Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-20

ported missing are supposed to be Killed OF
taken prisoners
Killed. Wounded. Missing. Total.
Second Regiment Connec. :,
ticut Volunteer IL
First Regiment Connecti. -
cut volunteers. ...-.-. ~
Third Regiment Connect. 81.
cut Volunteers. ..... IL - CD
Second Regiment Maine ga
Prisoners, Killed and
wounded Of Second
Maine Reginent......
In addition to the above reported loss Of the
Second Maine Regiment, Lieutenant Skinner,
Surgeon Allen and his son, while assisting the
wounded were taken prisoners. The aggre'
gate loss Of this gallant regiment was, there
fore, l74 out of $40, which was the complete
strength on going into action. 1t was itnpossl'
BILE to obtain exact returns OF my brigade On
the morning Of the 21st, but / am certain Its
aggregate strength was about $500 men. we
captured fifteen of the enemy, and brought
six prisoners to Washington. In concluding
the account Of the battle i am happy to be
able to add that the conduct Of the First bril-
gade First division was generally excellent
The troops composing it need only instruction
to make them as good as any in the world
l take the liberty to add, in continuation OF
this report, that the three Connecticut req.
ments, and a part Of the Second Maine Volun-
teers, Of my brigade, left their camps near
Centreville at about ten o'clock A. NJ, by order
of General Tyler, and arrived at Camp Mellow
ell, six and q half miles from the Potomac, at
dawn of day the morning after the battle. The
camps of my four regiments and that OF one
COMPANY of cavalry Wero standing, and during
the day | learned that tho Chic camp, a nile
and 4 quarter this way, was vacant OF troops,
and the camp Of the New York Second had
only a guard of fifty or sixty men LETT IN tt
| Not wishing the enemy to get possession o. $50
many standing tents and such an abundance OF
camp eouipagc, I ordered my brigade to retreat
no further until all the public property should
be removed. The rain fell in torrents all the
22d. The men were excessively fatigued, anc
we had only eleven wagons. Brigade Quarter.
master Hodge made two journeys to the city
to obtain transportation, but with four or i've
exceptions, the drivers refused to come out
Over eleven wagons were kept in motion, ane
at nightfall the troops were drenched to TIE
skin and without shelter. So leaving guards
at the regimental camps Of my brigade, |
moved forward with the bulk OF the Thlrc
Connecticut regiment, and by eleven o'clock at
night the majority were housed in the Ohio
and New York camps. b.,
We kept good watch through the night, and
early in the morning of the Esd inst, Quarter
master General Meigs sent out long trains oil
wagons, and Brigade Q~uarternaster Hodge
walled sir miles 10 Alexandria and brought
I'd a train Of cars, aud the work Of removal
proceeded with vigor. As early as at hait'Past
i've o'clock P. NJ, the last thing Of value hac
been removed and sent forward to the ansunt
Of IT'S four horse wagon loads. The order 10
fall in was then given, and the brigade marched
in perfect order, every man with his hrelock,
and at sunset bivouacked near Fort Corcorar.
acknowledge great Indebtedness to Brigade
Q~uartermaster Hodge. But for his untirlns
exertions in procuring the means OF transPof-
tation nearly all OF the public property must
have been abandoned. The men Of the differ
| ent regiments labored with extraordinary zeal,
considering their great fatigue, and they merit
the highest praise. I had given permission to
about one hundred sick and lame to limp for
ward in advance, and about an equal number
of towards and rccreants had fed without per.
mission. The balance Of my brigade, faithful
and laborious, stood by, and t.ey may claim
the right to teach that it is unmanly to destroy
the public property and base to abandon it to
the enemy except in cases Of the EXTREMIST
necessity. / have the honor to be, sir, your
most obedient servant.
E. D. KEYES.
Colonel Eleventh Infantry,
Commanding First Brigade First Division.
MAJOR BARNARp'S OFFICIAL REPORT.
WAsuINGToS, July 20, 1851.
Can't. E. B. FRY, Assistant Adjutant General
S1E-On the 18th of July at about mine A.
NJ, l Joined the commanding General abouttwo
miles beyond Fairfax Courthouse, on the road
to Centreyille. He was then about going 10
| Sangster's, and invited me to attend him. Not
understanding his journeyto have the char,
actcr of a reconnaissance, but as simply to
communicate with the division Of Col. Heintzel.
man. I preferred accompanying the division OF
General Tyler at Centreville.
Proceeding to Centreyille, l joined Captain
| Alexander (Engineer) a short distance out on
the road leading to Blackburn's ford. He was
at this time preparing to encamp his pioneer
party, and it was my intention, as soon Us the
troops should be fixed in their position, to pro,
pose to General Tyler to make q reconnaissance
of the enemy's position at Blackburn's ford.
Il should be borne in mind that tho plan OF
the campaign hadboen to turn the position OF
Manassas BY the left-that is to say, that from
Fairfax Court House and Centreville we were
to make q flank movement towards Sangster's
and Fairfax station, and thence to Vol run
shoals, or in that direction. In my interview
with the commanding General just referred to,
he said nothing to indicate any change o fplan,
but on the contrary, his remarks carried the
impression that he was more than ever confirm
cd in his plan, and spoke Of the advance on
Centreville as a demonstration"
In proposing, therefore, to reconnoitre the
epemy's position at Blackburn's ford, it was
not with the slightest idea that this point
would be attacked. But q reconnaissance would
be the carrying cut OF u demonstration" .
While l vas awaiting Captain Alexander
encountered Matthias O.. Mitchell, who was at.
forwards secured as a guide. Representing
himself as a Union man and a resident Of that
vicinity, I was engaged questioning him when
intelligence was received that Gen. Tyler had
sent back for artillery and infantry, and that
the encmy was in sight before him. Riding to the
front I Joined Gen. Tyler and Col. Richardson.
Proceeding with them a shot distance further,
we emerged from the woods, and found our
selves at the point at which the road CON-
mences it's descent to Blackburn's ford. The
run makes here a curve or bow to-
wards US, which the road bisects. The
slopes from us towards it were gentle and
mostly open. On the other side the banks of
the run rise more abruptly and are wooded
down to the very edge Of the run. Higher up
a cleared spot could be seen here and there,
and still ~higher-higher than our own point OF
view, and only visible from its sloping gently
towards us-the elevated plateu, comparative
ly open, 10 which Manassas junction is sit.
uated. Although, owing to the thickness of
the wood, little could be seen along the edge
of the run, it was quite evident, from such
glimpses as we could obtain, that the enemy
was in force behind US.
| represented to General Tyler that this
point was the enemy's strong position, on the