Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-28
NORTHERN ACCOUNTS OF THE
GREAT ROUTE.
Terrible SIaughter--Immense
Losses.
SCENES ON THE BATTLE FIELD.

/ Qeipnla end new 1Ork papers, the reports OF their
special war correspondents who were on the battle
field witnesses of the terrible Slaughter and fight
and participants 10 the fight The careful reader,
taking all these reports together, viii see that the
| Federals were in great forCe-fully $4,000; that
they were four dsys reconnOilreinc and had de-
ployed over space Of ten miles, with three grand
/ columns, preceded by full batteries of artillery,
some of them the very heaviest ever in service.
That the less Of life was heavy these details fear
/ fully show:
As the hours passed on the fight became more
and more terrific. The fortunes of the day began
/ to wayer, especially the Federal troops did not
seem to gain any material advantage, and only made
their advances slowly, laboriOusly, and at a great
| loss Of life. The Rebels were strongly intrenched
| behind masked batteries of rifed cannon. They
| seemed TO be innumerable.
| Again and again cur men charged upon them.
/ only to find when they had dislodged them in one
place they had feappeared in another until at lsst
the Federal soldiers were compelled to fall on their
| faces to avoid the swift messengers of death
The fight continued until after o'clock, without
! exhibiting any material result The Rebels had
mos, decidedly the advantage in position and guns,
and they used it with fearful effect The bravery
| Of our troops WAS superhuman. but what bravery
could meet the unerriAg and unceasng cannon which
| came sweeping from almost every tree or heap of
brush: Our men unmasked them, battery upon bate
ry only to find their lessened ranks were unequal
/ the task. retreat was made by New York
regiment, and soon became general. In vain Gen.
| Mcdowell endeav0red to rally his forces. They
retreated up the Centeryle road In good order I'M
tircharged upon by the Secession cavalry and artl
lery, when they broke their lines and pushed to-
ward Fairfax Court House in a disorderly column
The RETREAT.
| We find the following details in the New York
| Tribune:
The engineers were about constructing bridge
for the artillery, the regular stone bridge having
| been mined, and the two columns under Gen. Tyler
and Hunter, the latter of which was led by Gen
| Mcdowell, had actually completed the junction
tosR the order to retreat giee Why it was given
| no person who witnessed the battle and saw the
| condition in which affairs stood can attempt to
| comprehend. The only Roint positively held by the
enemy was in hollow to our left, and although an
effort undoubtedly made to over reach at the
! Left an ample tOTcs-One entire brigade-was ready
TO receive Them and did receive and repulse them
afterward in spite of the panic which regned. But
at the beginning of the retirement few ambulanceS
and baggage wagons were driven hUrrisdly away,
the noise of which seemed to spread terror among
the troops within hearing, who instantly broke
ranks and ran, pell nell, toward Centeryille.
This eontagion caught the rest and in less than
ten minutes our army was flying IN the utmost dis
order Everything was abandoned. The wounded
deserted in the hospitals and the only thought
was of individual safety. Guns were thrown aside.
and blankets and knapsacks lost and trampled
upon. The artillery shared the panic; the guns
were cut loose, and the gunners used the horses to
escape the more swiftly Those on foot begged pit
eOusly to be allowed TO share the horses of those who
rode. Many strOUstO Chamber into wagons, and were
pushed back by the bqy1Rsts of those who occupied
them
The ground was strewed with foOd weapon g. and
clothing of every kind. Many Of guns left
to fall into the ensmys haIs Including the large 81
FOUNDERS, which had done so much service during
the fight. All courage, all manliness seemed to
have fOrsaken our terror stricken men.
The last stand upon the field was made by OLe of
the Ohio regiments, under Colonel McCook, l be-
ieve but about three miles back the reserve brigade
of General Blenker was drawn up in line to cover
the retreat, and effect whatever service needed.
The stand of General Blenker saved US from great
losses
The disorder of our men continued during the
night There was no army only a vast ramble.
