St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-08-15
The Battle.

One incident III the Bull Run battle We
have not seen published, although it. was
amongst our earliest private accounts. 1t
came to US in such shape that we did not
teel at liberty to publish it. It has since
come to us 30 authenticity we feel war
ranttd i" giving it tosour readers. This
is, that when the Minnesota Regiment
marched to that part Of tho field assigned
them, Col Heintzleman rode up, and
pointing to wood nearby, said, There
is regiment Of the enemy posted in that
wood. The Zoaavcs refuse to 20 forward
and engage them must ask Minnesota
to do it"
Col. German Immediately formed his
Regiment so that the right wing was with
ia twenty yards Of this wood, when large
De achmcnt Of infantry was discovered to
the left, behind a fence, and without a
flag Col. Miller thought them enemies,
and s"gs ested the rropriety of firing upon
them; but Col. German thought it rroba-
BILE they were friends. The doubt was
dispelled in very few moments by a
heavy volley poured into our ranks stimuli
taneously with one from the wood and a
masked battery in front. Over the breast
works Of this battery our nen could but
sec the heads Of the enemy. Our men re-
turned the fire in four rounds, when con.
siderable portion Of them slowly gave way
and retired. This was at the right wing,
nearest the wood in which the enemy
were cntrenched, aud was commanded bv
Col. Miller, as his position in the Regi-
ment was to Col. Germans right. The
Regimental Color Bearer, Corporal Bur-
CESS, by some disorder in the iiues, re.
manned with Col. Miller after German Was
ordered to retreat Col. Miller, Captains
Putnam, Wilkiu, Pcll. Adams, Acker and
l'ieuts. Coats. Farrell, Smith, Of Company
u, Racquet, Zunenberser and othe, officers,
by encouragement and example kept near
three hundred in ranks, aud as they were
teloading, Col. Wilcox, in command of
the Wisconsin Brigade, gallopcd up and
ordered them to retire into a wood to the
right. The Regiment had no undcrstan-
ding Of u common rallying point in case of
repulsc, and so were separated. Col. Mil
lcr's command rested little while in the
wood to which they had retired, and no
orders following them, he thought they
should make one more charge. The off,
GERS secon ed him warmly, and once more
they marched forward, over two hundred
Of them, and took position on the ground
from which Germans wing of the Resi-
ment had retired. Then they delivered
three rounds in good order, but Miller
finding that his small detachment was cx-
posed to the fire Of masked pattcry, aud
what he estimated as 1000 infantry, order
ed his men to retreat once more to the
woods. This they did, in good order
He and his corporal color bearer bringing
up the rear. AL the regiments in that
part Of the field reiterated before they did.
In the wood they were assailed by the en-
emy's artillery and infantry; and they
continued to retreat until they reached
Ccnterville. Here they were not allowed
to rest but by general order marched on
o Washington. Frank Staples cannot
tell why, for he thinks they might have
remained at Ccntreville, got something to
eat, rested an hour and have been quite
ready for the rebels had they come up
Much to Franks disgust he had to 90 on
to Washington. where he arrived alter
continuous march of forty miles, six
hours fight and nothing to eat. They
were drenchcd with rain, and many 0:
them were quartered in a church where
there were no stoves; and some Of our cor
respondents Incline to think that, defeat
and all, the fighting was the only pleasant
part Of the business.
Our Regiment is row stationed on the
Potomac Is miles from Washington to
prevent communication with the rebels.
Col. Miller has suggested to his suneri-
ors the necessity Of a uniform which shall
enable our men to recognize one another
on the battle field, and says that the men
under his command are quito certain that
owing to the variety Of their costume,
they ssre fred upon with deadly effect at
least - BY friends. He also suggests
the p'Opsieey Of general order forbid