Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-07-31
Authentic Particulars of the Battle at
Manassas

ground TWO EOufS aItGf Jle retreat Degan.
The reports Of disorG2~'y retreat of
our main army are grossly untrue. \ brief
statement of = small part Of what witncs-
sed will show this.
Mr.. Tilley, of Rhode Island, and myself,
accompanied the De Kalb Regiment from
Alexandria in the cars to the Fairfax sta
tiou, on Manassas Gap Railroad; We reach
cd there at j. .. H. Heavy cannonadiug
was steadily going on While the regiment
waited for orders we walked forward on the
track till within five miles Of Manassas
Junction \ scout was there sending hour
ly reports to Gen. Scott of the firing Re
turning, as the regiment still halted, par
y of iour of Us, with n soldier, walked on
40 Fairfax Court House, three miles, and
thence on the road to Cgnreyille.
About four o'clock We began to meet
buggics and wagons with visitors returning
TO Washington All reported that the day
was ours, and rode on jubilaut, until, at
halfpast four, al officer on horseback RI
ding fercely, said with emphasis, No, no,
lis going against us The firing had ecaa-
ed
Near Ccntreville, between two long hills
we suddenly saw army wagons and private
vehicles coming down before US in hot haste
= few soldiers or horseback mixed in the
crowd. Looking back, we found regiment
coming fresh from Fairfax in double
quick
Mr.. Russell, of the London Times. was
on horseback, among the first from the bat
tie.
The New jersey Colonel instantly form:
cd his men across the road, and rcsolutcly
turned back every soldier in the road, and
in twenty minutes perfect order was restor-
ed, and the whole flight Of the vehicles
was shown to be absurd, so much so that
we waited two hours at that spot, drawing
water for the poor wounded men, who be-
gan to limp along from the ld-only two
or three ambulanccs to be seen.
At halfpast six, two hours after the bat-
tie was over, we started and walked back
to Fairfax Court House, helping three or
four wounded soldiers into the wagons.
Chose who were unhurt, aud who had
got BY the Jersey boys, were stopped by
company of the Michigan 4th, from Fair
fax, and compelled to turn back.
at Fairfax Court House we quietly took
supper at the tavern, and never dreaming
Of any disorderly retreat, we were supplied
with good beds we undressed and lccat to
Jed and asleep at IL T. W At three
o'clock Monday morning, finding the wag-
0ns were moving on to Alexandria, VIC
started again and walked quietly along
with them to Alexandria, doing what little
we could to aid the men more or less
slightly wounded or worn out-including
some from the hospita{-lor still there was
scarcely an ambulance to be seen.
But on the whole road from Centrcvilc
to Alexandria | am confident that there
were not FIVE hundred soldiers in all, be-
tween six p NJ and daylight; so that it is
grossly untrue that the whole army made
hasty retreat On the contrary, all seemed
to be certain that stand was made at Gem
treyille of the whole of our main body, cx-
cepting only the stragglers from this first
panic This panic was explained by sew
eral who greed that it was purely acci-
dental
4 talked with at least forty from Maine,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, Ohio, Mich
igan and Wisconsin regiments, who gave
me some thrilling incidents Of the differ
ent parts of the feld-which [ have no
time to tell now-many grumbled at their
officers, but all seemed plucky, and said
that our troops could beat the rebels easily
in an open fight, and would do it yet, but
the masked batteries on one side and the
| liunders on ours had done for US this time.
/ I reached Alexandria at seven. having
walked forty miles
G.. p. PUTNAM.
Real Strength Of the Conyederates.
The officers who took Mr. Pryor prison.
er, say that among the other prisoners taken
was very badly wounded rebel officer,
who wore the eagle of colonel on his
shoulder strap. He appeared to have got
/ in advance of his regiment and got separa-
ted from them, and so cut off. His left
arm had been shattered above the elbow,
and the useless member was dangling IN
his coat sleeve He was also bleeding pro-
fusely from wound in his side, yet waving
his sword in the air, he would not give
UP until surrounded, and big fellow OF
one of the Maine regiments rushed up to
him, threw down his own gun, and clasped
the officer round the body
His sword then dropped from his grasp,
and he sank upon the ground. The first
words he said were, 'What fools you Van
KEGS are, 10 attack US with such handful
of men Why replied his captors
how many have you got? tThere are
10000 men on the feld,' he replied, 'be
sides here his strength failed h
sighed heavily; the blood gushed from hi
side in torrent; he called out in fain
tone Emma, Emma repeating the nam
/ twice, stretched out his limbs and expired
+ He was very handsome man, about thirty
FIVE wears of ace.