Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-04
The Retrsa ~ n srand Army

ASu4l1 q loALlrA VIE
The Retreat cF the Grand Army
Terrible N
The New YORK TribuRe'S war correspondent
thus describes the retreat, written two days
after the battle:
notwithstanding all that had seen, ii
l seemed incredible that our whole army shCuld
melt away in a night, and so | remained 81
I CsDtcrville, trusting that by the morning a
sor- If reorganization should have taken place,
and that our front should still oppose the
enemy. At seven O'Clock 7 started toward
the battle field, but, on reaching 2 coDsidera-
bic activity, wasamazed 20 find that not ves-
tige Of our troops remained, except r score or
two Of Struggling f~Ugitiyes who followed in
the tracks Of those who bad gone before.
While returning to Centerviile, q group Of reb5l
cavalry passed, who locked inquiringly, but
| did not question. Their conversation turned
upon The chances Of cutting of the retreat al
Fairfax courthouse. After seeking Mr.
Wand, an artist Of New York, who also lin
gered, / went straight TO FART Y. As We
passed the church used as a hospital, the doc
tors cane out, and finding what was
HE condition Of afzirs, walked rap
idly away. / do not wish to say
that they deserted the wounded. they NAV
have returned for ought that ! know. The
road leading from Centerville 20 Germantown
was flIed with marks Of the rniuoUs retreat.
At the outskirts OF the village thousands Of
dollars worth Of property lay wrecked and
abandoned. In one field a quantity Of powder
! s9d tsen thrown. A womsn Of apparently
humble condition stepped uS and asked US i
we mesnt to leave It for The nee ~ The enemy.
Ne explained tAst we could not well take II
wi h Us, Uron which she vshemsntlv insistsd
that il should be blown up before we left.
Bu, the experiment Of blowing up 4 thousand
pounds OF powder wsBnot an agreeable task "a
set ourselves, and We trusted rather % The rain,
which fell heavily, for its destruction. An
other woman stood by the roadside with the
tears running down her brown cheeks,
asking all who passed IL they were
hungry, and odsrirg them food. "God
help Won ALP she said. as some OF the
wounded linpsd BY Der. We passed now and
then grsups Of disabled men, who hsd 'orCot,
ten their Injuries IN their fesr, and bad stFivsn
10 drsg themselves slong By their companions
Some OF them still sireAmPd with blood, and
yet would wrench themselves forward with all
the power they could command. The dsstruc-
zion OF property seemed to bsve increased a.
every mile. Baggage wagons were overturned,
smbulsnces broken In pieces, weapons cf
every kind cast of. HOrsrs lay dead and
dying. Food ives hsaped about the wayside.
Bags Of corn and oats were trodden into the
ground. Piles ef clothing we're scattered at all
sides. u many places the discarded goods
and equipments were ranged breast high, and
stood like monuments erected by our OWL
hands to onr owe shame.
At Fairfax I had hoped 10 find a ra'Iving
plses, ana could hsrdly eelieVs hat the flight
had gone ever b yond this. But the village
vas deserted, excepting BY native providers,
- a. -. 49, r
our baggage wAgonE, end whN scowled
savsgsIE enough at the f]ugitives who sought
smosg them . temporary shelter from the
storm. Beyond Fairfax the marks Of desrTuc-
lion we're lsss frequent, though the stream Of
the retreat grew even stronger. Along the
main road lie flying kept their way IN some
tbiug Ike a continuous ne, dividing only at
the turnpike which leads to Arlington, int
which some divsrgsd, while others moved on
to Alexandra. Three miles from he Long
Bridge I cam upon the resr Of BleDkeT's
brigade, Stabe's German rifles still holding the
hinduost position, and the other too regiments,
SteingshI's and the GsribaIdi guard. moving
in oTdrr before them Still in advance Of
these was the DeKsIb regiment, also intact.
