Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-08-01
From the Richmond Dispatch.
THE BATTLE OF STONE RREDEE.
WRITTEN BY IN ETE-WITNESS
c1Ah coRRFsPoNDEscE CT THE DISPATCH ]

!
exceeding 30 000aud wresled together SIX long hours
with that desperate which Americans only
/ show.
proceed to give eau, fn and detailed
history Of that erribe tie. which will through all time,
/ axe famous Bull Run and the plains of Manassas
On FRIDAY, the 18th, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston who had
commanded the of the Shenandoah, posted Win
chestr, arrived at Manassas Junction with four thousand
OF his division. TO reinforce Gen Beauregard The remain
Ger Qf his army with the exception of sufficient force to
hod Nlnchester were intended TO arrive Saturday the
Doth; hut in quence railroad casualty they
did bot reach the of conflict until Sunday, between
he hcnrs OF and O'Clock, when the battle raging at
| its height
Gen. Johnston, although perhaps entitled by strict mill
tary rule to the command BEING the in rank of
Beauregerd with the nagna unity and ciy slric courtesy
for whc hat soldier distinguished the latter
to execute the plans which had al been matured assuring
Beauregard Of bis co-operat towards their
cess And Dohy did Gen. Johnston redeem his promise,
contributing IN small degree to the victory which
aheved on the ever memorable 2st by his distinguished
a sociaie in
Manassas Junction the eremy we're gahe ing in great
force and designed turning left fans which rested
e@ miles above the OF Thursdays engagement at
! ford on Pulls Run called Stone Bridge.
We retired to under the ia conviction that the
saked on mighty contest, and not disappointed
There not spectators Of the battle the Gener
eqniri all civilians with exception residents before
military operations commenced and those gagged
and retire eyond distance of four
The writer however with the following named conferes
OF the press prvilegei to remain witness
not often enacted and which forms in their lives for
all time to come, of terrific grandeur and subimty
never to be etaced.
At seven O'Clock Sunday morning party, consist
ing OF Messrs l.. ". Spratt Charleston Mercurf
de Fontane, of the Richmond Enquirer and Charleston
2urler; ?. W Aexander of the Savannah Republican
Shepardson, the Columbus (Ca Times and Montgomery
SIa) ADVERTISER and your correspondents started from
Manassas Junction.
The distant cannon short intervals sic ce dsyhreak had
appsed US that the enemy motion. but d.
rect IeGon we c9ald ony surnse until reached point
mile and half from the breaswOrks Nor west
gle of the forifcatio Of Manassas Junction
Here joined by acquaintance Of your cores
! m State ETrip OF
Georgia now tie Ecksburg aud threveport Railroad
no was an cid est Pointer and cassmate OF Gen John
ston and other DISTINGUISHED officers in the service.
20 great was orr excitement had left the Junction
or with glasses the dista feld en-
for Col Bonners fOlehought bringing powerful oper
glass our party had lost much hch through his potene
we were perm lttCd
- The day was bright and beauul-on the left was the
OF Ba Kun crowned with woods in which the had
early lnted his batteries, and all aIcund
ces on which posted small hut spec
held.
At about o'clock we reached hll above Mitsbeil's
Ford most entirely bare trees, and sufficiently Nigh to
afford an view Of the opposite heights Ater
taking ielsnrey of the beautiful landscape spread
cut before all the oyelness ad grandeur Of nature
ahd listening with watchf intent the booming Of 'he
heavy cannon on our right and an pxionsl xminn9 The o
cations where the guns of the enemy cI posite hills
were plainly t" be with the naked eye aid the heavy
cloud of rising above The woods in front and on either
SIDE indicating the direction in which the heavy columns of
the enemy we're march5Dg. each sought the shade of
tree where drew forth books and pen
ellis, 10 not down oT the ino
looked TO Us for DESCRIPTION the days occurrences
various 6hngs OF the scene which henceorth forms
IN the his tory o Oung Onfederacy, and graudy
gulaes the march Of glory which she has entered.
