The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-08-03

were AFRAID tHat MS guns would be trained
down the long, narrow avenue. and NOW the
retreatng thousands, and batter to pieces
army wagons and everything else which
crowded 1t. Only one field officer, so far as
my observation extended, seemed to have re.
numbered his duty.
! Lieut.. Col. Speldrl a foreigner attached to
Connecticut regiment, strove against the
current for a league. | positively declare
that with the two exceptions mentioned all
| efforts made to check the panic before Centre
vile was reached, were confined t. civilians
saw man in citizens dress, who had
thrown OIL his coat, seized musket and was
trying to rally the soldiers who came by ct
the point OF the bayonet. In reply to a ques-
ton Tor his name, he said 1t was Washburnc,
and learned that it was the member by that
name from Illinois. TIE Hon. Mr.. Kellogg
made similar effort. Both these Cong ess-
men bravely stood their grou& till the last
moment, and were seryiccable at Centrevile
in assisting the halt there ultimately made. -
And other civilians did what they conld
But what scene! and how te r fic the
onset OF that tumutuous retreat For three
miles hosts Of Federal troops detached
from their regiments, all mingled in one dis
orderly route-were fleeing along the road,
but mostly through the lots on either side
Army wagons, suffers teams and prlva te
carriages choked the passage, tumbling
against each other, amid clouds of dust, and
sickenIng sights and sounds. Hacks. cen.
tanning unlncky Spectators Of the late ARRAY.
were smashed like glass, and the occupants
were lost sight of in the dekris Horses,
flying wildly from the battlefield, many of
them in death agony, galloped at random
forward, joining in the stampede Those on
loot who could catch them rode them bare
back, as much to save themselves from being
run over, as to make quicker ;ime.
Wounded men, lying along the banks-the
few either left on the field nor taken to the
captured hospitals appealed with raised hands
to those who rode horses, begging to be lifted
behind, bu. few regarded such petitions. -
Then the artillery, such as was saved, came
laundering along, smashing and oyerpowering
everything. The regular cavalry, record it
to their shame, joined in the melee, adding to
It's terIorS, for they rode down footmcn with
out mercy. One of the great guns was over
turned, and lay amid the ruins of a caisson.
as passed 1t. | saw m artilleryman run
nlnS between the ponderous fore and after
wheels OF his gnn-carrage. hanging on with
Coth hands and valnly striving to jump upon
the ordnance. The drivers were squirting the
a more agonized expression never fixed the
features of a drowning man. The carriage
bounded from the roughncss of steep hin
leading to- creek, he lost his hold. fell. and
IN an instant TIC great wheels had crushed
the life out OF HIN.
Who ever saw such fight? Could the
retreat at Rorodino haze exceeded it in con.
fusion and tunut! | think not 1t did not
slack in the least until Cent1evllle was ,s,ch.
Cd. There the sight of the reserve-Ahles
Bllgade- formed in order On the hill, seemed
some what 20 IcasSure the van. But still the
teams and foot soldiers pushed on, passing
Their own camp and heading swiftly for the
distant Potomac, until for ten miles the road
over which the grand army had so lately
passed southwark, gay with unstaned ban.
ners, and flushed with surety of strength. was
covered with the fragments of its rclrcating
toices, shattered and panic stricken in single
day. From the branch route, the trains
attached to Hunters Division had caugh hit the
contagcon o !lhe flight. and poured Into its
already swollen current another tulbd freshc,
Of confusion and dlsmav.
no ever saw more shameful abandon
ment OF munitions gathered at such vast cx.
pense The Transfers many of them. cut
the traces OF their horses, and gulloprC from
the wagons. Others threw out their loads 90
accelerate their fight, and grain, picks and
shoveIs, and provisions of every kind lay
trampled in the dust for leagues Thousands
of mu>kcts StIewed The route: when some
OF us succeeded i'll taying body oifugitiyes,
and forming them in line across the road,
hardly one but had thrown away his arms. -
If the enemy had brought up his artillery
and served upon the rctreat,ng train, or had
intercepted our progress with five hundred
ofhis cavalry, he might have captured enough
supplies for week S feast of THANKSGIVING
AS It was enough vas left behind to tell the
story Of the panic. The route Of the Federal
army seemed complete.
CHECK TO TIE RETREAT.
The sight of Miles reserve drawn up on
the hills at Cenlrevllle. supporting full
battery Of field pieces, and the efforts Of the
few officers still faithful to their trust, en-
couraged many Of the fugitive infantry to
seek their old camps and go no further
But the majority pushed on to point near
the late site of Germantown, where Lieut.
Brisbane had formed line Of Hunts articr.
lists across the road, aud rcpulSed all who
attempted to break through. particularly
request attention to the service thus rendered
by this loyal young officer.
While he was thus engaged courier ar
rived with the news that Col Montgomery
was advancing with New Jersey brigade
from Falls Church, and that the retreat must
be stopped. only the wagons being allowed
to pass through. Somc thousands Of the
soldiery had already got far away to Wash
ington These were those from whom the
details of the repulsc were gathered this
morning. Poor fellows who could blame
them? Their own Colonies had deseted
them, only to reach Arlington Heights as
soon as they could.
few miles further I met Montgomery
swiftly pressing to the rescue, and reported
the success Of Lieut.. Brisbane's Efforts And
so rode along, as well as my wearied horse
could carry me, past groups of struggling
lugltlves, to Fairfax, Col. Woodbury. was
expecting, and guarding against n flank
movement of the enemy, and on again to
Long Bridge and the Potomac. But the van
of the runaway sellers had made such time
that found a host of them at the Jersey
intrencnments begging the sentinels to allow
them to cross the bridge. To- day we learn
Of the safe retreat Of the main body of as far
as Fairfax, but are now within the Arlington
lines, and that .IcDowell. a stunned and
vanquished general, is overlooking the wreck
of his columns from his old quarters at the
Gusts mansion.
REAL STRENGTH OF THE CONTEMPORARIES.
The officers who took Mr.. Pryor prisoner.
say that among the other prisoners taken
was very badly wounded Rebel officer, who
wore the eagle of a Colonel on his shoulder