New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-12

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without collision although enyeOped on three tlies
by their lines This movement had the intended
effect Of deceiying the enemy ls to my nienor purros
e. and led him anticipate an unressIed passage OIL
Boil Run
As sprescrbed in the first and fecond sectOns OF The
pauer herewith marked "a, on the morning OF ue
18th Of July, my troops resting on Bull Run, from
Union Mills Ford 10 me Stone Brfge, olstsnee Oh
, about eight miles. We're posted as follows:
Ewelfs brigade occupied poi ION IN vicinity Of
| Union Mills Ford. 10 consisted Of Rhodes oh aud
| Slebel's TIN Regiments OF Alabama, and seymour
Cth Re iment OF Lonii ma Volunteers with four "
FOUNDER howitzer OF Waiions battery and Harrison =
Greene aud CsbelPs compai les of Virginia cavalry
ID. x. Jorsss brig de in position III rear oi Nc
| leans Ford, and consi ted Of Jenkin-'s 3th South
Carolina and Bnnts 18th aDd Fetherstone's 18th Re
ncnts Of Mississipyi Volunteers, with ,wo brass o.
poupder guns OF Waltons battery, and one company Oh
| cavalry
Loncsreets Brigade covered BlackNurn's Ford, and
consisted Of Moore's let, Garland lth, and Cose
18th Regiments Virginia Volunteers, with TWO D.
| FOUNDER brsss gums of Walton's battery. 49,
| Bouhau's B igade held rhe approaches TO Mrcheils s
Fold; it Was composed of kenhaw's I'd, Williams
3d. Il con 7Fh and Cash 9Th Regiments South Caro-
hna Volunteers; of Sfi Ids and Del kenI er's bate
ries and Of Floods, Radiords Payne p BaIPs WICK
mau's aud Powells companies OF Virginia Cavelfy,
under Col RldiOrd.
| of the Stone Bridge and consisted Of Withers l6th,
Iieu,-Col. Stranges 18th, and X I. Preston'S 26th
Regiments with Latham battery and one company OF
| caNalfy, virginia Volunteers.
| Evaus held my left Aink and protected the Stone
| BRIDGE crossing, with Sloane's 4th Regiment, South
Carolina NUlunlg ers, Wheat's Special Battalion, LouIs
lana Volunteers, four c-pouuder guns aud two COM
psuies OF Virginia cavalry.
Eaflys Brigade, consls ing Of kemrers 1th, Earlys
2itb Regiment OF ViruiLia Volunteer Hays's dh
Regiment Louisiana Volunteers and three ried pieces
! of Wallous tiery. Lieut.. squlress at lrst We're
I hsl in position IN the Of aud NJ Bupport 10
Ewell Bliguds until after the development of tbe
eteny In heavy off nsye force in front of Mitchell
sn0 Blackburns Fords when it PLACED IN the rear
OF aud nearly eQui-d.tant between McLeans, BiAek'
| burns aud Aitohr!Ps Fords
| Pending The development OF the enemy purpose,
| about 10 &c ock a. m, | established my headquarters
| at q central point McLe4ns farmhouse, neir 10 Me
Leans aud Baekburns Fords, where two o-ponnders
OF Wal'onr B,ttery We're m reserve bur Subsequent
ly dlring the engdgenent took post TO the lett my
| reserve.
OF the typographical features Of the county thus oc
cuped it most euihce TO cay that Bull Kun Is small
stream, uiDg in this locality nearly rom westto
east to its confluence with the Oecoqnan river about
j twelve miles from the Potomac, and draining consld-
cradle scope Of country from iis source IN Bnl i.nn
Mountain 10 a short distance Of the Potomac 1T Oc-o-
qGan At this season baLitu8ily low and .lHggsb II
! j., however, rapidly aud frequently swollen by The
Summer rains uufil unfOrd2be. TIE banks, frr the
most part, rocky and steep hut abound IN lrng'
p-ed foTds. 1hs country, eitier eide much broken
and til KY wooded, becomes gently rolling aud open
| as T. e,ies from the stream.
