Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-08-08
{ Continued from first page.


made and reasoning war. 1t was war, too, in
oil its pomp and glOry,as well as in It's strength
and we at once comprehended we were beaten
In vain did our startled faculties dart alertly
hither and thitber for some hope; in vain did
our thoughts turn quickly upon Patterson 1t
would not DO. johnson was there before Ms
with his cool fresh thousands, and our Water
loo was lost. That steady and untired host
outnumbered the whole OF our worn and stag
geFiRg colnmnS, and it penetrated us with n
conviction OF resistlesS power. Directly, how
ever, did we gather up our force, not by gen.
cral order, but by one sensible accord, and sad
and panied, and wearied, yet conscious of vic
tory as far as we had fought, we folded ND our
columns for retreat The only ones whose bar-
dhood cluDg s2itefully to the strife we're a
few regulars at the batteries, who. with the
infatuation of experts, and begrimmed with the
mire of battle from all ordinary recognition,
kept peppering at such batteries as would still
provoke their fire.
Among the last to turn their faces from the
fight they had so gay sought were the Burn
side brigade, which, accompanied by Sprague
and It's gallant brigadler, and headed by all
of It's colonels, retired in line of battle. with
orders to cover the retreat. Thus hosored for
its steadlness, the Rbod Islanders took off
their battery, aud the lst departed with its
guns. All, thus far, had gone well with the
departing movement, and our battaons from
every portion of the field were retiring with
decorum when of a sudden some of the per
sistent regulars who were charged with the
protection Of the retreat, getting out of am.
munition, sent back their caissons for fresh
supply.
Ihave described how that branch of the
service, made It's charges in the morning, and
how reckIessly it always sought its wag to the
front, through the formed columns of the vol.
unteerS. In the same manner did it now 90
back upon its errand, ridding down everything
10 its road, and scattering the ranks of the
regiments in every direction. The volunteers
who had never before seen such a sight and
who we're already penetrated with the fearful
pageant of the descending enemy, could only
understand the movement in one wav. Those
flying carriages, and those madIy excited men
were rushing TO the rear and their action was
therefore construed into a Wild retreat. The
Thought which appealed to their agitated minds
was that il the regulars were in such haste TO
escape, it was necessary they should hurry for
themselves, and one fearful panic took pos
session of them all.
The ranks Of most of the regiments were
broken, the streams OF flying men co mingled.
even officers who had behaved with courage
throughout the day, felt justified, by the pre-
ciptation of the regulars, to urge their men,
with sympathizng sense of pity, to hurry for
their lives. Thus, mistake piled upon mistake
aeg awaited the misfortune, and eliminated in a
calamity which will renkle in the pride of the
Republic throughout all her history. 1t seems
marvellous that men who had borne the bruut
of battle so brayely during the entire frbt and
VINO lett the held against a courageous foe
with more than equal honorS, could have so
soon sunk into such puerile bewlderment but
so it was, and they fed headIong from an en-.
emy more deeply hurt than they, and who
hardly dared pursue. The panic soon commu-
nicated itself to the teamsters of the Federal
army,who improperly had pressed too near, and
scamperng civilians spread the terror with an
electric speed fast back to our reserves.
The enemy, perceVing this unexpectedphase
Of our condition, at once sent out his cavalry
to haTaSs our flight, and many fugitive fell
before their charges. They rode fariousy at
our retiring columns, and when defeated of
their object by the sublime devotion of our
regulars and their cannon, they compensated
their bloody rage by riding down and saber
ing the wounded. Carrying their atrocitv to
the extreme, they even assaiIed hospital and
shot the dying within it, and the physicians
who were mlnstering TO their wants. One
OF these retreats they even bunred and all the
helpless sufferers within it were consumed. |
Rust pause here, in the name of civilization.
breeding, and Christianity, to protest my dis.
belief that these Internal crimes could have
been inspired or warranted by the leaders of
their cause but that they were perpetrated
and in repeated instances, is beyond dispute
Through all the terror and confusion, how
ever, there were several regiments which main.
tained their Self-possesson and amoug these
were the Burnside Brigade, the Rhode Island
ers and the list, bearing their cannon to the
bridge, and the entire brigade maintaining
hFm line of battle to- that point. But there
new and unmanageable terrors arose, and the
bridge being blocked by overturned caissons
sud ambulances, these precious tr nkets o. the
battalion were all necessarily left behind from
the utter impossbility of dragging them
through the stream. Moreover, the enemy,
who had failed to interrupt US at this point in
the morning, for fear of discouraging the big
Eederal fly from entering his web, was now
hitting the bridge most accurately with his
shell. Bravery then gave up its heart SOure
g'tPpeat became the word of ALL and every
man took 10 the creek or tried to fly the bridge
for himself
Thus was the stream crossed by frantic
thousands, who then sought the corner of the
woods, while Others, charged with water and
Indifferent from sheer desperation, trudged
moodily along the open path, as needless of
the explosions, which were spluttering about
their heads, as if they were so many harmless
Chinese crackers. A few brave spirits would