Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-22

The Philadelphia Inquirer publishes the fol-
lowing letter from a member ofBaker's brigade.
which shows that the Yankees on taking nos.
session Of Munson's Hill, were seized with as
great q panic rs smotc their valiant hearts al
Manassas Plains
We started on Saturday night at 10 O'Clock.
and marched out within two miles of Falls
Church Tn march was very cautiously made,
and we were halted on a road between two
wOods-on both right and LETT We had been
there about ten minutes, when, as l was walking
up and down the lines, a simultaneous rush
was made for the fence, then q line Of fire pour
ed out from the woods on the LEFT side Of the
road our side fred, and the discharges were
perfectly furious. The men having been excited
by the cautioUsness of the march, were, some of
them, frightened, and fired up and down and
across the road in all directions.
When the rush was made, l was in the mid
die of the road. and looked around in vain for
an enemy. When the first shot was fired. /
dropped on one knee and drew my revolver, and
sat there looking for something to fire at. but
could see nothing, and did not fire. The mus
kets sent out q perfect stream of fire ON all
sides, but, thank God, / was not struck. for
got they had balls in them until, when the firing
was over, / saw two or three poor fellows lying
in the road dead and wounded. ] got up and
called for the men TO fail in, but found that
many had run and left their muskets and all.
Gen. Smith did not know where his own Skin
mishers or pickets were and it must have been
some Of them that fred on MS, installing Us for
the enemy, Wistar was all GOODNESS.
Our lines were formed and all quiet for half
an hour, when another rush was made-(Heav-
ems, what an awful sound it was! l shall re-
member it till my dying day and bang bang
commenced firing again. This time it was not
so heavy but 10 was a panic among our men.
dropped and crawled 10 the side Of the road.
shouting at the top Of my voice, cease firing, -
and they did cease, but not until several were
killed and wounded. The men formed AGAIN
after some trouble, and the dead and wounded
were carried off, and we all sat down by the
road Side-when bang went a shot on the
picket, and bang. bang! bangt the whole line
Of pickets fired, and Owens regiment was fired
upon, and the same scene was enacted there.
Our men made another rush 10 the fence. but.
thank God, did not fire.
So we all sat down and waited patiently for
the dawn of day. We were then deployed into
the wood on the edge of the field, and waited
there TIL daylight, m~omentaTily awaiting anoth-
er panic, but we were spared. There were two
pieces Of cannon posted Ut the head Of the road,
and it is said that the general gave orders to fire
down the road. The a~rtillerymen refused. and
left their guns. If they had, God alone could
have preserved the California regiment.
The second alarm was caused by a lieutenant
seeing a freely in the woods, and shouting here
they COME" The men took the alarm some
body's gun went. of, and they all fred without
rhyme or reason. The FIRST alarm was at two
o'clock yesterday morning, the last at four We
camo home last evening, and / was glad to see
| Old Fort Baker. for, had We staid out there, we
would have had another alarm last night.
There was no enemy near US, ana so Il must
certainly have been our own men.