either general
OF division better informed OF the movements of
even his own forces? ] doubt it. | only know
that at sunset last evening, generals coones, and
majors, all retiring, devoid of their commands,
no more respected or obeyed than the poorest pri-
vate in the broken ranks. l know that grand
army, retreating before superior numbers,
never more disgracefuly or neediessly disrupted