New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-01
THE WAR FOR THE UNION.
FROM WASHINGTON.
.,,v xns,senss and sussss.ions-nun Run.

baVlDg crossed lDc dhSio VI NY '''i'"
business s9ourn here Of two or three "eeAS' 1
will note them for THE TRIBUNE.
The reception in Now-rork OF inc iesiu,1n'S
xkat fought so calamity on the disastrous teiu Vi
Bun Run, reacts upon the troops here' anu .!
Its reflected enthusiasm reyives many dropping
Aeart. And this was needed to restore Tue
,,o,oJs Of our men. The recOl Of the wave
from the shock of that fatal Sunday, was aPpai'
bpo. But few days before, our army prouu'
yay. with streaming banners AID pealing ~umPc'',
amid militant cheers and showers OF flowers, hau
moved from the Potomac, bearing Win IL 'Oo
,a,nest PRAYERS and confident hopes OF grea'
people. Now, with scarcely Prenon'V''
to warn us Of its approach, 1t Stragseu Oa.A "
ia camps and intrenchmeDts, on tDa' no'o'
forgotten Monday under the peiIlnss VI s'oi"i
of unusual severity, bedraggled, weary hungry
~ ronts utterly broken and disordered, beside
;,..H with an uncomfortable panic, bowed down
,,;,b modification and shame, the mere Debris OF
tba snlepdid columns that had so recestly gone
an, 10 attack the foe. Thanks to Heaven, the
loyal population of the Capital City, perma-
pept and transient civic and military, have
mainly recovered from the mingled grief and In
diguation which, on the return of our broken
leelons, went through their hearts like bolts of
noe and fire.
OF the primary causes Of the disaster at Bull
Run, shall not speak. They are patent to all
who will INQUIRE aud think and reason. / will
not allude TO them, though they afford theme
for sharp and bitter words. / may utter them
elsewhere. viii not here.
The prOxilnate and immediate cause of our de-
feat was the indescribable panic which drove our
troops from the field 1t is often difficult to de.
tect the primary cause of a sweeping panic
among thousands of tumultueus men. 1t is fire.
auently as causeless il the outbreak, as it IS
unreasonable and unmanageable after it has once
got under way. The main difficulty which pre-
vents our ascertainiDg the cause of the panic at
Bull Run is the very nstuIe unwlllnguess OF Its
victims 10 admit the vital facts of the case. Few
commanders of regiments that VIGOROUSLY fled
from that field, have courage enough to acknowi-
edge that their troops broke and ran, until
borne down ana overwhelmed by troops which
had previously broken aud run. What, then,
caused the panic, and where did it begin' Who.
ever will carefully study the topography Of tic
battlefield, and the plan of the engagement, and
IN The Times, and of Mr.. House. in THE TRIE-
UNE, and Will converse closely with hali'a-dozen
candid officers, who were with the advanced
columns, and were self possessed and unterrifed,
will have no difficulty in determining when,
where, and why the panic commenced. Such a
one will not attribute its initiation to the crowd
Of civilians who watched the battle from the
hill near Centrevle, nor the teamsters in charge
Of line of army wagons in advance OF that
town. The former four mice and the lat
ter two and three miles from the head of our
columns, where the panic first showed itself.
When Gen. Tyler moved forward the two
srigades of Sherman and Reyes to The support
of Hunter and Heintzelman, the left flank of our
center became exposed, and the brigades of Sher-
man and Reyes far advanced over the Rum
were widely separated from their supports in the
rear. The reserve was miles away, and the only
intervening corps was the inactive brigade of
Sehenek. The further the combined columns of
Hunter, Heintzeman and Tyler (for they had
now unted) drove back the Confederates, the
more exposed became Tyler's left flank and the
wider the space between him and his rear sup
porte. No eyes were quicker to detect this error
In our line Of battle than Davis ard Beauregard.
The former of whom led the enemy Immediately
in front Of Tyler, while the latter commanded
the forces opposed to his left flank
At this critical uncture, whlo the advanced
regiments of Hunter, HeintzelmaD, and Tyler.
were hotly engaged, heavy cOomn of fresh
troops began to hover around Though at some
distance from it) Tylers. left flank, and menace
has rear. large cavalry corps about 1,OOO
strong, co6perated with the infantry and artil.
iefy, dashing forward with great bOldness quite
IN the rear of Tyers brgades. This menacine
movement was simultaneously seen from various
parts Of the field. Some of our troops, then
graphing with the enemy at the very bead of
our columns, discovered it. They had endured q
weary march, uoder brOiling SUP, without food,
and had been struggling for five or Elk hours
against foe vastly superior in numbers. lurking
eehIDd earthworks, burrowing in pits. skulkjne
among woods and bushes, and whose masked
batteries spOuted smoke and fire in their faces
and rained down deadly missiles upon their heads |
ut every turn. The most terrifying of all "a. |
iamues TO inexperienced troops now menacea
shem. The avenues OF retreat, the commupica.
lion with their reserves, was about TO be est off
by superior force. At the very moment this
conviction flashed upon them, fresh battery.
not before discovered, startled one or two Of the
foremost regiments with well-directed and most
destructive fire. As an eye witness said. " IL
"spOuied its smoke right into cur eyes," few
n4 he Lr-f. -