The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-25

MAxAssAs JUNCTION, July "a
Re Divine favor we are again VieiofioaS' 10
itod be the glory
- armies Of IN. North and South yester-
go aSch other--the former not less than
- 40 men, the latter no, exceeding 30,ooo-sha
s,,ad together for six long hours, with that
.s.psrste courage which Americans only can
show. e.,
Iprocsed to give you, as near AS CAM a fuii
,rd detailed history of that terrible battle
,h,ch will, through all time, make famous
goII Run and the plains oiiAianassas
no Friday. the 18th, Gen. Joseph l.. John
am who had commanded the army OF the
shenandoah, posted at Winchester, arrived al
MANASSAS Junction with four thousand Of his
4eris.on. 10 reinforce Gen. Beauregard The
-.m.inder Of his army with the exception OF
,snyfcient force to hold Winchester.) we're IN
.spaea 70 arrive on Saturday, the -dthi ohI III
fars.QusEce of some railroad casua!ty' they
IA not reach the scene Of conflict unui sun
t. between the hours Of AID O'Clock,
wien tie hattie was raging Mt as he'sh'.
ueu. Johnston. although perhaps hii'en,
-, ,;rltt military Ttle, 10 The Soh'A'aAu, oeiHg
,Ea sup,rior IN rank OF BeauTegard, with the
.syosnt.nity and ohiyalrfc courtesy for which
n., Gallant soldier is dis Iingu.Shed, left the
litter to execute the plans which had all been
,..+urel. assuring Gen Beauregard of his earn
+ .o.operaiion towards their success. And
.llv oii Gen Johns ton redeem his promise,
iribuli.s II. no small degree TO the victory
,,ft,h Vas achieved ,on The memorable
.;t by his distinguished associate in arms.
rn.ncht before the battle, it was generally
.'i.rsto,d st Manassas Junction the enemy
force.
r,.-r,ng our left flank, which rested a few
lii, above the scene Of Thursdays engage
.1snt st ford on Balls Run called Stone
Bridge.
W. retired 70 resi- under the full conviction
thas on the morrow the fortunes OF our young
"a ton we're 10 be staked on = mighty contest,
and we we're not dIsappon ted.
There were hot many spec n tors of the bat
.- the General commanding having, on
Thursday, issued general order reg uiring all
civilians, with the exception of res iden Is be
lore military operations commenced, and
those engaged necessarily in business at Ma
ia,sss Junction, 10 leave the camp and retire
l-yond 4 dis lance of four les
the writer, however, with the following
raaed couheres OF the press, were privi-
Il lefed 10 remain 10 witness scene not often
enacted snd which forms era in their
liver Tor al time 10 come, 4 scene Of terrific
& g-sudeur and sublimity, which Is imprinted
I On thrr memories, with recollection never
81 70 bs efsced.
Al seven o'clock on Sunday morning our
q rsrtv, consisting of Messr.. l.. W. Spratt of
tie Charleston Mercury; +. q. de Fontaine,
8 q. the Richmond Enquirer and Charleston
OcuFI-r; +. W. Alexander, of the Savannah
u Republican; Shepardson, OF the Column bus
,tjai Tlmes and Montgomery {Ala.l Advert
eer, ans your correspondent, star ted from Ma
nassas Junction.
The distant cannon at short intervals since
q daybFeak. had apprlsed US that the enemy
were III motion, but in what direction we
could only suTmlse until we reached Il poin t
q nile and half from the breastworks. at
he North west angle of the Notifications of
q Manassas junction.
Here were Joined by an acquai lance OF
Your correspondent, Col. VIM q. Bonner
ioFmerly State Engineer of Georgia, low of
ne NiCBsburg and Shreveport Railroad, who
u iras an old West Poin ter and a classmate of
d oirn Johnston's and other distinguished Off
l-rS now III the service.
~ great was our excitement, we had left
81 The Junction entirely unprepared eli Their in
IA he way Of the Commissariat or with glasses
70 view the distant field, and had it rot been
a Tor Col. Bonners forethought, in bringing a
powerful opera glass. our party had lost
Il much which through his politeness we were
81 permitted TO see.
U The day WIS bright and beautifui-on the
Is a;,was the Blue Ridge, and in front were
q taetlopes on the North side of Bull Run
81 crowned with woods, in which the enemy had
81 early planted his batteries, and all around
81 we're eminences on which were posted
81 SMALL but anxious knots of spectators
L
s& ever behed.
