The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-08-07
Hon. Albert G. Riddles Account Of
the RaIiIe Of Manassas.

the Battle Of Manassas.
Tho Cleveland Leader. the chic Republican
organ of the Reserve, publishes the following !
extracts from letter written by Hon. Albert .
G. Riddle, the member of Congress from the
Cleveland district in this State to gentiemsa
in that city \E & ii
wAsHISaros, Monday Evening,( u
~ Iuly "a, 1861.
Although about 10 o'clock, think
may as well commence giving you some de.
tail of what saw upon the battlefield. l n
shall attempt no account Of the battle, for that
was the strangest and most nHaccountable
tranSsetion ever heard OF, and it would seem as
flour men, after beating the rebels, started and
run away from them, aud thus nearly destroyed I
our entire army. .5 Al -r-.tI "a .-s....- r-fE
Mr. Blake and Mr.. Morris OF the House,
Thomas Brown OF the Ohio Farmer, and l.
started about o'clock yesterday morning with
passes from Gen, Scott, to 60 to our army, !
whose Headquarters were at Centreyille, about
| 27 miles toward Manassas We had baskets
Iof.provisions and heavy armament Of navy re.
.eyalvers, carriage aud driver SC. Alter we
had been at Centreyille an hour or SO, heavy
cannonadng was commenced sonewhete on
/ the ground that our right occuped-Schenck
! and his brigade-at first at intervals very long
and about three miles from us but althous h we
! we're on very high ground, that overlooked ey,
| cry thing, The. region was heavily wooded, and
j We could see nothing but the smoke as it rose.
I We, al hough SO near, could hear nothing OF
| the details, and toward four we started with
our carriage toward the battle field, passed an
innumerable baggage train then commencing TO
move, and 50 on, We began to meet soldiers and
others coming back, who told US that We had
| - n
driven the enemy off.
! Atathree miles or so we approached the
ground where the battle had commenced under
Schenck, opened by the Grays who skirmished
splendidly, as was told. We finally came mp
to farm house, used asa temporary hospital,
where the wounded were brought in, and then
| we began to see the trightiul marks Of actual
D conflict. Beyond this was wood half or three
3 quarters OF a milo through, and it was posted
the End Ohio The irst were further on with
Schenck and Sherman's Battery Our main
army that had fought were still further on, and
Il on lower ground. We saw a group OF PRISON
ers taken by the 2nl Ohio We understood
y our batteries-some o. fthem-were just through
these woods and we went forward. The bat
!, tie seemed over and we had driven them. A
few cannon were fired at intervals, one OF which
VI to our left seemed not very far of, which sup
posed was one Of ours. As we went forward
word reached us that just ahead and nearthe
fire, TIVE men were just killed by a cannon ball,
and went forward and examined them, and
: still did not suppose that they were killed by
!. the gun nearest US, for supposed that to be
ours. ~
"a They ware New York men, badly nanged,
and were Just drawn near each other, with
u their caps put over ther faces. ... B. .-.
W While at this point, | several times heard a
barn lv
q the air. coming from the direction Of the near
est gun, and began to think it was the enemy's
battery cannonading that particular place, ant
g 50 it was; but why it was left alone at thai
5, point did not then know nor do | now
lie only know that the balls came nearer and near
ID err till one came that | thought must pas
e where Blake and / stood,--it was just lev
y. feet forward Of us, and struck just to our right
es Thinking we might have been seen, and ou
ID little group made special mark, we withdTeV
to more sheltered point; and soon after retur
T. ned back toward the hospital, near which wa
l. our carriage. ...... ...........- ...s ...
he We went back to that--the Hospital nj
n looked upon the wounded, heard strange stor
Of les. and saw strange sights We observed tha
y the soldiers seemed drifting, rather than march
or ing in any order back toward Centreville. and
n remembered that saw Sberman's guns IN tn
y, woods, limb red up and headed the same way
n | also heard it several times remarked, that th
ng sollieps in the woods had been ordered back
why knew not, but supposed for better thr'
as the night, perhaps for water. We began I
e think and feel that we had better return, bu
K could not find one of our party-Morris. /
OF fact, our waiting for him hked to have been PEI
he petual for us all We finally found him, got int
our carriage and began TO go back;-got just t
OF the hospital, when sitting Oh the front seat, an
a looking out to the SOUTH / saw body OF drs
be goons dash around the coine- the woods, an
I'm wheel and plunge down toward us. Just {
at this moment a hall dozen Of our soldiers mo-
IN ing on without order or officers, rushed up
lge the fence to FIRE on them. knew then the
ion were rebel cayalry. On they came to with
pa fifteen rods OF US perhaps. They drew up an
the delivered rattling yoey from their carbn
ION among US, we being exactly in 'front.' Wheth'
ed, they hit any of our folks know not. o.
It's, boys that mentioned as running up to Il
an fence, returned the fire, and from their delibe
W ation must have hit some Of them. The rebe
rec ter firing wheeled, and ran back the wi
en- they came, There were perhaps forty OF the
on mot more. %. .,4...s ..- .+t
liar THE PANIC. ...
ect Just as the dragons turned back, a c.
/ OF was raised that the BLACK Horse" formid
in BILE body Of rebel cavalry, (and these were pa
ers Of tham,) were charging upon US, and~ it seem
wise as il the very devil Of panic and cowardice 81
ITO zed every mortal soldier, officer, citizen al
on teanster No officer tried to rally the sodle
sed or do anything, except to spring and run
ion, wards CentrevlIle. There never was anytni
Itu. like il for causeless, Sheer absolute, absu
cowardice, or rather panic, on this mserat
ion earth before! &C. g.,a srrs.r .-s,..l-ra-...
Off they went, one and all; off down t
. highway, over across fields, towards the WOO
ga anywhere, everywhere, to escape. Whether
communicated back to the soldiers in the wooc
's and so on back to the regiments who had j.
rit- driven off the rebels, do not know, but thi
OIL it did to part Of them, for share Of our arr
AN, seems to have been demoralized, il not brok
on, up al a5es srlv-s sn aa g-s
on, Well the further they ran, the more frighte
am, ed they grew, and although we moved on
lio) rapidly as we could, the fugitives passed MS
scores 10 enable them better to run, th
ley, threw away their blankets knapsacks. ca
SIN, teens, and finally, muskcts, cartridge box
on, and everything else. nvs ss ss 5.
A. We called to them, tried to tell them tn,
Ter, wassno danger, called them to stop, imploI
Ell them to stand. We called them towards,
nk nouneed them in the most offensive terms, I
or- out our heavy reyoyers and threatened
ND shoot them, but all n vain; cruel crazy, mi
We hopeless panic possessed them; and communi
Or ted to every body about, in front and rear. 1
'oy, teamsters all turned their heavy wagons, a
tid- lashed their horses to o run, and mixed q
lei- mingled with a crowd Of running foetmen ci
ste. zsns and horsemen all raised an obscuri
Up. cloud Of dust; and thus the tide filed the