Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1861-10-02
Zen. Bsaaregara's Oflcial report Of the
Battle OF Hull Run.-Rought July Is, '6l.


Battle OF Hull Run.-fought July Is, ,'6l.
From ,ho Houston Telegraph II tho is,il insi.l
We resfei that Nc have not sraae kr tho Whale of
this Interesting doeainsai, w pabli.h tho mo.l Ia.
lie nrs, describes the position Of the .ovri com.
n,ands and the ioisg.afhy oi the battle sroand lie
then sisys the rariisua of,l,s skirmshss aud inis
down 10 halfpsi II osiock, 4, ", From this point
We copy Tho description ~ he main battle;
About haif.issi u o'clock a. NJ, the enemy MAS
abo diseuSrIvi by ihc rhkeis of LongsiTsois
brigade Advancing Ia siTang column OF Infantry With
artillery and cavalry on DiackbuIn's hrd.
AZ meridian, the pckets fe back silently bsf're
tho advancing Zoe across ihc ford which, we'll
iae eniiro southern bank vf,hc srrs for the wholr
mont of Longstferts brigade. wvrr covered at the
Water edge by extended liuv IL Ufskrnishers, nhlr
two 6.pounders Of walion's battery, under Lirnt.
iarnelt. We're aivanlag,ously placed 70 command tho
direct approach Ia the ford bdt With orders 10 rrire
To the rear Is soon a. commanded BY tho enemy:
The nor,hern bank ofihe sirran, Ia ffenl of Long.
lsi abo,e tho ioyci of the water, leaving narrow
brfass Ia hunt " tho tnrd f-anc twenty YARDS THIS
riisv iormed for tiein on adnrabie natural y~wpf,
buhinl which they could, AMI did dapproach under
shelter, In heavy force, within les than one hnndtrl
yards OF onr skirmislrrs. Tue southern shorc was
alnosi plain, ralsod hut Few feet aboye tho water
hr several hundred yards, ihan rising With very
gradual srnIle slope, and un,lulaing tack tn Mnnas.
sa'. On the immediate bank there was fringu Of
trvcs hut with liie ifany, undergrowih, or shelter.
nhiln On the oirr shorr hcrv were timber aud much
| skirmlsh-rs, aud occupied by our artillery, WAS
nnoli field extending along the strram about ono
mile, aud Immediately back for about lpl!a pils To
L0Tdpr or sklrting of dvnsn d-srowth pness'
The whole of this ground was commanded ut oil points
by tho ridge occupied by the encpy's muskctry; as
Vas also the country to tho rcsr for distance much
beyond the range Of 20-pounder ri<o guns, by the
range OF hills which their baticrids were planted
s.d whieh u glny hc fllrbur noted commanded also
AL our appr@ehss ffp@ tbs direction to the three
thrcloncd fords
Before advancing his infantry, the enemy maintain.
cd ilro Of rifle artillery hom tho batteries Just men,
tiohed fur half nn hour, then hc pushed forward u
column Of over three thousand infantry to the assault
With such weight Of numbers ~ to be- rcPellcd with
dimcnliy by the comparatively small force oi not
more than twelve hundred bayonets with which Brig
adler General Longstrcct met, with characteristics
time were tho First and Seventh and fur companies
Of tho Eleventh Regiment Virginia yountecrs. Their
resistance was rcsolutc and maintained with steadi
trustworthy Of all praise II ruccossinl and the
enemy was rcpuscd. In short time, howeyer, he
returned to the contest with increased farce and de-
termination, but again oilcd and driven back by
our skirmshers, and Longsirects reserve companies
which were brought up and employed at the most
vigorously assailcd points ut tho critical moment.
1t was now that Brigadicr General Longs,roct sent
for reinforcemen,s from Early's brigade, which had
anticipated by directing the advance of Gen. Early
with two regiments OF infantry aud two pieces of
artillery. As these came upon the field, the enemy
had advanced third time with heavy numbers to
force Longsirect's position. Hays Regiment, Ith
Louisiana Volunteers, which was In advance, was
placed the bank of tho stream under some cover,
to the Immediate right and left OF the ford relieving
Corse's Regiment, 17th Virginia Volunteers. This
was done under heavy fire ofmuskcry, with proms-
| ing steadincss. The 7th Virginia, nnder Lieut. Col.
Williams, was then formed to the right also under
heavy fire. and pushed forward to the stream. rclicv-
King tho lst Regiment Virginia Volunteers. At the
name time two rifle guns, brought up with Early
brigade moved down In the field to the right OF
thcroad 50 asto be concealed from the enemy artii,
ery by tho gr.l Of timber ON tile immediate bank Of
the stream and there opened fire. directed only by the
sound ofthc enemy's muskctry. Unable to effect a
passage the enemy kept up scattering fire for some
time. Some of troops had pushed across the
stream and several small parties Of Corses Regiment
under command Of Captain Marye, met and drove the
enemy with tho bayonet but the roadway from the
ford was too narrow for combined movement in
force, Gen. Longsrcct recalled them to the south
bank. Meanwhile the rcmaindcr Of Eary's infantry
and artillery had been called up that Is, six compa-
nice of the 24t Regiment Virginia Voluntoprs under
Lieut.. Col Harston, and five pieces Of artillery, one
rifle gun, and four G-pounder brass guns, including
two 6-pounder guns under Lieut.. Garnett which had
been previously sent to tho by Gen. Longstreet.