"a Al about O'Clock we reached a hill above
"a Ni.che Ford, almost entirely bare of tree.,
M and sufficiently nigh 10 afford an unobs truct-
81 I'd view Of the opposite heights. After taking
81 sielsureiy survey OF the beautiful landscape,
81 spread out tefore us in all the loyeliness and
n grandeur OF nature, aud listening with watch e
81 fal intent 10 the booming Of the heavy can
81 non on our right, and anxiousIy examining
b iAe locations where the guns of the enemy on
" the opposite hills We're plainly II be seen wi tn
81 Tie naked sye, and the heavy clouds of dus,
n nsing shove the woods i'll front and on either
81 tde Indicating the direction in which the
q heaEy columns OF the senemy were marching,
~ Weeach sought the shade OF q tree. where we
~ drew forth our memorandum books and PEN
s els, 10 note down for the information OF the
~ thousands who looked TO us for a description
81 d The day's occurrences, the various shift
E# iss q The scene which hencetorth forms an
ia era IN Tie story OF our young Confederacy,
81 and graIdiv inangurates the march CT glory
aS Oh which she has ent tered
s. An interesting meeting here took place be-
4 tween our party and The venerable Edmund
81 hufn, VINO had against the wall. of Fort
"a Sumter Hired the first defiant gun at our inso-
"a Iel' and nfagEart foe. He had come TO this
Ia conflict, with his eighty odd years weighing
ia AtoH hin, and his Moving white locks, TO
III axe paIt IN TINS nght, encouraging our young
III men oy ms presence and example. Agile as a
~ !oulh OF 10, with life on his shoulder, his
IA sIes slistened with excitement as he burned
oengage the 1ankee invader.
Shortly afterwards, Generals Beauregard
J2hnslol and Bonham, accompanied by their
''la, came gaiIoping up the hill and diamount-
et Oh the summit The Generals held an
elTnest onVersation for a few min u ties, while
AEiug survey of the field, and watching the
'ueceSsYe challenges from the enemy's bat
l'Tlos, directed against our right and among
me woods near Mitchell Ford, where a hos
al was tation ed and the yellow flag dying
Ios Was also the point where their fire Of
!Aursday Was direc ted, and where the mark
HyH ftit ia tR ha 4, lie,
sLd stable Of house in which Gen. Ben ure
sha ained On that day at the time the bal
sIlck The building. Whether the enemy
Aought II was again his headquarters, or
NAeheT The fire was now playing toward tb al
PINT 10 draw ont a response from US, is not
Aaowh. II Is more likely, however, ii was q
Aeit l-lht-an impCtent attempt TO deceive
gaF skl!lful and able commander as to theipoin1
"Aefe The enemy was NEST in force, for SO oul
"'sr btneral considered IL, as he was seen II
cIFeet Gen Johnston's attention particularly
WIN his hand towards our extreme left, as il
IL knew the struggle was TO be made there.
!should here remark that 1t had been Gen
h7aafegard's purpose to make the attack, in
se4' OIL waiting 10 receive it, hut from som,
IIase, unknown 10 me- he pre- feIred n last Il
~ lie enemy take the initiative; perhaps fol-
,Aefsason that Gen Johneton's division haC
V'sl detained on the railroad.
As nave said, General Beauregard was not
1.eiSea Tor the immense clouds of dust ap
ra.lhg above The woods, indicated beyond 8
~to lae Federal columns were moving In
oiiu masses in another direction, and one
NGlth was unmistakabla.
~ h' al this time, by the aid of our glass
lv QUA SEE their guns brought to bear on the
49, 4 Where we stood, for in a few moments
- smoke was discovered issuing from theiI
I@ssfies OF riied cannon, and before scarce iy
N' "Vtd could be said, the peculiar whiz and
ing OF me balls notified us that their ain,
~. Veeh We'll taken. Several balls fell in a
A. 'I immediat ely De mind us and not a hun.
.,s yards from lha spot where the Generals
-. ~. An officer OF Gen. Beauregard's stan
maSes'ea ns TO leave the hill, and as we
Ia, La !, aWay shell burst not TWEEN " feet Off
"a, , ppnner calculated With his watch the