Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-08-08


gan gradually to slope toward the Run, and
| to be more closed in with trees and even at
that early hour the GOODNESS Of those leafy
aSles, was felt as relief from the already hot
and dusty path. After we emerged from this
! pleasing shelter, the column proceeded along
to the distance Of perhaps,a quarter of mile,
descending all the while toward ravine which
harbored a sluggish stream crossed by stone
bridge From that point the enemy's defenses
rose, spreading and thickening at easy inter
walls, and surmounted by powerful batteries
where the line met the horizon; and | may
pause here to say-wth powerful batteries
! packed, aud extending behind that line for
miles along. Suddenly, an exclamation of
"There they are |" from a member of Gener
eral Tyler's staff, brought our column to
stand Every field officer at once brought his
glass to bear and the consciousness that we
we're surely to have a fight ran in an electric
whisper along the entire column. There, in
deed they were, the Rebels, down in mea
dow, still q distance off, and not boldly pre-
ceptible, because of the dark background of
the woods 1t was body of infantry drawn
up in line of battle. its full strength concealed
from being extended partly in the forest. 1t
was now necessary that we also should take
battle order-so we deployed into the adjon
Ing fields, Gen. Schenck's brigade, consisting
of the I'd New York and lSt and I'd Ohio Re-
giments, being extended to the left and Sher
mans brigade, composed of the New York
G9th, 10Th, 18th and I'd Wisconsin, stretching
on the right. The large rfed 30 FOUNDER was
then brought forward through the center, and
put into position in the middle of the road.
The enemy evidently saw this movement with
their glasses for they suddenly fell back,
whereupon the gun, giving out its thunder,
flung a she'll towards the spot of their retire
ment.
TIE fuse was short. however, and after
plowing its roaring progress just over the
proper spot, it burst harmless in air. But
the echoes of that solemn challenge announced
to a hundred aud fifty thousand armed men
that the battle had begun. The silence that
followed was profound but it was broken by
no answer from the enemy so. after pause
of several minutes, our iron monster spoke
again. this time leveling itself at a battery
higher on the hill, and dropping its compli-
ment directly inside the works, to the deStTuc-
ton, as we were afterwards informed Of half
a dozen men, The enemy, nevertheless, did
not seem to think the game quiet made, and
though he was near enough, as is subsequent
| lv proved, to reach us from two or three posi-
tions on our right and left, persisted n a sui
! len silence Our first shot had been fired at
haif-past six, and it was now after seven still
| the foe dained no response, and it was plain
| he would not be satisfied unless we sought him
deeper in his Businesses The big gun, there.
fore, was superseded by light artillery for
closer service, and an order was given forl the
brigadeS thus strengthened, to move right and
left and explore the adjoining woods. This
order necessarily brought up the brigade of
KeyeS, which now occupied the center, but
still acting as a reserve. The timber branch
| ed away on either side in q sort of crescent
toward the batteries of the enemy on the
right hand, however it pursued the straight
line Both brigadeS, without skirmishers well
out at once proceeded upon their respective
tasks, Schenck following at left Oblique along
the edge of the wood, with Col. M'Cook and
the lst Ohio in the lead Col TompkinS aud
the New. York I'd next, with the Sd Ohio,
under Col. Harris, in the rear The brigade
proceeded in this way, exhibiting the utmost
caution .or the distance of about a mile we en-
they struck fine newly-Opcned road to the
left, whose clean, broad path seemed to invite
their entrance. They turned into it and fol-
lowed it for some distance, when, to their sur
prise, it ended abruptly to o fence with no
evidence of any road beyond. Suddenly the
enemy showed himself in two or three places
to the left, and shaking his flag at our troops,
opened tremendous fire. 1t was promptly
answered by the whole brigade, who endured
the storm of balls with the creates fortitude,
and returned fire for FIRE. Several fell at
this spot, and among others, the favorite
drummer boy of the I'd. The poor little fell
low was struck by cannon ball. which took
him Just below the arm-pits and literally cut
him in two, his childish shrek of pain ming
ling with the whistle of the rifed shot as his
little life went with it down the wind. The
storm from the batteries seemed now to iD-
crease rather than to slacken, and unable to
endure it in such an exposed position, the
, brigade fell, in good order back upon the
wood General Schenck, who exhibited
throughout the whole affair the most reckless
bravery, now ordered his men to emerge and
charge the main battery by a flank movement
but owing to the remOnStrances OF nearly all the
t officers, the desperate project was abandoned
, The men, though now out of musket range
were yet subjected to the constant drop OF
, shell which seemed to have inStinctiVely founC
out their leafy covert; so, after consultation
tney were draWn OH ana retlred, IN SooC
, order, to their position in the neighborhood o
: the Parrot gun; hearing on their way tn
thunder of battle on the right, with an occa
sional heavy report from Richardson, on tn
extreme lef:, to indicate that the enemy hat
been putting his feeers forward at Bull Run
to try whether movement to turn our rea
;, were practicable in that quarter.
: The Sherman brigade, which had separated
5 from the central column, and went off to tn
p right at the same time that Schencks brigad