The Van Buren press., 1861-08-14
The Panic andRstreat Of tho Enemy

lowing account OF the retreat OF the = Sfrand
Army 1t was certainly after the John
Gilpin style. He says:
| Near o'clock, rode forwari-through
the open plain to the creek where the abat-
tbs was being assailed BY our engineers.
The Ohio. Connecticut and Minnesota Reg
ments were varionsly posted thereabon.
others were in different portions of the fold
al were completely exhausted. and partly
discovered no General or division except
TYLER. could be found. Where were our
officers ? Where was the foe Who knew
whether we had won or lost +?
The question was to be quickly decided
for u.s. A sudden sw oop and u body of cav
airy rushed down upon our columns near
the bridge. They came from the woods on
the lett, a1d Infantry posFef cut bskina
them. Tyler and his staff with the reserve
were apparently cut off by the quick manu-
vre. l succeeded in gaining the position 1
had Just left; there saw the capture of Car
llle's battery IN the plain, and saw another
force of cavalry and infantry pouring in at
the very spot where the battle had commen-
ced. and near which the South Carolinians
who manned the battery silenced in the
morning. had doubtless. all day, been lying
concealed.
The ambulances and wagons gradually
advanced to the spot and Of course, an in
stantaneous confusion and dismay resulted.
Ou- own infantry broke ranks in the field,
plunged into the woods to avoid the road, :,
and got up the hill as best they could with
out leaders, every man saving himself in
his own way.
BY the time reached the top of the hill
tho retreat, the panic, the needless, head
long confusion was now beyond hope.
was near the rear of the movement, with the
brave Capt. Alexander, who endeavored, by
the most gallant hut unavailable exertions
to check the onward tumult. 1t was diff
cult to believe in the reality of our sudden
reverses. What does it all mean . Iasked
OF Alexander. 1t means defeat was his
reply. We're beaten it is a shameful
cowardly retreat Hold up, men J. he ex-
claimed. don't be such Internal towards y
and he rode backwards and forwards. plac-
: ing his horse across the road and vaiuly try
ing to rally the running troops. The teams
aud wagons confused and dismembered every
corps.
We were now cut off from the advance
body by the enemy's infantry, who had
rushed on the slope just left by us, sur.
rounded the guns and suffers wagons. and
were, apparently, pressing up against us
It's no use, Alexander said, you mus,
leave with the rest IN be ID if
will was his snllen reply. and the splendid
fellow rode back to make hi, way as bes
he could. Meantime I saw officers with
leaves and eagles aa thsss- shoulder ps
Majors and Colonels. who had deserted theil
comrades, pass me, galloping as if for dea
life. No enemy pursued, just then bu,
suppose all were afraid that his guns woult
be trained down the long, narrow avenue
and NOW the retreating thousands, and bat
ter to pieces army wagons and every thing
else which crowded it. Only one field off
Ger, SO far as my observation extended, seem
ed to have remembered his duty.
Lieutenant Colonel Speidel. a foreigner
attached to Connecticut regiment, strov,
against the current for league. l positive
ly declare that, with the two exception
mentioned, all efforts made to check tn
panic, before Centreyille was reached, wer
!. confined to civilians. / saw man in citi
zen's dress, who had thrown off his coat
seized musker, and was trying to rally tn
k soldiers, who came by, at the point of tn
bayonet. In reply to question for hi
name. he said it was INashburne, and
learned that he was the member by tha
name from Illinois The Hon. MIR. Kellos.
made a similar effort. Both these, Congress
men bravely stood their ground till the las
: moment, and were serviceable at Centre
. vile in assisting the halt there ultmatel,
made. And other civilians did what the,
could.
. p" But what scene and how terrific tn
onset oi that tumultuous retreat ! Fo
a three miles hosts of Federal troops-all de
\ tached from their regiments, all mingled il
one disorderly rout-wers fleeing along tn
g road Army wagons, sntler's teams an
/ private carriage choked the passage, tumb
+. ling against each other, amid clouds of dus
q and sickening sights and sounds. Hacks
o containing uLlucky spectators of the lat
affray, were smashed like glass, and the oc
cupants were lost sight of in the de6ri,
Horses flying wildly from the battle field
many of them in death agony, galloped q
u random forward, joining In the stampede
Those on foot. who could catch them, rod
70 them bareback, as much to save themselve
from being run over as to make quicke
time.
- +" Wounded men lying along the banks
!. the few either left on the filed, or taken I
the captured hospitals. appealed wit
raised hands to those who rode horses, beg
;, ging to be lifted behind /; but few regasdc
" such petitions. Then the artillery, such a
;. was saved, came laundering along, smash
- = ing and overpowering everything. The reg
. ular cavalry. record it to their shame
Joined in the melee, adding to its terrors fc
they rode down footmen without mercy
20 One of the great guns was overturned, an
lay amid the ruins of caisson, as passe
it. saw an artilleryman running betwee
. the ponderous fore and after wheels of hi
Igun- carriage, hanging on with both hand,
and vairly striving to jump upon the orc
= nance. The drivers were spurring the hol
: ses he could not cling much longer an
!. q more agonized expression never fixed tf
- features of drowning man. The carriaa
bounded from the roughncss of steep hi
- leading to a creek he lost his hold, fel
"a and in an instant the great wheels ha
:. crushed the life out of him.
"Who ever saw such q flight? Coz!
i the retreat a; Bordino have exceeded it ,
, confusion and tlmutt I think not.
4 did not slack in the least until Ccntrevil
4 was reached. There the sight of the r,
= serve-Mile's Brigade-formed in order o
of the hill seemed somewhat to ~ assnra ~