Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-09

Ths rsturn Of the Ohio regiments TO Washington
made necessary by the fact that their term Of service
having they are at once 10 bs seat home 10 DO
mustered out Of service
Not having been able to obtain yet complete salts
factory returns Of q. the casualties In the battle in the
different corps Of my brigade shall reserve the list Of
than for separate report, which will furnish a. soon
ar practicable. / am. very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
ROBERT SCHENCK,
Brigader-Genersl
COL RICHARDSON'S OFFICIAL RrPoRT
o,v, oy TUE FoyRru BRraApr OF TYLIR's DIVISION AND
Grs KcDowrLLs CoRrs.
Near Arlington, July IS, 1881.
GrrRlI:-I have the honor to submit the following
a 20 the operations of my brigade in front Of the
enemy at Bull Run, on Sunday, July 81. On the night
Of Juiy aO was summoned TO attend meeting OF com
msnders Of brigadss at the headquarters OF the com
handing officer in the field Of Gen. Mcdowell and, IN
common with the other commanders oil origades
| was instructed As TO whatwn expected OF my
particular command on the following day-tbat Is,
| [ was 10 defend the position which l then ocsu'
MED In front of the enemy, called the Blackburn
Ford and about one mile in bis front, where he
had been for the last three days was aso ordered TO
oonsider myself under the maud OF Col ID. Miles,
United States Army, who was TO command bis own
brigade at Centrevlls, As well a. my own and that oil
Col Davies midway between the two--thcse three
briQsdss constituting what was then called the 70
serve Attached to my brigade was the teld battery
Of Major Hun U. g. Army, and also the risd battery
of ten pounders under Lieut. Green United States Ar
N.Y. was to open FIRE the enemy for the purpose OF
making diversion not before, but soon after hearing
the report Of Gen. Tylers cannonade on my right TO
carry which purpose made the following disposition
OF the brigade: The two batteries placed upon the
ridge of tie hill In view of the enemy; the Third Mich
gin Infantry, on the left Of the road in line Of battle
Still further, six hundred yards to the left 4 COM
handing bill had placed, the day before, two compa
mics of the First Massachusetts, Regiment for the pur-
pose of occupying log barn and frame barn, which
companies pushed Pickes still further 70 our LETT Tor the
security OF tina. point which considered good posi-
ton for artillery. In ravine half way between the 20.
sitons placed also company Of the ls Massachusetts,
regiment which pushed pickes down the ravins to It's
'front.' and the extreme right Of all placed the bal
ance of the Massachusetts, regiment In line Of battle,
with two companies Of that regiment pushed 400 yards
TO the right and 'front.' which two companies again threw
pickots in advance.
The New York and I'd Michigan regiments placed in
the road 500 yards in the Of the line reserve
Soon after making these arrangemsnts which did on
hearing the report OF our artillery on the right Col Da-
,ies brigade made iu appearance with him at Its head
and nqurng Of mo the date Of my commission, found
that he ranked by wo days and he assumed the
msnd. That ofcer wished good position for artillery
10 open, and Immediately proposed the position
sh, the Lighthouse, from which good view Of .
large stone house-caled by the people of the country
tho snemy's headquarters-might be obtained. Dol.
Davies brought up with him the riAed 40 FOUNDER bat
terry Of Lieut. Benjamin. and ordered it to open FIRE i'm
mediately He directed also Hunts battery TO his
sstance and ordered Green's battery to open IL fire
the same time. The enemy appeared to have Withdrawn
his guns from that position be returned no fro or he
might have been reserving hs fire for the last attack
An hours cannonadng, however, brought In view co..
