New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-07-25
THE WAR FOR THE UNION.
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Disaster Of Sunday.
From Our own cossspessenL

YOu will not be- surprised that no Iet'er Vi
mine bears the date OF Yesterday. Ny mood OF
mind was rot cObgenial 10 even oriei hour VI
writing. While you were breshiasVng Old '''o
Intelligence of q battle won, with your oro"'
hound with victorious wresths we were forcing
Aovyn reluctant food under the shadow OF the cy-
n,s.s and willow. Do Dot complain, reader,
thss your faith in newspapers was souseo' 'n"'
the first tidDgs Of success we're followed " N'o
asd details of DISASTER. II was the ooSer"ono".
censor and not the ag1tated Correspondence
whom Won should blame for the cruel oec'i''
OF the general resuls you have hao aU""0""'
information. OF the causes snsn NV
sneak. In this adversely which wOuid NO w "'D
only ,hat the spirit Of the people has reserves o'
endurance beyopd this or aoJthlne else tnat can
h.nnar the noor spirit of criticism stAnds IT.
hnLsd While every thing has INDICATED what
Nave foresbadowed and forewarned against
leave the recsptulst'On and the reflections ior
etbers who may wish to indulge in the ssS
never pleasant 10 me, and nov attended with
painful sensstions which have almost the sharp
r..s af papes. Thus much l Will say, that no
one could be- more surprised than l was when
assuted, Saturday night, from source which
would not permit doubt, that general attack
was to be made in the morning could not
surely expect thar an intreDchment, admirably
guarded in i:s natural approaches, and held IN
force By 3 large body of the flower OF the army,
with its whole murderous triangle hled with
mines aud masked batter es, would be attempted
BY center movement only
But viii be equally frank, and declare that
Che feeling OF gloom which pervaded the city all
Sunday morning was not shared by rue. had
the highest reliance on the bravery OF our troops
"a trust which they DObly earoed in the battle,
and lost only IN The panic of retreat which
was infectious and became cumulative In ITS 1aUd
transmission.
AL day the atmosphere was heavy with pre-
sentiments aud duh with forebodiDgs Anxious
groups were at corners of streets aud IN Puohc
rooms eagerly catching the most slender and ln'
tangible rumors from tie field where battle was
known TO be raging. About O'Clock, dispatch
Announcing the capture Of all the batteries at
Bulls Run was received from Gen. Mcdowell,
with full occupation Of their outer hne of In
trcncbments IL was publicly read 10 the IN
spcakable relief of large gathering pslPtating
with hope and apprehension. From that time 10
9 O'Clock the assurance Of brilliant success
vas undisturbed. At that hour q sinister ri-
nor was brought to our quarters Of an entire
retreat of the whole line. Improbable az we
thought if to be, it had too direct channel of
Information ~ te treated az % idle tals.
At 100 O'Clock our own eouriers reached us.
There was, uuhapp,ly, no further doubt. The
g ha tatr
speed and overlook them the way. They re-
ported, however, that Benkers brigade, which
they met, arrested tue fight and restored order,
charging back calamity on the pursuing hne
At o'clock, a most intelligent gentleman OF the
Western press arrived, and all fear and appre-
bepsion became certainty. a grand movement
In the moment of its Accomplishment, bad been
changed to defeat and men who had faced
death in the morning with steady eye and arm,
were in On indlscrimiDste retreat which no hu-
man power could avert or even make orderly.
The next morning dawred, and with the men
fd horizon hung with black was the dismal
ahrouding of northeast storm, adding deeper
shadings Of grief which was but little less THAI
ansuisb. To my dying day, i shall never for
gtt the mingled emotions Of shame, sorrow, and
rage. But fOrbear. The history Of the war
% yet to be written, and WHEN il il, we shall
KNOW who, 10 high and low pieces, have loved
and served their country, and with whom patri-
otisn has been above all other thoughts.
Until that most bapess order for retreat was
given, assurance and confidence were every
where Why it was given no one can tell; but
that such an order toent Osa to each command Is
certain. Only $4,000 men had been engaged
when the retrOgrade commenced, from 10000
50 IS, 900 had not been under fire at all, and
while these first were hand 10 hand, with the
very bowels of the earth belching out hidden
destruction, more than 80, 900 more were in sad
about Washington, but beyond reach for early
succOr TIE confusion Of the retiring 6les Was
largely increased by the presence OF civilians
and the unArmed personnel OF tine army, team.
sters, servants, and others not in the ex
evil fortunes Of the day were aggravated
by the loss Of two q our bef officers from ac-
Eve duty by being wounded, Cols. Hunter and
Heintzeman. Had tbey been at the heads Of
their commands, most of the wreck Of the re-
treat might have been avoided. l viii not now
20 into details some of witch would add luster
10 unknown and untitled names, ard others
which eau be thought of only with Indignation
j an iuaexibe in my determination that 30
harshness Of comment shall enter into the recital
of events which are fruitful in material for the
indulgence. So sudden was the relax Of the
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