Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-03
The Battle at BULBS Run.
The Secession Account Of 1t.
The Traitors md out that the 4" NJ I'D
stills OF Society" Will Fight
GAS. JOHNSON sI0Hs roR FOUR RBGINESTs AT
THE CRITICAL JTSCTuRE.
MANASSAS JUNCTION, July %.

THE CRITICAL JUSCTuRE.
Correspondence Ofthe Richmond Dispateh.l
MANASSAS JUNCTION, July %.
BY Divine favor we are agaiI. victorious.
To God be the glory. The armies OF the
North and South yesterday faced each
other-the former not less than $4,000
men, the latter not exceeding 30,OOO-and
wrestled together for six long hours' with
that desperate courage which Americans
only can show. proceed TO give you, As
near as can, Il full and detailed history
of that terrible battle, which will, through
all time, make famous Bull Run and the
plains of Manassas. On Friday, the 10th,
Gen. Joseph Z. Johnson, who had COM
mauded the army of the Shenandoah,
posted at Winchester, arrived at Manassas
Junction with four thousand of his diyis-
ion, to reinforce Gen. Bauregdrd. The re-
mainder OF his army with the exception
Of n sufficient force 10 hold Winchester,)
were intended to arrive on Saturday, the
goth but in consequence Of some railroad
casualty, they did not reach the scene of
conflict until Sunday, between the hours
of and o'clock, when the battle was
raging at its height.
The night before the battle, it was gem
orally understood Mt Manassas Junction
the enemy were gathering in great force,
and designed turning our left flank, which
rested a few miles above the scene Of
Thursdays engagement, at ford on Bull
Run, called Stone Bridge. We retired to
rest under the full conviction that on the
morrow the fortunes of our young nation
were to be staked on a mighty contest,
and we were not disappointed. There
were not many spectators of the battle,
the General commanding having, on Thurs
day, issued general order requiring all
civilians, with the exception of residents
before military operations commenced, ana
those engaged necessarily in business at
Manassas Junction, to leave the camp and
retire beyond distance of four miles.
The writer, however, with the following
named confreres of the press, were Priyil-
eyed to remain to witness scene not often
enacted, and which forms an era in their
lives for all time to Gomez scene OF terrific
grandeur and sublimIty, which is imprint
ed on their memories, with recollection
never to be eiIaced.
At seven o'clock on Sunday morning our
party, consisting of Messrs. L. w. Spratt,
OF the Charleston Mercury; F. G. de Fon-
tame, of the Richmond Enquirer and
| Charleston Courier; P. W. Alexander, of
the Savannah Republican Shepardson, OF
the Columbus (Ga.) Times and Montgom-
ery (Ala.) AGVertiser, aud your correspond
ent, started from Manassas Junction. The
distant cannon, Mt short intervals siuce
daybreak, had apprised US that the enemy
were in motion, but in what direction We
could only surmise until we reached a
| mile and a half from the breastworks, at
| the northwest angle Of the Notifications OF
| Manassas Junction. The day was bright
and beautiful-on the left was the Blue
| Ridge, and in front were TIE slopes OIL the
north side of Bull Run crowned with
woods, in which the enemy had early plant
ed his batteries, and all around US were
eminences on which were posted small but
anxious knots of spectators, forming the
most magnificent panorama | ever heheld.
At about o'clock we reached hill
above Mitchelrs Ford, almost entirely bare
of trees, and sufficiently high to afford an
unObstructed view of the opposite heights.
! After taking leisurely survey of the beau
| tifnl landscape, spread ont before us in all
the loneliness and grandeur of nature, and
listening with watchfnl intent to the BOOM
booming of the heavy cannon on our right.
and anxiously examining the locations
where the guns of the enemy eff the oppo
site hills were plainly TO be seen with the
naked eye, and tie heavy clouds of dust
rising above the woods in front and on
either side, Indicating the direction III
which the heavy columns of the enemy
were marching, we each sought the shade
| of tree, where we drew forth our memo
randum books and pencils, to note down
/ tor the information of the thousands who
looked to US for description of the days
occurrences. the various shiftings OF the
scene which henCeforth forms an era IN the
history of our young contederacJ, and
grandly inaugurates the march OF glory on
which she has entered.
An interesting meeting took place be-
| tween our party and the venerable Edmund
Rutfin, who had against the walls Of Fort
Sumter fred the first defiant gun. he
had come to this conflict, with his eighty
odd years weighing upon him, and his
flowing white locks, TO take part in this
fight, encouraging our young men by his
presence and example. Agile as youth
Of sixteen, with rifle on his shoulder, his
eyes glistcniug with excitement as he
burned to engage the Yankee invader.
Shortly afterwards Generals Beauregard,
johnson and Bonhnm, accompanied by
their aids, came gnlloping up the hill, and
dismountcd on the summit. The Generals
held an earnest conversation for few
minutes, while taking q survey of the field,
and watching tina excessive challenges
from the enemy's batteries directed against
our right and among the voc is near Mitch
ellis Ford, where u hospital Jas stationed
and the yellow flag flying. This was also
the point where their fire of Thursday was
directed, and where the mark of a cannon
ball is to be seen in the kitchen and stable
of house in which Gen. Beauregard dined
on that day at the time the ball struck
the building. Whether the enemy thought
IL was apain his HEADQUARTERS or whether
the FIRE was playing toward that point to
draw out response from NC, is not known.
Il is more likely, however, it was a mere
fcint--an impoteut attempt to deceive onr
skillfnl and able commander as to the
point where the enemy was most in force,
for so our wise General considered it, as
he was seen to direct Gen. Johnson's at
tentiOn particularly with his hand towards
our extreme left, us il be knew the struggle
was to be made there.
should here remark that it had been