Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-28

rising and falling kpolls for quarter of a
| mile. when it crosses stone bridge aud
! then ascends hy steady slope to the hights
Beyond At the top of that slope the rebels
| bad planted heavy batteries and the woods
below we're filled vita their troops and con-
cealed cannon. We proceeded down the
road to the first of the ANAL knobs mention
| ed, when the whole column halted. The 80
| FOUNDER PARROT gun, which has longer
| range than any other ia the army, was plan
ted directly in the read. Capt. Ayers bat
terry was stationed in the woods little to
the right. The First Ohio and Second New
| York Regiments were thrown into the woods
! ia advance on the left. The Sixty ninth New
! York, the First, Second and Third Connect
cut regiments were ranged behind them, aud
| the Second Wisconsin was thrown into the
woods the right. At halfpast six O'Clock,
! the 30-pounder threw two shells directly into
the battery, at the summit OF the slope, on
the opposite hight, one OF which. a. | learned
atterward. struck and exploded directly 10
1 the midst of the battery. and occasioned the
utmost havoc aud confusion. After about
| half an hour. Captain Ayres threw ten or ff-
| teen shot and shell from his battery into the
| same place. Men could be seen moving
about the opposite slope, but the batteries
were silent. An hour afterwards we heard
| three or four heavy guns from Col. Richard
1 SOU Column at anu THESE WERE
| continued at intervals for two or three hours.
bat they were not answered, even by sin
| gle gun 1t was very clear that the enc
my intended to take his own time for paying
| his respects to Us, and that he meant, more
| over, to do it il his own way. Meantime we
| could bear in the distance the sound of Col
| Hunters axmen, clearing his way. and
| awaited with some Impotence the sound of
| his cannon on the opposite nights. Time
oil xvifh oil
guns, well those OF Col. Rich
| ardson's column, but without, in single in-
stance, receiving any reply.
Al little before IL O'Clock, the First
Ohio and Second New York which were ly-
ing in the wood on the left, were ordered to
advance. They did so-passing out of the road
and climbing a fence into wood opposite,
when they were met by tremendous dis
charge of four gun battery, planted at the
left in the woods, mainly for the purpose OF
sweeping the road perpendicularly and the
open field on its right by which alone troops
could pass forward to the opposite bank.
They were staggered for "A moment. and re-
ceived orders To retire. Captain Ayre- Bat
terry formerly Sherman's) advanced
a little to command this bat
y, and by twenty minutes OF vigorous play
upon it, silenced il completely
At half past eleven we heard Hunters guns
on the opposite height, over mile to the
right. He was answered by batteries there,
and then followed the sharp, rafting vulleys
of musketry, as eirinfantry became engag-
ed. The firing now iDcessaut. Hunter
had come upon them suddenly, and formed
his line of battle in an open field, at the right
of the road. The enemy drew up to oppose
him, but he speedily drove them 10 retreat
and followed them up with the greatest vigor
and rapidly. Meantime. for some three hours
previous we had seen long lines Ot dense
dust rising from the roads leading from Ma
nassas, and, with the glass, we could very
clearly perceive that they were raised by the
constant and steady stream of re-enforce-
ments, which continued to pour in nearly
the whole day.
The Sixty-ninth, Seventy-uinth, Second,
and Eighth New York--the First, Second and
Third Connecticut, and the Second Wiscou-
sin were brought toward in advance of the
wood and marched across the field to the
right. to go to Col. Hunters support. They
crossed the intervening stream and drew up
in a small open field, separated from Colonel
Hunters column by a dense wood which was
Oiled with batteries and infantry. Our guns
continued to play upon the woods which thus
Concealed the enemy, and aided materially
in clearing them for the advance. Going
down to the extreme front of the column, L
could watch the progress of Col. Hunter,
marked by the constant roar of the artillery
rebels back from point to point AT l o'clock
he had driven them out of the woods and
across the road, which vas the prOlongatiou
of that on which We stood. Here, by the side
of their batteries, the rebels made stand.
They planted their flag directly in the road,
and twice charged across it upon our men,
but without moving them an inch. They
were met by destructive fire, and were COM
PEELED to fall still farther back. Gradually
no pnint of fro far
the dense clouds of smoke which marked the
progress of the combat were at least half a
mile to the lett of what had been the central
position of the rebels.
1t was now Ii o'clock | was at the adj
vanced point OF the front of our column, some
hundred rods beyond the woods in which the
few troops then there were drawn up, when
/ decided to drive back to town for the par-
pose of sending you my despatch. As pass
ed up the road the balls and shell from the
enemy began to fall with more than usual
rapidity. l did not see the point from which
they came; but meeting Captain Ayers he
said he was about to bring up his battery,
supported by the Ohio Brigade, under Gen.
Schenck, to repel rumored attempt of cav
airy to outf1ank this column. AZ went for
ward he passed down. General Scbenck's
Brigade was at once drawn up across the
road, and Capt. Ayres' guns were planted on
d huOit 6t buS tcit. WHICH, pU"ttlSl bOuy Vi
rebels, with heavy battery, came down
from the direction of Bulls Ran, and engaged
this force with tremendous effect. l went to
Centreville, sent off my despatch, and start
ed with all speed TO return, intending to go
with our troops to what had been the hotly
contested field. never doubling for q moment
that it would remain in their hands. L had
gone but quarter of mile when We met b
great number of fugitives, aud our carriage
xla1 Of h..,,
wagons, the officer in charge of which told
me it was useless to go in that direction, as
our troops were retreating. Not crediting
the story, which was utterly Inconsistent
with what had seen little while before, |
continued to push on. l soon met with Quar-
termaster Stetson, of the Fire Zouaves, who
told me, bursting into tears, that his regiment
had been utterly cut to pieces, that the Col
onel aud Lieutenant Colonel were both kill
ed. and that our troops had actually been
repulsed. / still tried to proceed, but the
advancing column rendered it impossible,
and l tnrned about. Leaving my carriage,
| went to high point of ground and saw, by
the dense cloud of dust which rose over each
of the three roads by which the three columns
of the army had advanced, that they were all
on the retreat.
Sharp discharges of cannon in the rear in
Dictated that they were being pursued.
waited half an hour or so to observe the
troops and batteries as they arrived, and
then started for Washington TO send my des-
patch and write this letter.
The Retreat.
The batteries were ordered around to COW
er our retreat, and keep the Rebels from cut
ting us oil from CentIeville, which was about
three miles in our rear, and where we had
about four or five thousand of q reserve force;
the batteries wheeled off and took ND the
road, and were retreating i'll good order,
when, about half mile out, one of the gun
carriages was upset.
A portion of Sherman's and Carlisle's were
left in the roadside, the gunners cutting the
traces and running their horses. This put