The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-08-01

grown in the morning dead men lay at
noon.
As noon approached, it was evident
the battle would be general. Regi.
ment after regiment wheeled from the
column, and on the right, aud left, and
front, the sound Of firing became more
and more incessant The anxiety
among those in the vicinity was intense
It was evident that the battle would be
hOtly contested; that the SecossiOnists
we're far more numerous than we had
expected, and that with the advantage
of strongly defended natural position,
artillery Of wonderful range, and we'll
practiood gunnors, they would not give
the United States forces a victory cx-
cept at the most fearful cost. Our men
had driven them from a Rcld into the
woods, and from the woods into a field
beyond, and road which crossed be.
tween the woods which skirted the ex-
treme line Of the battlefield.
AS the hours passed on the fight be.
came more and more terrific. The for
tunes of the day began to waver, espo-
cially as the Federal troops did not seem
to gain any material advantage, and on
ly made their advances slowly, labor
iously, and at q great loss Of life. The
rebels were strongly entrenched behind
masked batteries of rhed cannon.
They seemed to be innumerablo.
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 compelled to fall
on their faces to avoid the swift mes
sengers of death. 1t was found too,
that the rebel forces largely outnumber.
ed those of the Republic 1 have no
means Of knowing the exact strength of
either Of the armies, but the best au.
thoritjes state that the SccessionistS
numbered 10000, while at no time had
General Mcdowell in action as many
as 10000. Our troops were mainly in.
iautry; our batteries as a general thing
we're small, and although well managed,
they were no match for the cannon Of
larger calbre manned by the rebels,
The fight continued until after FIVE
o'clock, without exhibiting any materi.
al result. The rebels had most decided.
ly the advantage in position and guns,
aud they used it with fearful effect
The bravery of our troops was super
'human, but what bravery could meet the
uuerring and unceasing cannon which
came sweeping from almost every tree
or heap of brush2 Our men unmasked
them, battery upon battery, only to find
their lossoued ranks were unequal to
the task, A retreat was made by a
New York regiment, and very soon be-
came general Ia vain General Nc
Dowell eudeavored to rally his forces
They rotreated up the Centerville road
in good order until charged upon by the
Secession cavalry and artillery, when
they broke their lines and pushed to-
wards Fairfax Court House in disor-
dcrly column.
A very Intelligent correspondent of
the Philadelphia Press, accounting for
the repulso of our troops at Manassas,
says:
They slept on their arms, and march
ed ten miles to the place Of engagement;
they rushed iuto the contest weary,
wanting food and water; they drove the
enemy from battery and battery; slowly
and slowly pushing them from their
position. From nine o'clock till three
the battle was a victory, and if at three
o'clock there had been ten thousand
fresh men to assist them, if General
Patterson had only come from Martins
burg, or Mcclellan over the Blue Ridge
from Western Virginia -or if even
Miles division of reserve could have
been marched from CenterviIle, we could
have driven them from the field and
won the day. Our men were weary, and
ia many cases ineficiently commanded.
The enemy were being constantly rein
forced So rapidly did they arrive,
that many of their regiments rushed
into the field with their knapsacks on
their shoulders, and / could distinctly
sec with strong sPy.glass, even from
the hills beyond Centeryille, regiment
after regiment of the rcebels coming
from the neighbOring districts, and pass
ing over the roads to Manassas In
many cases the colors of their flags
could be easily distinguished
The causes ofour defeat appear to
be these: A premature advance on the
enemy without a sufficient force, which
may be attributed to the clamors of
politicians, and newspapers like the
New York Tribune; tho negligence Of
General Patterson in not intercepting
Gen, Johnston at Winchester, and pre-
venting him from joining Beauregards
at Manassas; the want Of an efficient
force of artillery to answer their mask
cd batteries; the inefioiency of many of
the officers, tho want of proper discipline
among the volunteers, and the general
panic which seized upon our forces in
the latter part Of the action.
l have heard many stories Of the bra
very of some regiments and the iuefi
cheney Of others. But if We can mako
any such distinction, it is with the Off
GERS, who commanded, and Obeyed.--
The material of our army is Of an eX-
traordipary character, and this disas-
trous battle has shown it; for tho men
who could fight double their numbers
behind masked batteries for ten hours,
in a couutry where water could not be
found, under the torrid rays of South
ern sun, and make that fight victory
until their endurance had been over
taskod and tho ranks Of tho enemy had