Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-08-03

afterward The following is from the Philadclphia
Ledger of July 2Sd:
DISASTER TO OUR ARMS.
Never has the continent exhibited the sight It old
on Sunday last. Never were assembled on TINS s'oe
of the globe two such hostile forces, and never has
the Republic met with reverse to its arms SO
dspiriting in Its effect Not that the rebel COM
mander if he had been eaterprsing and bold enough
to pursue his advantage might have made 1t much
more disastrous and demoralizng to our forces out
the disappointment which follows from the repuise
of an army which had gone forth so confidently 10
victory, has q most depressing and stunning eheC'
upon the public mind 1t seems scarcely to be real
lied that an army so carefully prepared, so numer-
Gus, so well appointed and so spirited, could march
on to anything but victory And victory, too SEEM
ed almost secured-aready within grasp, when
movement-an accident it may be-wrested 1t from
our troops and turned the wellearned laurelS oi
our troops into the worthless weeds, and compelled
them to leave the field to their almost beaten ioe'
1t is said that the panic which seized the troops
was communicated by q sudden flight of teamsters
and civilians members of Congress, and others out
as spectators of the fight. This may have helped
the panic but the real cause is probably deeper
than that. Our army has been hastily formed, and
men are in high position as officers who have never
seen service OF any kind raw as their troops and al
most rs inexperienced. Such officers have not the
confidence of their men, and have not the qualities
in themselves to secure it. The men lacking conf
dence in the ability of their officers, hight under DIS
advantage for they know not what trap they may
be running into While exhibiting the highest da-
ring and courage, a tr1e may strike them with PAN
ic, and panic is decentralization to the whole army
for the time being and certain defeat
Now is not the time to crticise the military oper-
ations the strategy and the maneuvres Of the Com
mander-in Chief These may have been skillful or
otherwise future facts will show their true charac-
ter But one great mistake on our part has been
in undertaking the power of resistance of the Rebels
their resources and their courage. They have been
preparing for many months for this contest. They
have an abundance of small arms, immense amount
of cannon; their troops at Manassas amounted to
90, 600 men, with the railroad trains in their rear
continually at work pouring in fresh troops during
the whole progress of the fight. They therefore
of outnunlbered nearly two to one g y the Federal
force they chose their ground and every foot
it that army expected to pass over, strongly
fortified As TO their courage it must be remembered
that they race, not physically perhaps as
strong but equally intelligent and what is of great
er Importance longer under training to give firmness
to their courage and assurance to their SKILL besides
being differed with some of the best military talent
in the army and navy. With such foe as this it is
not advisable to rush on without adequate preFara
tion and without force equal to any emergency re-
Quired. Ignorant presumption may cry out impa-
tiently, "On to Richmond" but there must be
means at hand greater than the resistance, or the
pathway to Richmond will be lined with he'gravcs
Of our soldiers. Congress has authorized force Of
half million of men. Let that number Of troops
be raised properly differed, and this disgrace to our
arms will be wiped out, and the integrity of the
Union be secured.
A correspondent of Forney's Philadelphia Press
gives an account of the battle, from which make
the following extracts:
Gas we drew nearer the field evidences of death
were more striking. About half a mile from the
immediate scene of hos.ies the first shelter for the
wounded had been obtained. \ low white frame
house stood the side of road covered with
few trees, surrounded by garden o: blooming roses
neatly enclosed in rough white pailings. was the
house of plain Virginia farmer but the necessities
of war converted his home into an hospital The
well in front was guarded by soldiers. The cham
bers, the kitchen, the parlour the porch and the
shade under the trees were occupied by wounded
men, some moaning sadly, some hearing their ago
pies in heroic silence, and others beSeechng the doc
tor to place them out of the reach of pain, and
casionay one asking family for cup of water. In
the meantime the doctors rar: hither and thither,
binding, trepanning, amputaing, probing and soOth
ing, assisted by the old YIrginian blunt specimen
OF son of the Old Dominion, who, assisted by his
family, assduouS to relieve the miserles of that
fearful day. The soldiers had crawed round his
WELL and broke IN his fences, and his house
The flowers no longer bloomed in the garden, but
crushed and broken they gave forth their fragrance
under the ieet of the soldiers Where the roses had
grown in the morning, dead men lay at noon.
As noon approached, it was evident the battle
would be general. Regiment after regiment wheel
ed fIom the column, and on the right and left and
front the sound Of firing became more and more
incesSant. The anxiety among those in the vicinity
was intense. 1t was evident that the battle would
be holly contested; that the SeceSsionSts far
more numerous than we had expected, and that.
with the advantage Of a strongly defended natural
position artillery of wonderful range and well prac-
ticed gunners, they would not give the United
States forces victory except at the most fearful
cost Our men had driven them from a field into
the woods, and from the woods into field beyond,
and road which crossed between the woods which
skirted the extreme line of the battle field.
As the hours passed on, the fight became more
and more terrific. The fortunes of the day began
to waver especially as the Federal troops did not
seem to gain any material advantage, and only made
their advances slowly, labourously and at great
loss of life. The rebels were strongly entrenched
behind masked batteries of rifled cannon They
seemed to be innumerable Again and again our
men charged upon them, only to find when they had
dislodged them in one place they had reappeared IN
another, until at last the Federal soldiers were COM
PEELED to fall their faces to avoid the swift mes
sengers of DEATH 1t was found too, that the rebel
forces largely outnumbered those of the Republic.
The fight continued until after five o'clock without
exhibiting any material result The rebels had most
decidedly the advantage in position and guns, and
they used it with fearful effect The bravery of our
troops was superhuman, but what bravery could
meet the unerring and nnccasing cannon which came
sweeping FROM almost every tree or heap of brush?
Our men unmasked them, battery upon battery, only
to find their lessened ranks unequal to the task
A retreat was commenced by New York regiment
and very soon became general. In vain General Nc
Dowell endeavoured to rally his forces. They re-
treated to the Centrevile road in good order until
charged upon by the Secession cavalry and artillery
when they broke their lines and pushed toward Fair
fax CourtHU in a dsorderly column"
THREE CHEERS FOR MARYLAND Maryland had
regiment in the battle at Manassas The Richmond
Dispatch says:
HTba Norylond Roo;r,o,t :. ....-.- III 4,