On the Northern ride the gronnd is much the high
est and commands the other bank compile ely. Roads
traverse aud iniersect the surrounding epuntry IN al
mot every direction. Finally, At MitchePs Ford tho
| pream l. about equdis ant between Centtryile and
Miuussas some ak mes apart. On the morning OF
| ihe 18th, finding that the enemy was assunit
! threatening attitude, IN aodl ION 70 re regiments
whose positions have been already stated ord red mp
fom Camp Pickens, reserve, iu rear OF Bohham
igade the effective men OF six companies OF helleys
| Sh Rspiment Lobi.ians Volunteers, aud kirklands
lhh Regimen, North Carolins Volunteers, which hav
I =. a l., ~ hafa iYrN NfutnpefFr
Md halted u view of the existing necessi yes Oh the
teryce Subsequently, the Latter was laced IN posi-
| tiol TO the lrft OF Donsams brigade
AppeainR ia heavy force in front OF Bohhan posi-
iio, The enemy about diar opened hre with stv-
era -pOnuder ,iie guns from LII, over one bail
mills from Ball iun. At the same time hemper, sup
pOred by Two comPsnies Of lght inlAn'ry oeeupiSe
iidas on tie left a the Ctntruyills rUad about
ward. in advance of the Ford, with two 6-pounder
isrnolhl guns. Az fret the hrng Of the enemy was AZ
random but by II, =. NJ hr had Obained tie range OF
our .oslon aud poured Into q Il igade shower Of
sao, but without miufy us 10 n'n, huTses or guns
From the ditauce bowever, guns could not reTly
With effect, aud we DID not attempt IT, patiently await
| my more opportune moment
Meanwhile light battery was pushed forward by
| th. ,Iemy wbtrvupOn hump,T threw only Elk solid
,lot will he Ct OF driving back both Lhe battery
nod a supporting force. Ibi- ia understood - have
heen Aytess battery and the damage nutt have been
consderat e 10 have Obliged such retrograde move
| nent The part Of tlat officer.
! The purpores Of Kempers position having now been
fully served, lis pieces and support were Withdrawn
aerors Mitclens Ford, to point previously desis-
naie and which commanded tie diroat approaches TO
4 the turd.
About II o'clock a. M, tho enemy was also dis
eoyried by Tie pirksts OF Long-tieets Brigade sd
vancing Ia strong eoluaus Of infantry, with anilery
| and cavalry, on BlAckbnm's Ford.
Al neai an tho ,kcts fell back silently before the
advancing ife the ford, wbich-as wrl NJ the
| entire southern bank Of tie stream for the whole
front of Longnreets Brigade-was covered al the
waers edge ny IN extended hhe o, sAif~iahers,
| while Two sX.I Ounders Of WaltUns Battery, under
| Lieut. Gameit were advautageOusly p0ced TO com-
nand the direct approach TO tue ford, but with orders
to retire 10 tho Iear as soon hs commanded by tho
! enemy.
The northern bank of the stream, In front of Long
stFeets position rses with steep slope lesst %
feet above the level of tie water, leaving narrow
bern OF tie lord OF ~ yaids. This ride
formed for them admirable natural parlpe beh I'd
which they could and did approach under shelter in
heavy force within lees than 100 yar1s OF skir
misheTs; the sou bern shore WAS almost Ia, raisep
but lew feet above the water Tor reytfal hundred
wards then lisng with very gradual, gentle slope,
aud undulatiops back Manassas. On the immediate
bunk tbere was "A fringe Of trees but with little, II
any uudergrowh shelter, While on the other shore
hele were timber ana much thick brush and covering
The ground in the rear oi our tkiiulshefr and 0rcu
ried by our artillery was an old field extending along
| ths stream about mile and Immediately back for
about half mile border or skrtlHg OF Dense sec
| ond-growlh pines. The whole OF this ground wB
commanded all points by the ridge OCCUPIED by the
engm, musl lery Il. was al-o the country to The reHr
| for a dstsuce much beyond the range Of 2Opounder
rile guns by the range Of hills which their bat
teres were Ilned, and which, It may be iurher
| noted commanded also all our approaches from this
| direction to tie three threatened toIds
Before advancing his infantry, the enemy maintained
hre of iihe artillery from the batteries just mer-
toned for bait hour then be pushed forward col
umn OF 3, 900 Infantry 10 The assault with such
weight of numbers as 10 DO repelled with difficulty by
| 10 nf MT