Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-28

The Great Battle of Manassas
Additional Particulars
Froz the Richmond Examiner, Jziy IS
FROM MINAssl s

The trains which reached this city yesterday
| evening from Manassas brings rumors Of strange
and tremendous import Gentlemen direct from
the late battle field assure US that it reported and
believed, in the neighbOrhood Of Manassas that on
| Tuesday the Federal troops who had retreated to
Alexandria sitter their defeat fell to fighting
amongst themselves, and that, after great numbers
had been slRin the remainder took up their line of
! march for Washington.
The rumour which was current on our streets on
Tuesday night, to the effect that the Long Bridge
over the Potomac had been burned, was also
| renewed, and, in measure, confirmed by the
passengers They do not say whether the bridge
had been destroyed by the troops who had passed
over in flight, by order of the U. S. authorities,
to prevent their passing. Whilst we cannot repose
implicit confidence in these reports, we think they
receive great colour of truth from the vague
ence of the telegraphic news from Washington
published in our yesterdays issue: washington,
July 22-noon-Our troops, after gaining great
yictsry yesterday were repulsed and commenced
retreat on Washington After this Information t0ds
received last night from CentrerGe, series Of eUets
took place here il tie highest degree disastrous" What
the series of events were cannot certainly say;
but taken in connection with these rumOurs of wild
flight intestine strife and the abandonment of
shore and the destruction of the Long Bridge, this
telegram receives increased importance and signf-
canoe.
In connection with the above, rumors also reach
US from Manassas that the whole Federal force
have deserted the Virginia side of the Potomac,
and that the flag of the Southern Confederacy is
| now floating over Alexandria and Arlington. How
ever this may be- we have reliable information that
| Gen. Beauregard at the head of large column of
| troops, left Fairfax Court House yesterday
morning, and took up his line of march for Alex
/ andria.
A special train was started from Manassas juno
| ton yesterday morning, freighted with over two
| hundred of our wounded troops, who had been
struck in the late battle. They distributed at
the various stepping places along the Line of the
railroad in the neighbOrhood OF their homes, and
number were transferred to the train going west~
/ ward towards Staunton. Between thirty and forty
were brought TO this city and properly cared for
and disposed of by the Relief Committee. Among
the number of our wounded we were delighted to
recognize private Massenburg of the Thomas Ar
tllery, whom some of our papers had so ruthless'y
| slain. Mr.. Massenburg. though painfully wounded
in the back of the neck by fragment of shell which
knocked him flat his face, in fine spirits, and
said that far from being dead he felt that even
in his wounded condition, he was equal to q dozen
Yankees.
The remains of Lieut.. Edgar Macon, of the same
company, were brought down to Orange Court
House. and there delivered to his friends to be inter-
ed in the family burying ground. Lieut. Macon was
q native Of Orange and grand nephew of President
Madison. From Mr.. Massenburg we learned that,
besides himself, there were seven Of the Thomas
Artillery wounded but all very slightly except
of the drivers named Dixon, whose injuries, it
yesterday morning thought, would prove fatal
Two rs in this train were appropriated to the
transpo ia 10 of wounded Yankees, twenty-three
in number, the majority of whom belonged to Els
worth's Fire ZouaYes. There were among them,
however, great variety of uniforms. One fellow,
with bright red pants and blue jacket, told US he
belong to the 14th Regiment of New York militia.
They were all woundedin the most horrible manner.
and as their wounds had received no attention,
they were in a truly pitiable condition.
Their friends having run Oh and deserted them,
they had lain the field just where their injuries
were received until picked up by our troops and
our surgeons being more thar busy attending to
own wounded, their cases were, OF necessity, post
pOned till after arrival in this city. The most of
them had been shot in the lower extrCmities. One
fellow had both of his legs crushed and several
had one leg broken. One of the ZOuaves present
most dreadful spectacle. A rifle ball entered just
below his right eye. His whole face and head
were so swelled and distorted by Inflammation that
it is no great stretch of language to say that his
own mother ould not have known him.
From another Of EllswOrths Z0uaYes, whose
left leg had been shattered by musket bullet, but
who seemed at the time to be suffering little pain
We derived considerable information. He a
very intelligent fellow, ard disposed to talk. He
told us that there were not ten ZouaYes in the reg
ment of an hundred and fifty who did not rejoice
when Ellsworth was killed; that he was one of the
most brutal and tyrannical men that ever lived that
he never issued sn order without accompanying it
with an oath a kick He also complained that
the Southerners had done great injustice both to
EllswOrth's and Duryea's ZOuaYes, by supposing
them to be composed of the same material as Billy
Wilson's pet Lambs y
On inquiring at what time during the action he
was hurt. and by what Regiment the Z9uaves were
opposed. he SAID he had been wounded during the
second hour of the battle, and captured by and
carried to the of the I'd Regiment of the South
Caronians. This Regiment 1t was, he reports that
annihilated the ZOuaves. He said he had been but
a few moments behind the South Carolinlans before
he was fully convinced that the Yankees could
whip these people. lie says that no description
could do justice to the GOODNESS and nonchalance of
the Palmettos during the most terrible carnage Of
the fight. He says that as the wounded fell and
were borne to the resr though they, in many cases
must have been suffering agony they TESTED and
laughed though nothing had happened, and they
were IN the midst of peace and security.
One demure looking fellow seemed to think his
fate an uncommonly hard one, as the moment he ar
rived on the field, before he had even cooked his
gun, bullet struck him full IN the belly and passed
entirely through him.
These men were carried temporarily to Hlr-
woods factory, where their wounds received the
attention they so much required. To-day they will
probably be removed to the General Hospital. I'm
der any other circumstances, we could not fail to
feel COmmsseration at the sight of so much suffer
ing but when consider what would have been
the fate of ourselves. our homes and families, had
these fellows been triumphant all of our milk of
human kindness becomes acid, and our pity turns
to hate.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE MANASSAS BATTLE-THE
CAPTURE OF sHERNAN's BATTERY.
We have some very interesting and authentic ac-
counts of the battle at Manassas, from an officer
who was in the thickest of the action and who tes-
titles to the extremely courageous and devoted &C.
ton of the Hampton Legion, that held one of the
most important positions in the fight in front of the
deadly fire of Shermans battery.
The infantry companies of the Legion Joined the
lines of battle about o'clock in the morning, hav-
ing marched seven miles, after a hastily snatched
breakfast, to take their part in the general action
In few moments after the line was formed, Colo
mel johnson fell by shet from the battery. lie
instantly killed, the ball striking and tearing
away the upper portion If his head. Col Hampton
himself, assisted by Surgeon Darby and Adjutant
Barker, bore the body from the fire
At this instant, the men missing for q moment
the presence of their commander, cried out 1--WE
have no commander" Capt. Carey, who was com
manding the left wing, suddenlycaled out, Follow
me, Hampton Guards, follow to victOryH The eff
feet of the tones of the command was instant. The
noble and gallant Edgefeld company made a rush
ing charge towards the enemy in advance of the
rest of the Legion nearly three hundred yards and
far the left flank that for a moment they
under the fire of the Washington Artillery. The
Guards advanced to within 100 or 100 PAGES of the
enemy. Unable to maintain their position, they
tired falling backupOn the column of the Legion.
1t was then that Col Hampton, after few thrilling
words at the head of the Legion ordered Its fire
be opened upon the deadly battery that was now
ing down his RAMS.
Nobly and CALAMITY did his men respond. Firing
by file and maintaining their position, they stood