/ An interesting meeting here took place between
party and the venerable td1 ROfn had agail
the walls Of Fort Snmrer first defiant gun at cur
ls0!ent and bfaggar foe He had to this conflict,
with his eighty odd weighing upon him. and his flow
ing white locks to take part in this fight encouraging
young men by his presence and example Agile youth
of 6. with fe lis shoulder his eyes gstened with ex-
citsment as he burned 20 engage the Yankee invader
shortly after ds, Generals Belureg ard, Johnston and
bouhan accompanied bF their aids ga0ping the
hill, and dsmounted the summit 1h2 Generals held
earnest conVeiS&loA t0 Few minutes, while taking
Vey OF the field. and chm the challenges
from the mics batter directed against right
among The woods near Mitchell Ford, where hospital
static ed AID the 2elo" flag f,ng This also the
point where their ire of Thursday directed
tho mary OF cam bail IS to be in the kitchen and
stable OF house where Gen Beauregar dned that day
at the time the bali struck Dg. Whether enemy
thought was aga his headqute or whether the fre
was now playing toward that point to draw response
from U.s. is not known. It'll likely, however, it
mere ielnt-aI itpoteAt attempt to deceive out sSifu
and lie the point where enemy was
most in force for wie General considered it,
was seen u dlFett Gen Johnons attention particularly
with his hand to"4Ns extreme left if he knew the
struggle to be made there
should here remark hat had been Gen Beauregards
purpose to make the attack instead OF waiting receive
it. but from some cause, unkno he preferred at
last to e the enemy take the intatVe perhaps for the
leason tlat Gen Johus on division had been detained
he railroad.
As / have said, Gen. Beanregard not deceived for
the immense clouds of dust appearing above the woods
dicaed bey Cpd doubt the Federal columns moving
III oid masses IL another direction and one which
mstakahle.
Just at this time by the aid of q could
their guns brough to bear the hill where stood. for
in few moments the smoke discovered issuing
their batteries of fed and before scarcely word
could be said the peculiar Iz AID kissing of the balls
tilted that their al had been well taken Several balls
fell in field immeoa,ey behind and hund ed
arcs rom the here the Generals stood officer
ot cen Beauegard staff requested to leave the hill,
and as shell bu twenty feet off
col Bonner cnated with his watch the time taken by
The Das t. pass ns, and made the distance Ii miles from
ae enemy battery The enemy doubt discovered the
hoses OF the Gtnerals and thought it good opportunity
to display ther mari manshp and credit is due to them for
eTns all things covered the Leads Generals as with
shield preserved them the hazardous service il
which they were IN shor hour or two to he eDga2ed
1t about clock. aud the enemy having
opened with rife cannon and shell their right which
they had cohnued Ter than three hours, without
spone, We heald away to the left about miles distant
the heavy booming of FLOWED Immediately by the
and connu0lswhich notified the engagement had com
in earnest at the point where the battle was to be
: fought and
Proceeding towards the of action about two miles,
creek the hollow where of the hospitals
for the day had been staoned ana the hr wounded some
20 or &C. had been brought Dr. CASTOR OF So th Carolina
formerly -urgeOn Col Gregg Regiment but W at
tached 10 Cen Beauregards headquarters assduouy
attending to the wants Of the wounded.
At this point. Generals Bea6regard and Johnston ac-
companied by staff OF some 10 Or II officers passed at
the ul gaop riding towards their headquarters for the
e day. which hill Immediately overlooking the
ground where our brave soldiers were manfny and per-
sistently struggling for the ctory.
large force OF cavalry here stationed and as the
y, gard, which immediately gveD vita right good will
and which the General gracefully acknowledged by tng
his hat from his head and boWing his thanks.
Both of Generals plainly dI essed. No large
epaulees, gilt, any fuss and feathers you could
ony distinguish them at distance to be officers by their
swords but closer Inspections the marks of genius and
military skl unmistaksble Their uniform what
took be plain undress the least sign of exete
to be the :ountepances Of either as
eooy rode forward into the storm OF iron hail Beaure
CARDS eyes gistened with expectation doubt when he
afterwards himself into the very heart of the action
appearing Iep afterwards e1pressiyey said o
him, he the very impersenaton of the god OF war;
General Johnston too, looked every inch commander
and proved himself the worthy iuheror of the
h and virtues of his ancestors
On reaching the top of the h where white house
81 Owned believe by Mr. Lewis they we're again diseoy