Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-13

ately after the battle, when confusion reigned
supreme, and when Ii was impossible to give
correct details:
"There seems to be misconceptiou in the
public mind as to who planned and carried
into execution this great battle. The foil
ing Is a true statement of the facts on this
point. /. was Gen. Beauregard's plan to
| make The attack at a 10. on Sunday, by an
advance of our centre and right columns
J This would probably have resulted IN our
defeat; but If it had been successfully execu-
| ted. we would nave now been in Washington,
and the overthrow of the Grand Army would
have beeu complete. Gen. John ston's plan
was for defense. He went upon the presump-
ton that the enemy were advancing and
would inevitably make the attack, most pro-
| badly on our left or centre. He was bourne
out ia this by the fact that the largest body
of their troops were marching from Center
vile towards Stone Bridge, and inclining
IstiIl further up the creek to our left But it
was not presumed they would cross as high
up as they did, until we were informed OF
the fact by "a friend" from the enemy's side,
at IL O'Clock on Saturday night. On receipt
of this information, Beauregard at once yield
ed to the views of Johnston. From that mo-
| ment the work for our defense was cOmmen-
| ced About the celebrity and sagacity with
| which our movements from that hour were
planned and executed there can be no dis
| pute. Johnston and Beauregard and their
| Aids were diligently engaged during the re-
mainder of the night in issuing and dispatch
/ ing orders to the different brigades. A sleep
| less aud exciting night was passed by our
/ soldiers who were stationed at the creek, up
| and down its banks. The enemy's drums
\ and bugles were distinctly heard all night,
| which was evidence of his constant and rapid
motion. On our side all was still, quiet and
| calm. Not a sound was heard, save an occa-
- L., h. H.
4 of courier as he passed with orders and re-
| plies 10 and from Headquarters. The morn
/ ing, at length dswDed, and was the most well
| come of my life. It was gloriously bright
/ and beautiful.
Our line of battle extended on the South
| side of Bull Run for six or seven miles from
| right to left of Manassas Junction, assimila-
| ti0g a semicircle in torm-Our main breast
works defending the various crossings? At
day-dawn Wheat's Battalion of n. 0. "Ti-
| gers" advanced and crossed the creek above
Stone Bridge. They soon collided with the
enemy's pickets. upon whom they fired, and
returned with the information that the enemy |
was advancing in force under Mcdowell and |
Porter upon our extreme left. Oar Generals |
and their staff were all mounted and at their |
post when Maj. Wheat gave this information
They Immediately dashed of, passing from |
hill to bill, viewing the movements and po- |
sition of the foe. The country on the South |
side of Bull Run is rolling. interspersed with |
piue thickets of small growth, and from ele- /
vatiOns, overiOoks the country to consid-
cradle distance northwardy. Off from the |
creek the country is level as far as the eye |
can reach. 1t was said the cannon firing
commenced as early as a. M, but the first |
l heard was at 7:20 from hill opposite our |
right wing-the shell bursting over our
heads From this till 10 o'clock, shell aud
grape poured upon US necessarily, cutting |
the limbs of trees above US, and frequently
falling in front of our column, and throwing
the dirt into our faces My position (high
privately was in the advance guard, 18th Va.
Regiment, Gen. Longstreet's brigade-Gen.
Jones' brigade on our right and Gen.Bonham's
on our left. Beauregard ordered us to .'crOss
the creek, take that battery and give the en-
envy specimen of our steel" We crossed
over, and crawled on our hands and knees to
the top of the hill, when the enemy opened
two new batteries on our main column. BY |
some misunderstanding of this movement by
the three Generals, we were held under a
heavy fire for nearly an hour, when volley
of musket balls and grape forced US to return
to our entertainments, with a loss OF killed |
and wounded. Our third effort was sue
cessful. Six regiments crossed the hill in
front of double their number. The enemy
fired one volley at random, and retreated in
confusion, leaving one piece of their artille-
~ behind.
During this time heavy cannonading and
musketry to our left was continued with un- |
abated fury, and with terrific effect, as the
sequel proved Geenrals Johnston and Beau
regard now passed TO the left-Beauregard
on the extreme left, and Johnston to his right |
near Stone Bridge. The fighting here open |
ed in valley, the bills on each side rising
some $50 feet above the low ground, about
800 or 1000 yards from top to top. The head |
of McDowell's column at this time had cross |
ed at Sudley's Spring, about mile and
half above Stone Bridge. They marched for
ward rapidly but cautiously, evidently to |
outfiank us and come down on our rear.
Fortunately this movement was discovered
by Sergeant Richer, of Major Wheat's Batal-
lion. who was in tree on the hill for the |
purpose of reporting. Gen. Evans Brigade |
was Immediately ordered forward to check | {
THE movement. who opened fire upon their | '
advance In rapid succession the enemy's
regiments deplOyed in line to their right,
whilst our regiments came up to our left and | {
engaged them. Here the fight was hot and
heavy. rs to $4,000 of the enemy were now S
visible; his batteries, On his left, were cut
out of range with our main column by an in {
tervening hill. The Washington and Lynch I
burg Artillery and Latham's Battery came |
up in good time, and being stationed in the {
rear of our forces, opened a fire of terrible |
effect. The Yankees fell like grass before i
the mowers scythe; yet slowly but surely {
their vast columns kept advancing, until
within range of our muskets. Our boys turn t
ed loose murderous fire, which was return S
ed, and we were forced back by mere weight 4
of numbers-the enemy still moving on as if +
irresisiibly determined to Overpower our f
left and come back on our rear. Our little t
band of 5 900 in this brigade contested every I
inch of GROUND, regardless of cost. Several v
were here terribly cut up on both | Fl
-ideS. Ghe dead and wounded covered the fl
in evDFU direction RpOimpDt aft 1 N
regiment of the Yankees were cut to pieces s
by us; but still other regiments were sent b
forward to meet the same fate. The Eighth | O
Georgia were now ordered to charge and "
AXE the most destructive of their batteries. C
1t was done nobly and bravely, and in double g
quick time-with considerable loss, however. o
At this juncture several regiments of Mis- b
'issippians. Alabamians. Virginians, and the d
3rd Tennesseeans ol.Vaughn) were brought 81
INTO action-composing, think, Gen. Bees u
brigade. The Hessians now advanced upon | Il
this brigade, and sent fierce tornado of shot 81
and she'll into their ranks, under which they d
ell back slowly, fighting over every inch of | t;
he ground-the 4th Alabama suffering most,
osing all its field officers At this moment n
Hampton's Is. Co. Legion came up and check tt
ID the onward progress of the enemy. Still a
heir myriads, as a cloud of fame, continued ii
% press on our extreme left, with new adj O
rance upon our centre. The struggle was a
low intense. Between our extreme left and c.
centre Wheat's Battalion the 18th, 9th and e
4tb Virginia, the 4th and portion of tie sth W
Georgia, and the 4th South Carolina engaged II
he seth and 18th New York, Ellsworth's S
zouaves. the Brooklyn Zouaves, and several 81
,ther regiments of Porter's Brigade. Our t.
position was most critical. The enemy sue m
seeded in fianking US to some extent, and to S
i'd to the embarrassment, an awkward mis- In
axe occurred. Wheat's Battalion being or Oh
Lered to the left. We're moving in that direc- b