The national Republican., 1861-08-28
Mli. kUSSELl..
W. +. G..

bune, written by DIR. Ray, one OF its editors,
places Mr.. Russell in a very extraordinary po
sition:
Mr. Russell's letter to the London Times is.
| in many respects, q remarkable paper. We
| rnjoyed the privilege of riding from point a
couple of miles east Of Cenreville, to another
| point mile east of Fairfax Court House, with
Mr.. Russell, and when he tells what took place
| on that bit Of road, we are competent judges
| of his truthfulness and fairness as descriptive
| writer. We do not know and do not care what
he saw, or says he saw. Of the fight aud the
| eight, bef re we found him ; but from the errors
| and misstatements in that portion of his nara
tive with which we are Immediately concerned,
we should be justified in believing that he was
not al the battle at all, and that the materials
for bis letter were gathered from some fire
Zouave or private of the Ohio second, who
left, terrer.stricken, in the early part of the
fray, and carried the fatal news Of the rout and
| the race to the credulous rear. We left Cen
trevile without knowing that repulse had
been felt, or that retreat tv that point had
been ordered. Jogging lesurely down the
Washington road perhaps ten miles-cer-
tainly not more--ahead of Mr.. Russell, we saw
nothing OF the hogging, lashing, spurring beat
describes. The road was as quiet and clear as
| if no army were in the vicinity. A mile from
Centreviie, we met that New Jersey regiment,
| private of which, Mr.. Ru sell says, threaten
ed to " shoot him If he did not halt" The of
| fcers were turning back the few fugitives, not
| dozen in all, that were on their way in but
recognized as civilian, as the Times cores
rear unchallenged. Mr.. Russell. at that mo-
ment, could not have been half q mile be
hind us.
Pushing on slowly, we were ovcrtaken by Col
| onel Hunters carriage, in which he. wounded.
was going to the city. Mr.. Russell saw it, or
says he saw It, attended by an escort of troopers
at the head of whom was major, who d" con-
sidered it right to take charge Of his chief and
leave his battalion We saw no troopers nor
major. Hon. Isaac N. Arnold of the House,
was riding by the side of the vehicle, and he, a
smooth-fuced gentleman, in the garb of civil
ian. may have been mistaken, by our I" own
correspondent for doubtful man of war
Possibly two miles and half from Centre
vile, we stopped at roadside farm house for
q cup of water. While drinking, Mr.. Russell
passed. We recognized him, rode along, and
were soon engaged with him in discussion Of
the causes Of the check,-it was not then
known to be anything morc,-and, in his com,
pany, we went on through Fairfax, in all, o
distance, perhaps, Of six or eight miles ; and.
we can affirm that not one incident which he
relates as happening in that stretch had any
foundation in fact. We saw nothing OF that
Englishman Of whom he says:
at was about this time | met cart by the
roadside surrounded by group of soldiers,
some of whom had CO. ON their caps The
owner, as I took him to be, was in great dis
tress, and cried out, as passed, Can you tell
me, sir, where the Goth are: These men say
they ar, cut to pieces Il can't tell you
Pm in charge of the mails, sir, and will de
liver them If die for it. You are gentle.
man, and can depend on your word. Is il
safe for me to go on?' Not knowing the eX
tent of the deJacle. l assured him it was, and
asked the men OF the regiment how they hap.
pened to he there. Shure, the Colonel himself
told us to go off, every man on his own hook
and to fly for our lives replied one of them
The mail agent, who told me he was an Eng.
lishman, started the cait again. | sincerely
hope no bad result, to himself or his charge,
followed my advice.
We rode into Fairfax together.
"Ireached Fairfax Court House; the people
black and white, with anxious faces were at
the doors, and the infantry under arms. l was
beseiged with questions, though hundreds OF
fugitives had passed through before me-"
1t is 3 small matter, this, but 1t marks the
accuracy of the man. Not question was
asked Of Mr.. Russell nor of US; not "fugi-
tive," we dare affirm, had passed that way
the infantry-another New Jersey regiment, II
we are not mis.aken-were at their usual
evening parade, supposing, no doubt, that
their companions in arms had won Il great vic.
tory.
"At one house stopped to ask for water for
my horse the owner sent his servant for it
cheerfully the very house where we had In
1, vain asked for something to eat in the fore
noon. There's q fight among them,' | OBJ
served, in reply to his question concerning the
| mig lt .Thav v'ra Of he
enemys cavalry Are You an American !?
said The man. mo, am not Well, then,
he said, there will be cavalry on them soon
enough. There's twenty thousand of the best
horsemen in the world in Virginnyn"
At the little one-horse tavern in Fairfax, the
horses Mr. K. IS and our own-were watered
by servant; but the reported conversation
did not take place. A short distance from thai
inn, Mr.. Russell put spurs to his animal, and
riding furiously, left Us behind he picked up
ample material for misrepresentation, however
as he went. We point out the greatest false.
hood, if one talsehood can be greater than
I another, in the columns that he has devoted
, to the villillcation Of our troops:
Washington was still eighteen miles away
The road was rough and uncertain, and again
my poor steed was under way; but it was nc
use Of trying to outslrip the runaways Once
! or twice | imagined heard guns in the rear
but could not De sure, In consequence of the
roar of the flight behind me. 1t was most eur.
prising 80 see how far the foot soldiers had con.
trivcd to 60 on in advance"
1t must have been surprising, indeed From
the moment of meeting the first New Jersey
regiment OF which we have spoken, not q sol
dier, unless one Of baggage or picket guard
, did we see on the road-not one The wagons
going IN were few, and their progress was not
such as TO indicate that they were making q
retreat. We faced train after train going on
with supplies without guard, and without sus
picion that the army was beaten and In flight
The defeat was not known to any on the road
not even to Mr.. Russell, who informed US that
our army would fall back and encamp for The
night only to renew the battle the next day
The roar Of the flight behind me y is q stretcl
u oil the imagination. We were behind me,