The national Republican., 1861-08-09
GEN. MoDOWELL'S REPORT.


Gen. McDowell's report of the battle of July
2l, was made on the 4th instant. he reports :
Killed-l9 officers and 462 non.commis.
stoned officers and privates.
Wounded-64 officers, and 947 non.com'
missioned officers and privates.
d. says, Many of the wounded will soon be
able to join the ranks, and will leave our total
of killed and disabled from further service,
under one thousand"
Of the missing, he says
"The return Of the missing is very inaccu-
rate, the men supposed to be missing having
fallen into other regiments and gone to Wash.
ington-many of the Zouaves to New York.
In one brigade, the number originally reported
at six hundred and sixteen, was yesterday re-
duced to one hundred and seventy.fou These
reductions are being made daily. In few
days, more correct return can be made"
His report concludes as follows:
GAS my position may warrant, even if it
does not call, for some explanation Of the
| causes as far as they can be seen, which led to
the results herein stated, l trust it may not be
out of place if refer, in few words, to the
immediate antecedents Of the battle. When l
submitted to the General inC Chief, in compli.
ance with his verbal instructions, the plan of
operations and estimate of force required, the
time was to proceed to carry it into effect
was fixed for the Sth of July, Monday. Every
facility possible was given to me by the Gene.
ralin Chief and heads Of the administrative
departments in making the necessary prepare.
tons. But the regiments, owing, was told, to
want of transportation, came over slowly.
Many of them did not come across till eight
| lovo oftar tho fina Evad md
went forward without my even seeing them, and
without having been together before in bri.
gade. The sending rein(orcements to General
Patterson, by drawing off the wagons, was a
further and unavoidable cause of delay. Not
withstanding the herculean efforts of the
| Quartermaster General, and his favoring me in
every way, the wagons for ammunition, subsis.
| tence, &C., and the horses for the trains and
the artillery, did not all arrive for more than a
week after the time appointed to move. ! was
not even prepared as late as the 18th ultimo,
and the desire should move became great,
and it was wished l should not, if possible,
delay longer than Tuesday, the 10th ultimo
When l did set out on the 10th, was still
deficient in wagons and subsistence. But
went forward trusting to their being procured
in time to follow me. The trains thus hur
riedly gathered together, with horses, wagons
drivers, anu wagon HahaSeiS - OIL ho" ihu III
used to each other, moved with difficulty and
disorder, and was the cause of days delay in
getting the provisions forward, making it ne
cessary to make on Sunday the attack we
should have made on Saturday.
81 could not, with every exertion, get for
ward with the troops earlier than we did.
wished to 20 TO Centrevie the second day,
which would have taken US there on the l7th
and enabled us, so far as they were concerned
to go into action on the 18th, instead of the
2lst but when went forward from Fairfax
Court. House, beyond Germantown, to urge
them forward, was told it was impossible fol
the men to march further. They had only come
from Vienna, about, about six miles, and it was
not more than six and half miles farther tc
Cent? eye-in all march of twelve and q
half miles but the men were foot weary, moi
so much, was told, by the distance marched
as by the time they had been on foot, caused
by the obstructions in the road and the slow
pace we had to move to avoid ambuscades
The men were, moreover, unaccustomed tc
marching, their bodies not in condition for
that kind of work, and not used to carving
even the load of light marching order.
"We crossed Bull Run with about 10, 900 men
of all arms, the fifth division Miles and Rich.
ardson's brigade) on the left, at Blackburn's
ford to Centervile, and Schencks brigade, o
Tyler's division, on the left Of the road, near
the stone bridge, not participating in the main
action. The numbers opposed TO US have been