Bus beyond ell was tumuit again, and even
10 the city itsslf the wIetched disorder and
confusion bad reached.
Iwss told that a few regiments besides the
three faithful ones Of Blenker's brigade, bad
come in in fair order; and they were the %
and 81 Michigan. and the Massachusetts Lat,
Of Richardson's bTigsJe. [ should be glad If
II were SO. The Msssh chusetts men won more
honor on Thursday than shozld have been
reckIasslv sacrificed so soon after. But this IL
their own statement. I did not see them az
rayed upon the field TO resist the tempest that
swept through our ranks, snd | am still una-
wCa that snv part q the army evsded thst
drsa ituI panic, excepting 'be three regiments
whose honest claims to the gratitude Of the
country hsvs sndesvored 10 assert.
TIE secret Of that panic will perhaps
never be known. All rsssV 70 explain it, and
all fail. Whether Gen. Mcdowell did or did
not give an order 70 retreat | cannot say O. nv
own knowledge. I an assured bv one who was
with Rim that be did ; md bV others that be
also failed to preserve ais self control. IL
this be so We shall know Of it in time, but all
We can now be sure Of is the sfl citing fact
Of our utter and absolute Tout. How nearly
enc great object Of the day had been accom-
plishad nav be understood wben it is known
that Gen. Tyler and Gen Mcdowell bad ac-
tusiiY net. Msny who cane into battle with
Col Hentzlsmsn and Col. Fun'er fed by the
rosd over which G'n Tyler had advanced. In
the race from fsncied danger, all divisions and
ali regiments are mingled.
4uENE az NV NhFu al hLlEuIINa " AbAFl NDt
retreat OF Tyler's division. With Hea'zst-
mans It wss better, Lieut. Drummond's cav
airy troops keeping firm line, and protecting
the artillery until ire abandonment was impeT-
ativsly ordered. The extent Of the disorder
wGs unlimited. Regulars and volunteers
shared It alike. A mere fraction Of our artil-
lerY was saved. Whole batteries were left
upon the field, and the cutting Of n othsTs
was ordered when The guns had already been
brought two miles or more from the battle
ground, and were as safe as they would Be IN
New York at this moment. A perfect frenzy
was upon slmost every mEn. Sone cried pite-
ously to be lifted behind those who rode or
borsss, ard o:bSrs sought TO get into wagons,
tie occupants resisting thsm with bsYonets.
All ssrse o. nsDhood seemed to be forgotten.
I hops, aBd ! sm sure, there were exceptions,
bu' / 81 speaking Of the rule with the mass.
Drivers % heavy wagons dsshed down the
steep road, reckless Of The lives they endan-
gered on the way. Even The sentiment n shame
had gone. some Of the better t9on tried to
withstand tae rush, and cried ont against the
flying groups calling them Stewards, pnItroons,
b~rutes," and reviling ITEM for so degrading
themselves, especially when no enemy was
near. Inssnsible to the epithets, tina Tunswavs
only looked relieved, and sought renewed ss-
-Ur,ncs that thrir imagined pursuers were not
upon them. Every imppdiment 10 flight was
set aside. Rifles, bayonets, pistols, baVersacks,
cartridge 3 xss, canteeDs, blankets, belts, and
overcoats lined the ad. The provisions from
TIE wagons were thrown out, and the tors
thrown away. Ill sUaS lost 10 that dHcricGH
army, eUea its honor.
Tie agony Of this overwhelming disgrace
can never be expressed in words, or under
stood hv those who only hear The tale reTaat-
Ell. IbeIieve there were men upon that field
who turned their faces to the eremy, and
marched TO certain death, lesttbeY SHOULD share
the infamy which their fellows bad invited and
embraced. TIE suffering Of a hundred deaths
would bavs been as nothing compared with
the torture under which the few brave soldiers
writbed who were swept along by that maniac
hurricane Of terror.
HumOrS OF Attacks upon Birds
Point and Cairo