M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-08-01
Battle OF B,ackburn Ford.


vile, three miles east of Manassas
Junction, was the Fourth Brigade OF
the first division (Gen. Tylers). The
Brigade was commenced by Col. j.
b. Richardson, OF tho I'd Michigan
Regiment, and consisted Of the fol.
losing Regiments:
First Massachusetts, Col. Cowden.
Second Michigan. Col. Richardson.
Third Michigan, Col. McCOnel.
Twelfth New York, Col. Walrath.
These all belonged to the advance
nf the grand army, marching on Ma.
nass Junction and Richmond, and
first came in sight Of the enemy at II
o'clock, A. NJ, on the top Of a hill
commanding Blackburn Ford, which
crosses Bulls Run, a small stream
,;nptying into 0ccoquan Creek. The
enemy were entrenceed behind piece
"t woods with q breastwork mounted
with rihed cannon. They had also
advanced skirmishers out in front,
and in sight of our troops coming up
the road, at II miles distant.
At the same moment, our army
opened fire with two rihed cannon at
lached to Richardson's Brigade. Sew.
raj shots were fired before the enemy
returned the fire, when they opened
their batteries, sweeping the road by
which the army was advancing. The
two first shells struck our battery, and
ploughed up the ground under the
guns. Our forces continued cannon.
aiding until the enemy stopped firing,
when they also ceased.
Col. Richardson, in command oftho
Brigade, then ordered out a picked
force of $50 skirmishers, under Capt.
Bretzsneider, Of the Second Michigan
Regiment. He directed the skirmish.
ers to move on halfa mile to the front
and about the same distance from the
woods, and to sweep the woods. Col,
B. also then moved up the First Mas
sacbusetts Regiment, and as sovn as
they were in line, ordered tie skir.
mishers forward, aud deployed them
so as to sweep the woods in front oI
the enemy's batteries. The Massa.
chusetts Regiment had no sooner got
in position, than the skirmisbers ad-
vanced into the woods.
The enemy then instantly opened a
rolling fire OF musketry, which sue.
ceeded the cannonade, and continued
for several hours.
1t apparently came from the whole
force Of the enemy, concealed behind
the batteries and not in the woods,
but not in sight. The little body OF
skirmisher's stood firm to a man, with
the balls whizzing around and among
like a storm of hail-stones. They de.
scribe the noise Of the leaden missiles
as something almost deatening. The
surging of The Minnie bullets as they
cut the air in perfect hurricane, from
thousand of rebel rifles, at once, was
prodigious. Under this tremendous
fire, the skirmishers stood, unable to
advance, not to retreat. Men after
men fell in their midst.
Gen. Tyler, commanding the entire
front division Of the army, at this
juncture gave an order to Capt. Ayres
U. S. Artillery, to bring up two -
pound howitzers, which took position
on the left of the 1st Massachusetts
regiment, and advanced into an open.
ing in the woods. Gen. Tyler also
ordered squad Of U. S. Dragons up
in the rear Of the skirmishers, in the
edge of the woods. The battery
opened upon the enemy, but was in-
stanty answered by cross fire from
two other batteries, not before heard
from, sweeping the road in two differ
ent directions. The officer command.
ing our little battery asking for sup
port, Col. Richardson ordered up the
18th New York regiment on his LETT,
and directed Col. Walrath, command.
ing them, to move his regiment in
line Of battle Oh the left of the section
Of artillery. At the same tune he
directed the End and 3rd Michigan
regiments to form in line of battle to
the right Of the 1st Massachusetts, reg.
ime1t.
When Col. Richardson came back
from seeing this order executed, he
found the 18th New York already 10
full retreat, unable TO stand the ire.
mendods cross fire of cannon and mus.
kerry which poured into the whole
brigade from the enemy. The New
York troops could not see the battery,
which was masked one. and hence
they lost for the time being that cool.
ness which alone can enable any army
to maintain their ranks in the hour OF
battle. Only two companies Of the
New York 18th retained their firm.
ness, falling back slowly and in good
order. All the rest broke and fell
back in great disorder and precipitate.
ly to the rear OF Ayre's battery on the
hill, where the action was first com.
'menced from our side. They could
cok ho .oll;oJ ,rk;I ktop boJ f,II,,