umn Of the enenys infantry which observed with my
glass, Of at least g 500 men, and soon kfter two
other bodies OF men, Of at least q regiment each,
who now occupied the lines the other side
Of the Run, which lines now appeared full to ovsr
flowing. SupposiDg now that they intended to make
push front in column, would sndssvor to
turn our left about IL m, began to fory my posi-
ton by throwing up esrthen psrape for three guns
With embrasures across the road and commenced an
absts of timber, by telling trees, pointing outward be-
tween thi battery and the log house to the left About
this time the enemy the opposite side appeared be
falling back in confusion from right attack which
tinusd for some time and then the tide changed and
they seemed TO be returning in large Masses Al the in
tervs between these two extremes ] was ordered by
Col d. g. Miles to throw forward my skirmisbers and
feel the enemy, and accordingly companies of the
Sd Michigan Regiment were sent forward and down the
ravine to cover front and advances These we're sup
ported by Capt Rrutchsmeders light infantry battalion
which also advanced down thu ravpe accompanied by
Lisut. Prime, corps Of United States Engineers, who
went for the purpose Of ascerainrg the enemys posi-
tion-he volunteering his services for that particular
purpose. COL Davies also threw forward company Of
administers on bis right The ersmya skirpish-
ers we're In force in the woods In front, aod
covered themselves with trees and rifle pits which had
bsen thrown up before. Our two advances companies
we're driven back, the enemy pursued and in
driven bask By the spherical shot of Green's battery
and ordered back the infantry, and also the two
panies, 10 the former position. The company in front
Of Col DAyiess command retired about the time
By p. had the battery and tie tbstis nearly coIp
pleted making my deferoes the abort tae
and few implements used would allow. No enemy ap.
peared in force In my front with disposition assault
bu, about this time heavy column of infantry appeard
10 the left Of Col. Davies, in ravite moving up the
attack This brigade opened heavy FIRE upon them and
gianty drove than back, he informed me afterwsrd
During this firing, which wa, shortly after O'Clock,
recsived orders from Col Miles, through of his staff
to retreat upon Ceutreyle and endsavor TO hold that
posi ion. mms iatey collected my brigade and put il
10 motion on the road toward Centtfe and was ct the
head Of the I'd Michigan Regiment in rear Of the brigade
when STAG officer proposed p pc 70 throw my regiment
in line toward the enemy, between the house occupied
the night before by Hunts battery, and the Unon and
Osnrevils rosd, upon which road tho enemy vas sup
posed to be advancing. had gained poation the
d,sired point when met by Colonel Daviss who in
formed that he had beaten the enemy handsomely IN
front told him that had been ordered back to Cen.
trevie by Col Niles, that the rest Of my brigade had
gone n aud that had been directed to that point with
my regiment for the purpose Of facing the enemy there
which had done and Col. Davies went as supposed,
to bis brigade Soon ate, tits vas met BY staff officer
siton on the left Of the road fom Oentreyis 10 Black.
burns Ford and stretching toward the Union and Gen.
trsvls road, facing the enemy Other troops had also
fallen back this pout-distant about mile from Cen
tregils-snd Of about o'clock, p m, Capt Alexander,
OF the oofps OF sngeegs irec.ed re, by order of GEN
Mcdowell to take the general sranssneat OF the troop.
at that point 10 my Own hands, be suggesting as good
line of defence between piece Of woods on the right
and one on the left the line facing equally toward the
eueEy Vho we're supposed to be coming either On the
Union or the Blackburn road. Immediately formed that
line best could, Ct the regiments nearss. the pos
ton placing the men 10 the ravnes, aud the artillery a.
far as possible the b s in the rear Of the infsn
try Before CAPTAIN Alexander gave me this last
direction, ] learned cha: Colonel Miles had a.
tered the position Of ,ome regiments which had Paced
before, esp oialy the Third Michigan Regiment, which
he'd ordered to form close &C umn BY DIVISIONS to re-
main reserve an, swiit further ordeis from pc
The officer in command Of the regiment At that tine
Lieut. COL Stevens (0ol Mcdonnell being uuws, but on
the ground Immediately executed that order and put
his regiment in clcs column went to Fome other
pirt Of thu field and returning, found this regiment
dtpoyed 10 line Of battle and in smother position. im
mediaely inquired Of COL Stevens the reason OF their
position peing .lte,ed. He told that Col Miles Lad
directed this movement i asked him wpyi Cyl Ste
ven, replied 81 do not kror but he had DO sonddsncs
in Col. Miles F" / Gquiod the why : Col. Ste
vsns answered; "Bssuss Col. Misi Is drunk" That
closed tee conversation. sei. Co.. Stevens back with
his regiment, to form clos. column by diy,ob, I, at
hrst then reported to Captain Alexander that had
bean interfered with ip my disposition OF the troops
during tho day. snd could not carry out Gen Mellow
els orders long az vs inerfsred With by drunken
man. Captain Alexander then answered that General
Mcdowell now vested the whole disposition OF the |
troops with and that must use my own Judg |
ment. / went to place another battalion in line |
and / was met by ColOOe Mle', who ordered me |
to form that regiment in mother direction replied |
that ~ should obey no more orders that he might see
Ia ..a.a NnI ~