Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-08-02
Our Volunteers in the BATTLE of the
TWENTY -irst.


Perhaps the most distressing, certainly the
most mortifying circumstance in the accounts
which we yesterday had of the battle of the
2lst Of July, was that our army was represen-
ted as abandoning itself to transport of cow
ardly fear, and running away from the enemy.
The more correct statements of to-day, meagrc
as they are, put very different face on the af-
| fair. The first stories Of the dreadful carnage
and the shameful fight were told by persons
who went out as spectators Of the engl re-
ment, and who, half frightened to death them
selves, innocently magni!ied both the fright of
others and the disasters Of the day. Nothing SO
| bewiIdcrs the imagination and Ellis it.with emp
| ,y phantoms as the passion of fegE.,r, ~,
On looking,Ove such OF tLe latgE accounts
as we have of the battle, we see that our men
behaved gallantly and noblyi 2tanding their
ground like experienced troops while their
comrades wera everywhere. falling around
them, and rushing, when the order was given,
upon the batteries of the enemy with fury
and impetuosity which the rebels were unable
/ to resist. Meyer did men affront danger with
a more heroic, courage. Three of the enemy s
batteries, while they were dealing death among
our ranks, were caFricd in this manneri and the
rest would have been IS successivcly occupied by
| impetuous assault, If the number,o troops ell
gagged OH our side had borne any nypT0portion TO
those by which theywere withsteoL
1t may not bee out of place to menionhere
remark make by ON eye witness Of the,Cri-
mean war in conversation with Senator VIII
sou and gentleman Of this city. Mr. Rus
sell, Of the London Times, said to them, that
not at Inkernann, nor at any. other place dar-
| ing the war Of the Crimca, had he seen such
brilliant and gallant charges as our troops
made in carrying the batteries; of the enemy.
1t was not until, upon the junction of j ohm
ston'5 forces with those Of Beauregard, swell
| ing their number TO ninety thousand men, the
enemy came pouring upon our army like
flood, sweeping us by mere force Of numbers
before them, that our gallant soldiery gave
way. They gnve way. but it was not flight
| it was retreat before numbers so over
whe,ming that it would have been madness to
attempt keeping their ground. They retreat.
ed as the most renowned warriors whom the
world has ever seen might have retreated.
The retreat was effected in calm and deIib-
crate order; the panic and flight, Of which so
much has been made, took place only among
the followers of the army, the spectators Of
the battle and the struggling soldiers not in
the engagement, and were occasioncd by q
sudden charge OF about two hundred of the
enemys cavalry, who dashed in among the
baggage wagons. ..-.. -.,..
! All the while our soldiers were sustaining q
murdcrous fire, capturing the hostile batteries
and waging an unequal combat With increas-
| ing numbers of thyir foes, they suffered under
| oI, b.v,
bOldest and best disciplined veterans. they
were weary with q long march, the sun was
pouring his beams upon thom with tropical
ierceness, they had tdsted nothing oil day bnt
dry biscuit, and for nine hours had not pOis
tened their lips With water. That volunteers
under such circumstances-men wholly new
to war-should hsye behaved themselves with
such steady gallantry is certainly most mar'
vicious. u. '.'-
| What now remains is TO make the best of
the disaster which, our troops have suffered in
this first Of their great BATTLES. 1t will not
surprise us to hear soon that Geneml Tyler
.ias allowed himself to be betrayed, by his
love Of adventure, into The indiscFetion of be-
ginning the asttR befOrs receiving orders. from
his superior officer. II will appear, we be.
lieve, that General Patterson has been mex
cusably rcmiss in allowing General johnson
to push on and l9ln his force with that Of
Beauregard, witkaRt paking any vigorous at
tempt to delay his march. But Of the valor
Of our volunteers there is fortunatcly no dppbt,
and every new piece of intelligence that We
receive from the Virginia side makes this more
clear. But the disaster we have suffered
should be repaired by new exeptiOns and npR
sacrifices. 1t has already, If, we have rightly
observed the current Of public feeling, added
new vigor to the general discrimination to
prosecute the war with all the means which
ProYjdence has put into ogr bands, till the
! ConRtitution is vindicated and the laws obey
cd. All our resources are still left vs-those
OF the enemy are not increased--ana II we
fail 10 put forth the energy which the occasion
/ degands, we shall deserve to become the scOrn
oG nations.-N. Y. Post.