Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-08-02
LETTERS FROM THE SEAT OF WAR.
SECOND VI. REGIMENT, Co. f.,
ALEXANDRIA, July %, 1861.

TX. EDlIUh bdhO ehio CPG0asNNJ
to inform you and my friends in Lamoille
County the facts, as I understand them,
in regard to the late battle of Bulls Run
and Manassas Junction. / know that ex-
aggcrated accounts of the fight are rife In
the Northern papers. propose to give a
correct statement, as | saw and participant
ed in the battle. The Third Brigade,
composed of the Third, Fourth and Fifth
Maine regiments, and Second Vermont,
with Ellsworth's Zouaves as scouts, who
were encamped miles from this place, on
the road to Fairfax Court House, received
marching orders on the 10th, with what
they called days rations. 1t consisted
of about IL lb. of hard crackers and IL
lb. of salt beef. Gen. Howard command
ed the Brigade. We advanced and made
circuit of 20 miles to the left, and CON-
pletly around Fairfax Court House, to
Fairfax Station, where we arrived on the
18th at 4 o'clock P. M. Meanwhile an
other Brigade under Gen. Wilcox, came
directly down on the Court House and
routed 100 rebels and took great deal
of provision and munitions of war, con-
sisting in part of 100 IBIS flour and 4
tons bacon, &C., without firing gun.
Our days rations were gone, and we re-
ccived a portion of the spoils, and having
no cooking utensils we took such old dirty
kettles and platters as the rebels left, and
cooked our -four as best we could. We
captured all the nice fat beef we wished
for from the rebel farms around u.s. We
stayed at this place until IL o'clock M.
of the 18th, when we commenced our
march towards Centreville. We arrived
within IL milss Of the place at II
o'clock at night, where we formed line
of battle and camped on the fare ground,
in our places with our single blanket over
us. Our company was detailed as pick
ct Guard, in the rear. We were fired
into twice during the the night, and re-
turned the fire in good spirit, they did
not hit any of us, and whether We hit
any of them do not know, as it was
dark and we were stationed in the woods.
At day light we joined the Brigade and
before night other Brigades came in and
formed with us, a Division of about So
900 men and batteries of artillery, the
whole commanded by Gen. Mcdowell.
On the 10Th the Massachusetts, Brigade
fred on and drove the rebels from Gen.
treville with a loss Of s killed and "a
wounded, they captured small battery
from the rebels at this place, and planted
their own cannon on the heights around.
4 small battery was also taken at Bulls
Run the same day, with small loss on
our side. At 2 o'clock, A. NJ, of the 2 st
the long roll of each regiment was beaten
and the whole Division commenced the
advance, the Third Brigade bringing up
the rear. The advance commenced the
fight about 7 o'clock, A. NJ, on the pick
cts IL miles in front of the fort at
Manassas Junction. The main body of
enemy were entrenched and strongly for
titled with plenty of cannon and ammuni-
ton with 10000 men, armed with Sharp's
and Mimic SITES, on the high est point of
land in the whole country and surround
cd by heavy timber. The land we had
to pass over to get at them, excepting in
front was open ground for miles, exposed
to their batteries. The Third Brigade
was detached from the main body about
10 o'clock and put through on double
quick time, and made circuit of about
s miles, and came up on the left of the
enemy about o'clock, P. M. At this
time our men had driven the rebels one
mile. Our Brigade passed over this
ground, covered with the dead and dying,
every rod of which presented some awful
spectacle, and showed the ground had
been given up only by inches. Wagon
after wagon load of poor wounded soldiers
were carried off to be cared for by the
different surgeons of the regiments. They
appropriated the secession houses for hos
pitfalls. The cry of the wounded was "Oh
for Gods sake drop of water" "dont
step on me boys" and like expressions.