Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-08-01
The Retreat from Bulls Yeun.

The war correspondent of the New York
World gives the following description of
the retreat:
"But what a scenel and how terrific the
onset of that tumultuous retreat. For
three miles, hosts of federal troops-all
detached from their regiments, all min
gled III one disorderly rout-werc fleeing
along the road but mostly through the
lots on either side. Army wagons. sut-
lers, teams, and private carriages, choked
the passage, tumbling against each other,
and clouds Of dust and sickening sighs
and sounds Hacks, containing unluckv
spectators of the late affray, were smashed
like glass, and the occupants were lost
sight of in the debris Horses, hving
wildly from the battle field, many of them
in death agony, galloping at random for
ward, joining in the stampede. Those on
foot who could catch them rode them bare
backed, as much to save themselves from
bing rum over, rs to make quicker time
Wounded men lying along the banks
the few neither left on the field nor taken
to the captured hospitals, appealed with
raised hands to those who rode horses,
begging to be lifted behind, but few re-
gardcd such petitions. Then the artillery,
such as was saved, came laundering along
smashing and overpowering everything.
The regular cavalry, record it to their
shame, oincd in the melee, adding to its
terrors, for they rode down footmen with
ont mercy. One of the great guns was
overturned and lay amid the ruins of n
calSson, as | passed it. saw an artille-
ry man running between the ponderous
fore and aIter-wheels of his gun carriage,
hanging on with both hands, and vainly
striving to Jump upon tho ordnance. The
drivers were squirting the horses; he could
not cling much longer, and more agon-
izing expression never fixed the features
of a drowning man. The carriage boun-
ded from the roughness of steep hill
leading to a creek, he lost his hold, fell,
aud in an instant the great wheels had
crushed the life ont of him. Who ever
saw such a flight? Could the retreat at
BorOdino have exceeded it in confusion
and tumult? | think not. 1t did not slack
in the least until Centreville was reached
There the sight of the reserve, Miles Bri-
gade, formed in order on the hill seemed
somewhat TO reassure the van. But still
the teams and foot soldiers pushed on pass
ing their own camps and heading swift
ly for the distant Potomoc. until for ten
miles the road over which the grand army
had SO lately passed southwark, gay with
unStGiuea banners, and flushed with surety
of strength, was covered with the frag-
mcnts of its retreating forces, shattered
and panic stricken in single day, From
the branch route, the trains attached to
Hunters Division caught the contagion
of the flight, and poured into its already
swollen current another tmbid Grcshet of
confusion and dismay. Who ever saw a
moro shameful abandonment of munitions
gathered at vast expense? The teamSters,
many of them, cut the traces Of their
horses, and galloped from the wagons.
Others threw out their laods to accelerate
their flight, and grain, picks and shovels
and provisions ofevery kind lay trampled
in the dust for leagues. Thousands of
muskets strewed the route; when some of
us succeeded in rallying a body of fugitives
and forming them in line across the road,
hardly one but had thrown away his arms.
If the enemy had brought up his artillery
and served 1t upon the retreating train, or
had intercepted our progress with five
hundred of his cavalry. ho might have
captured enough supplies for a weeks
feast OF thanksgiving. AS it was, enough
was left behind to tell the stcry of the
panic. The route Of the Federal army
seemed complete,