The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-08
EXPLANATION OF SKETCH.


A. The columns Of the enemy making the fent attack
on the centre of the Confederate lines.
b, b. Tue columns VI the enemy So 900 strong making
the real attack On the left OF the Confederate lines
Manassas Junction, with Confederate troops holding
the fortified camp
The 5000 Confederate troops who fought the battle
and defeated the IS 900 iederals who attacked them.
The centre OF the Confederate lines. battery in
position
4. Positions OF troops forming the Confederate
lines, where they we're kept in line meet an advance
from ally quarter 1t Is that some reinforce
ments were sent down from these positions Join the
Eight On Tho left.
SIS. Railroads which make the junction at Manassas
NoIE-From the extreme left to the extreme right Of
our lines, which formed nearly true circle the dis
tauce ten miles; but whether this distance was
measured by the arc or directly across from right to left
IL not clear.
ANOTHER REBEL ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE.
ttrom the Richmond Despatch, July 20
Although more than week las passed since the great
battle OF Manassas and the public have daily been fur
nished with done on that bloody held
there yet remains much TO DO told
The following statement was prepared by distn.
gsshed officer who bore conspicuous part on the field
q battle on the 2lst OF July
THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
RICHMOND, July 81, 1851.
may not be unacceptable TO- your readers TO learn
something OF the battle Of Manassas from eye wtness
who had better opportunities Of observation perhaps,
than any one else The drst gun fred by the
enemy was at 0vo minutes past six O'Clock In
the morning, batteries opening against our cen.
tire a. fcns 10 conceal the movement against
our left short time afterwards General Johnston and
General Bearegard with their staff rode OF to the nearest
point OF elevation and observation convenient the
centrc, and there awaited Developments whilst the
hail whstled around and them. singular mis-.
conception seems TO pervade the public mind which has
not yet been corrected that Gen Beauregard fought
battle and that General Johnston yielded preconceivcd
plans Whilst, according 70 General Beaureeard all the
merit TO which no enttled-and there does live
more gallan, gentleman and officer nor one for whom
have higher admiration Gcneral--u IL due 70 Gen.
eral Johnston 70 say that he planned the battle
TALLY man of Judgment, General Johnston has
risked during the campaign any battle where chances
were
dered 70 backward from Harpers Ferry from Bunkers
Hin, FROM Darksvle ard from Winchester,
dispute the sagscy which planned all the move.
ments. To have rIsked battle by attacking superior
numbers, enang defeat upon would doubtless have
crushed our proud republic In Its inception When Gen.
era Johnston (wbo has always been In correspondence
with General Besuregard In regard TO tho junction OF the
armies, and who FOR weeks has also pointed out to the
Presdent the absolute necessity Of such movemens
cved orders 10 form the junction came At fortunate
monent when Patterson had movea 20 tnsr,es s
hs power 10 attack the Only ten thousand OF
column arrived In time for the battle but they were
enough.
To return however, to the battle Our line extend
cd distance OF eight miles, 10 position nearly
assimilstng semi circle On Saturday night General
Johnston assumed command and nearly the entire night
was consumed by the stan 0f both generals In writing
orders to the different brgades to prepare for forward
movement III the morning General Beauregard's plans
carried out 10 great measure and the rout
OF the would have been more signal and doubtless
Washington would now he in our possession II our attack
had not been converted defence by this movements
of the enemy We intended about eight o'clock,
and they commenced their attack beOre our movement
could be From letter written by one Of tho enc
my, dated July 90 nne p. NJ and afterwards found by
the writer their position was taken and movements com
menCed at that hour.
To understand the battle you must know that line
faced towards Bull run, and immediately back OF u,
defending the various BY turning flank tb,
line Of battle was changed 10 direction perpendicular
to the one which had assumed, ara com
mencng at our left extended back for :. mile and q
quarter When tho muskctry betrayed the ,cat in the
meal tub" away went the Generals nd their staff fly ing
upon the wings OF the wind TO the Of action
distant three niles Inc nry was rolling ono, thick
ly nterspersed WIN Pr thickes, and the battle ground
was an open valley hill upon each side, rising some
100 feet low ground and distant from each othe
about cog yards. The struggle was an alternate move
| ment OF regiments When the head Of McDowel's col
ump reached Sudeys spring. ford much higher than
Wus anticipated they would cross, as the stone brdg
was the point were defending upon our extreme eit
quietly they sneaked along, getting in behind us, unit
discovered believe, by General Evans brigade, wh
Then In quick succession the cnemys regiments deploye
IN inc TO their right whilst ours came pr Tn our ieIi
The grew hot and hssyyp them ~ M m
bering rs 600 whue 5000 slowly bu, snraIv rho 'o w
sinnns "xeit on its march pressing our line ''' ~
weight of NUMBERS aud moving @, ~scY Sy Ii
us in tic year Calamity, however, did our arm
struggle for the rle and despite q" 49, cs...s. .s
regiment threw Itself ~ the way dspu,ng The group
inch by inch, regardless the fact that predeees sor
mad been cut 10 pieces or d.. persed battery hara,s
ng our limos the Eighth Geofs regiment ordered 4
ke u, and right well did they a. so; bat myriad
concealed and pouring IN their Are ~ On or colmD
sonne 70 melt away Ike snow beneath summers sun
iooHl sAdp2r was here shot down and tak>n prisoner
but Afterwards reaken by men later In the Ni1y.
The Eighth compelled TO retreat with nearly ,sf its
number wounded killed the attack OF the enemy was
met BY the brigade Of General Bee composed Mssssh
pans and Aabamans, and one regiment, think Of Ten.
nesseeans Later In the day Colonel Ilagtow was shot
pear TINS spot while leading the Seventh Georgia ragi
mept commanded by Colonel Garirell General Bee =
brigade could not withstand The fierce tornado OF shot
ana shell sweeping through It's ranks and slowly re.
tiref lighting bravey all the time Tie Fourth Alabama
regiment suffered terribly, all OF It's field officers being
SHOT down. and two Colonel Jones and Major SCOTT left
upon the field Colonel Jones captured but after
wards retakep during the rolt Falling back upon ,hs
position taken by Mmp,ons legion whose prowcss can
clearly be shown by the heaps o dead front Of Their
Ine n'oHeEtary check was thrown the enemys ap-
preach -
They had now retreated to the brow of the hill where
tbe brigade OF General jackson lying ysrd aud III
was The most critical point OF the day. Fighting II z
hours rnder hot ss without drop u water near The
conduct OF our men could not be exceiled HIT human
entrrances has s bounds and all seemed sbou, 10 ne
o~ Our reserve was yet mes distant from the sceae
o action, Whilst the enenys Kept press ne on
From The knoll near the Lewis House The two generals
bad renamed anxious spectators OF the conflict bat the
time hn come for action and punFing their snurs INTO
the quick footed steeds away generals and
stan into the ihickest Of the AgB Coiprg up er, 30 lie
Aabsmians, who were without field 0nloer General
Johnston placed the color bearer by his horses side and
moved ontach and all Of the saf with the generals
yiene with each other words OF encouragement 10 the