This infantry was at once placed In position to tho
left ofthe ford in space unoccupied by Hays and tho
artillery unlimbcred in battery to tho right Of the
road, in line with tho two guns already in action.
scattering fire Of muskctry was still kept up by the
enemy for short time, but that was silenced.
1t was at this stage of tho affair that remarkable
artillery duel was commenced and maintained on
side with ongtrained professional opponent-superi
or In the character as well In the number of his
weapons, provided with improved munitions and every
artillery appliance, and at the time occupying
tho commanding position The. results were MARVEL
lous and fitting precursors to the artillery achieve
mcnts Of the 21st July. In the outset our fire was
directed against the enemys Infantry whose bsyonets
presence and forco. This drew the attention of a
battery placed on high commanding ridge, and the
duel began In earnest For q time tho aim of the
adversary was inaccurate, but this was quickly
rected, and shot ball and shells burst thick and fast
In the very midst OF our battery, wounding in the
couse Of tho combat Captain Eschclman five privntes
and the horse of Lieutenant Richardson. From the
position of pieces and the nature of the ground,
their aim could only be direcedat the smoke of the
encmys artillery How sklful and with what
ton this was done, con only be realized BY IN eye
witness. For few moments their guns sjlenccd,
but re-opeied. by direction of Gen. Long
street, his battery ten advanced by hand out of
the range ascertaincd by the enemy, aud shower
ofsphercalcase shell and round shot flew over the
heads Of our gunncrs but Of pieces had be-
como hors du combat from enlarged vent. FROM lilo
new position our guns fired, as before, with other
aim than the smoke and flash of their advcrsaries'
pieces; renewed and urged the conflict with such
signal valor and efsot that gradually the fire of the
enemy slackcncd tho ntoryss between their dischar
ges grew longer, finally to cease, and we fired last
gun at baflcd, flying foe, whose heavy masses in the
distance plainly to break and scatter In wild
confusion and utter rout, strewing the graund with
cast away guns hats blankets and knapsacks,
parting shell was thrown amongst them, In their
retreat, one ofheir pieces abandoned, hut from
the nature ofthc ground 1t not seat oF that night,
and under over Of darkness the enemy recovered IT,
sidc were three G-pounder rifle pieces and four ordi
nary 6.pounars all Of Walton's battcry, the Wash.
inston Artillery. q New 0rlsaBs, Tie officers i'm
mediately attached Capt, Esclelman, Lcuts. c.
W. squires, Richardson, Garnet and whittingtou.-
At the same time our infantry held the bank of the
stream in advance OF our guns. and the missiles ofthc
combatants flew to and fro above them as, cool and
yeteran-likc, for moro than an hour they steadily
awaited tho moment and signal for the advance.
While the conflict was at Its hight, before Black
burns Ford, about o'clock P. NJ the enemy again
n cd I'm of,
At this, Col Kershaw, with four companies Of his
regiment, Second South Carolina, and one piece Of
Kemper's Artillery, were thrown across Mitehell's
Ford to the ridge which Kcmper had occupied that
morning. Two solid shot and three spherical case,
thrown among them with p ecsion inaugurated by
that artillerist at Vienna effected their discontinue
and disappearance, and our troops in that quarter
we're again withdrawn within our lines, having dis
charged the duty assigned,
At the close of the engagement before D'nckbnrn's
Ford directed Gen. Longstrect TO withdraw the
First and seventeenth rcgmets, which had borne the
burnt of the action, to position in reserve, leaving
Gen. Early to occupy the field with his brigade and
Asa part Of tho history of this engagement, 1 de-
sirc to place on record that the 18th of July not
one yard Of enirenchments nor one rifle pit sheltered
the at Blackburn's Ford, who, officers and men,
with rare exceptions were that day for the first
time under fire, and who, taking and mainta tanning
every position ordered cannot be to much commend
ed for their soldiery behavior.
Our artillery was manned and Differed by those
who but yesterday were called from the civil avoca-
tions Of a busy city. They were matched with the
picked light artillery of the Federal regular army
company "E' Third Artillery. under Capt. Ayers,
with an armament their chief Of artillery admits
Of lo-pounder Parrott rife guns, two u pounder
howitzer and two Gpounder pieces, aided by two 90
FOUNDER Parroit rifle gnns Of company &C. Fifth
Artillery, under Lieut.. Benjamin. Tins matched, |
they drove their veteran adycrsarcs from the field,
giving confidence in and promise Of the coming en-
c'nncy VI that brilliant arm Of our snryire.
Our casualties, in all es killed and wounded, were
10 ilsluding two reported iaissisg) killed and 90
wounded, several af whom have since died, The loss
OF the enemy only he conjccfurcd, IL pas nm
questionably heavy. In the cursory examination
which Eas made BY details from Longsfrept's and
Earlys breades ths 10th Jnly Of that part of the
field imHeiigfeiy contested, and near Birckburn's
Ford some "a cof1iscs found and buried,
sw wounded a2d at least twenty prisoners were pick