BY midnight they sll scattered in the road TO
Fairfax Court House, and soon after, Gen. Blenker7
toh the Eighth Nsl1 York Reqinet took I'D las TstTeIt
in neJecl 0rder-tte o1Iy body that so rstreated.
lett CentroVille at o'clock this morning. The
last fragments of our force had all been long gone
even the hospitals nearly deserted, all who
could limp having started forth with crulches ani
canes. The Rebel scouts were passing through the
town. and apparently endeavOring to ascertain in
which way they could best succeed in cutting off
the strsgglers. do not know, however that any
serious attempt to do this made.
The road from Centreyille to Fairfax was thick
with the debris of the retreat. Baggage wagons
were overturned and the horses lying dead and dy-
ing. Guns, ambulances, stores of provisions were
strewn everywhere. At Fairfax Court House the
inhabitants were plundering our deserted baggage.
IolOard arlington the eUdsncss Of the disgrdcgtd
treat continued
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Philadelphia Inquirer publishes a description
of the battle and retreat, by person who pre-
sent during the whole day. We extract the follow
ing statements
Ten men were killed and wounded belonging to
the New York Second Regiment, and also four in
the Second Ohio Regiment, by the premature dis
charge CT our muskets in their hands. A re-
treat was ordered. and our men fell back.
Scheneck failed to rally his column in any order.
The Ohio and New York men scattered through the
woods in pursuit of shelter and water. The sun
was broilng hot and almost suf Jcstng, for the men
were out of water.
We were in the centre of Tyler'S division, on the
hill just east of Bulls Run. on the WarrentOn road
About P. ". we saw clouds Of dust rising to our
left as though they were trying TO outflank and
come the rear. We called several officers
attention to it, but there seemed to be who
could have reinfOrcements sent for TO cover our
tanks.
On the left Of the road were Sherman's and Car
isles batteries drawn up for ght;on the right were
three thousand men, consisting of parts of the
Ohio and New York Regiments, and the New York
Sixty ninth About three O'Clock P N. their bat
terIes opened on US, every ball was well fired the
first fell in front of the batteries and the next took
off the heads of two men, few yards below US,
where Aessrs. S r. Smith, Sheriff J. Harper, Mr..
Shaw, of the New York Herald and ourselt, were
Standing. OfuSFS were nov given Tor tne men 10
lie down and let the balls pass oYer and just the
order was given another one swept over our heads
and ploughed the field few steps in our Our
battery did not fire gun. The enemy were not to
be seen. owing to the woods between them and US.
Our heavy siege gun was lying to the right, disabled
by the carriage being broken down; the balls flew
faster and faster and the batteries were apparently
being brought closer.
About four P. NJ. report few from man to man
that Gen Cameron's brother, Colonel of the Seventy
NINTH shot through the breast by cannon ball,
and instantly killed.
Lieut.. Col. Elliott, Of the Seventy-ninth, rode to-
wards his regiment, having been after reinforce
ments, when a cannon ball cut his horses head Off
and threw him down, bruising him go that he could
barely escape. All the stragglers now commenced
to run toward Centreville and the caissons, ambu
lInces and suffers wagons ordered to be taken
back at once toward CentreYille.
The batteries were ordered around to cover our
retreat. and keep the Rebels from cutting Is of
from Centrevle, which was about three miles in
our rear, and where we had about four or five
thousand of a reser, force; the batteries wheeled
off and took up the road and were retresting in
good order, when about half mile out, of the
gun carriages was upset.
portion of Stemda'S and CIrliSlss 1srs left IN The
roadside, the ganerS cutting the traces and running
their horses. This put the infantry in a perfect
panic they broke ranks unfortunately and con-
menced to run; knapsacks hayersacks, guns, car
trige boxes hats coats and everything being thrown
in all directions. The men were parched for water
and were falling in every direction OH ,ers
equally panic stricken with the privstes, and 10 |
val WOE u1na Oradf n ctr no