Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-08-10

and from everywhere where '
hey had been stationed. Some Of them
ad been In the battle, many had not I
aany were the mere idlers and hangers
., such as always attend . great army, at
rao,ed 70 this point for Its supposed seeur-
Nv and proximity to the battle. There
Vere also large num- er Of teamsters be-
ongipR 10 the army, and at that time q
continuous string Of army wagons, extend
pa from beyond the hospital to near Cen
,rsville, we're standing In the road. A
number Of citizens, mostly from Washing
on. we're also in the crowd, among whom
We saw q number Of the army officers,
,traggling and idling about like the rest.
Nv own Impressions are that the whole
number may have been six or eight hun
ared, but have little confidence in my es'
innate Of the number. The most OF our
army In that vicinity, at that time on the
Geld, were from half mile TO mile be.
yond this point stretched around from the
right to the left.
When opposite the hospital, having
started from beyond, we saw the squad OF
Dragons often spoken Of dash around
point of woods OF the south side, and wheel |
and sweep directly down upon US, at |
plunging gallop. A few soldiers, perhaps |
a dozen, saw them also, aud ran up to the
fence with their muskets to FIRE upon them.
This advertised US that they were enemies,
Immediately the dragons drew up in some
thing like q line, perhaps fifteen rods of,
and fred into the crowd about US Volley
from their csrbines, receiving at the same
time the FIRE Of our intrepid boys, and
thereupon they wheeled and dashed of as
rapidly as possible. Whether any in the
crowd about us we're hurt l know not.
think from their proximity and the eonfu-
sion among them, aud the deliberation ofour
soldiers, some Of the enemy must have been
killed. have estimated their number as
not exceeding forty. The English Russell,
who saw them, said there we're about sew
enty. This whole thing occupied but few
moments. Immediately the cry was raised
4bout us that the Black Horse" we're upon
US, aad it seems as if those words shot
mortal fear through the heart Of every liv-
ing thing who had not witnessed the actual
transaction. Those who did could not have
been frighter ed.
| It is useless TO attempt to describe what is
hdescrfbable; the fearful flight and fright
that ensued. did not then suppose, nor dc
now, that as an inducing cause, it affected
the soldiers on the field, or had the least tC
do with the retreat of the army which
commenced and passed over the sane road
SOON aftef. 1t probably did infect the near
est soldiers in the woods; but l have always
supposed that it was independent of the
{ backward movement Of the army, and con
. trihuted nothing, save disgrace, to our defeat
As the tide rolled eastward, toward Cen
treville, it seemed to gather force and inten
sity. involving everything in its course, ex
cent the cool, firm regiments Of our reserve
appeared worst this side of CenteFyille, AMI
swept on to Washington, where the first fu
gitives arrived about halt past nine, bringinl
: with them wild tales of the utter demolition
: and rout Of the whole army. which Wer
, taken up and sent over the wires, startling
; our distant people with the tidings of bloc,
and ruin that first reached them.
To return to ourselves. The first effect Q
. the fight was to leave US comparatively fre
: in our homeward movements. We soOn
however, became involved in the rush of tn
heavy wagons that came laundering ate
US, mixed and mingled with the fleeing sol
. diers from the road back of the hospital, an
? who had not been in the battle since th
> forenoon. to whom the infection communics
!. ted; and we became single object in tn
sweeping tide that bore us on, witheutspow
3 er 70 do otherwise than proceed with sue
: care as we might.
We knew TINS panic to be utterly cause
less. To US it looked cowardly to the las
possible extreme. Burning with shame an
= Indignation, we called to such a. were nes
y to stop. We tried to explain, called on theI
to pause, to retain their arms and turn bacl
We inpIored, beseeehed, and denounce
them for what to US appeared dastardly
f needless flight. Two or three times, durin
4 the drive to Centregillc, our carriage We
!. loaded down almost to a stand-still; and "
n ordered them off sometimes In very peremE
= tory terms. We were then much overload
; ed. have no doubt that our language, e.
: pecially my own, and nay conduct at time
= could be easily reprehended and criticised
= a cool, distant, malignant enemy, who coul
3 comprehend no distinction between frigh
= ened and cool men, and anxious only to cor
vict me of indiseretion or worse. To preten
L that any part of our conduct was the resu
l. of fear of the enemy, between whom an
/. us lay our entire army, victorious as we SUI
# posed, is too absurd for a word Of commen
e That we fed is utterly false, and we wei
L longer in getting back to Centreville than
e going from it. Soon after the flight, and whe
; within a quarter of a mile of the. hOspits
# we took up soldier evidently fresh from IL
field, who, for some reason, was going bacl
= We carried him and his accourements, mu
4 ket, &C., as 1 supposed, TO Fairfax. We ma
o have LETT him at CentreVille. We treate
d him civilly.
J. At or near the bridge over the creek,
d quarter or half mile this side of the hosp
l tai, we took up a soldier lad, IA or 10 yea
e old, whom we willingly brought to Cent?
# vile, as far as be wished to come. Z
n seemed exhausted and overcome, md thankC
/, US for his ride
/ Soon after taking him up, we were a
It preached by gentleman, an employee
i the Interior Department a Mr.. Cow en-, wi
had lost his carriage, and who was know
Il to me, whom we took up and brought On.
), may be mistaken as 70 the precise place OF tai
It ing up this gentleman-tLink am corIsc
+ at about the same time, we were approach
e ed on the side occupied by Mr.. Blake an
myself, by 3 short, thick, red faced man
d oficer's uniform, wearing the badge Of
'f Lis4tenaHt Colonel OF KpoT-Who had lost
e thrown away his sWOrd-Who made
'e plunge at once for cur carriage, got upC
y the step, thrust one leg in, and was dete
v mined TO get in. had en- impression
p did get in, but am told an mistaken.
was an undisguised, confessed coward, vi
had not been in any 6ght and never VI
IS be, and when we denounced him ss COZ
ct ard, he said something about "When q
le regulars run, volunteers are excused
,, Sc. Il would be idle to repeat the shar
a. bitter things showsred laVishly on him.
lie How far be rode in this way, know no
re itmay have been hAlfmile; to me his pre-
le ence made it more. We finally, SIS a
le since probably correctly informed, show
Ut and pushed him off. Ny recollection "
At that We Htumbled him out" The difs
to enoe is slight He merited the militsl
penalty of Death To the Herald he
the martyred hero of its tears, and Of
especial admiration and wonder.
cs We afterwards took up an exhausted 81
4, IN dier, who had parted with his coat, bla