The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-08-15

columns for retreat. The only ones Who's
hardihood cluug spitefully to the strif,
were few regulars at the batteries, wht
With the infatuation of experts, and be
grimmed with the mire of battle from all
ordinary recognition, kept peppering a
such batteries as would still provoke ,heir
FIRE.
Among the last to turn their faces fro IN
the fight they had SO gaily sought were
the Burnside brigade, which, accom- pa lied
by Sprague and its gallant brigadier, and
headed by all of its colonies, retired in
limo of battle, with orders to cover the re.
treat. Thus bonored for its steadiness,
the Rhode islanders took off their bate
~. and the list departed with its guns
All. thus far, bad gone we'll with the de
parting movement, and our battaIions from
every portion OF the field we're retiring
with decorum; when of sudden some OF
the persistent regulars who were charged
With the protection of the retreat, getting
out of ammunition, sent back their cais-
soDs for fresh supply.
have described how that branch OF
the service, made its charges in the NOR.
ming, and how reCklesrly it always sought
its way to the front, through the formed
columns of the volunteers. In the same
manner did it now 60 back upon its er-
rand, riding down everything in its road
and scattering the ranks of the regiments
in every direction. The volunteers who
bad never before seen such sight, and
who were already penetrated with the
fearful pageant of the descending enemy
could onl J understand the movement in
one way. Those flying carriages, and
those madly excited men were rushing to
the rear, and d~tbeir action was therefore
construed into wild retreat. The
thought which appealed to their agitated
minds, was, that if the regulars we're in
such haste to escape, it was necessary
they should hurry for themselves, and
one fearful panic took possession of them
all.
The ranks Of most of the regiments
we're broken, the streams of flying men
com mingled; even officers who bad be-
haved With courage throughout the day,
felt justified, by the precipitation of the
regulars. to urge their men, with sym
pathizing sense of pity, to hurry for their
lives. Thus, mistake piled upon mistake,
aggravated the misfortune; and culmina-
ted in calamity which will rankle in the
pride of the republic throughout all her
history. 1t seems marvellous that men
who had borne the brunt of the battle so
bravely during the entire fgbt. and who
left the field against a courageous foe
with more than equal honors, could have
SO soon sunk into such puerilc bewlder
ment; but SO it was, and they fed head
long from an enemy more deeply hurt
than they, and who hardly dared pursue.
The panic soon communicated itself to
the teamsters of the Federal army, who
Improperly bad pressed too near, and
scampering civilians spread the terror
with an electric speed fast back to our re-
serves.
The enemy, perceiving this unexpected
phase of our condition, at once sent out
his cavalry to harrass our fight, and a.
ny fugitive fell before their charges =
They rode furiously at our retiring COL
umns, and when defeated of their object
by the sublime devotion of our regulars
aud their cannon. they compensated their
bloody rage by riding down and sabering
the wounded. Carrying their atrocity to
the extreme. they even assailed hospit
al and shot the dying within it, and the
physicians who we're uinisteriDg to their
wounds. One of these retreats they even
burned, aud all the helpless sufferers with
it were consumed. | must pause here, in
the name of civilization, breeding, and
to protest my disbelief that
these internal crimes could have been in
spired or warranted by the leaders of
their cause; but that they were pepetra-
ted. and in repeated instances, is beyond
dispute.
Through all the terror and confusion,
however, there we're several regiments
which maintained their possession,
and among the Burnside Brigade, the
Rhode Islanders and the list bear
ing their cannon to the bridge, and
the entire brigade maintaining firm line
of battle to that point. Bot there new
and uumanaseable terrors arose. and the
bridge being blocked by overturned cais-
sons and ambulances, these precious trim
kets of the battalion were all necessarily
left behind, from the utter impossibility
of dragging them through the stream
Moreover. the enemy, who had failed to
interrupt US at this point in the morning,
for fear of discoursgiDg the big Federal
6y from entering his web, was now hit
ting the bridge most accurately with bis
she'll. Bravery then gave up its heart
.Souve qui 20eut became the word of all,
and every man took to the creek or tried
to fly tho bridge for himself
Thus was the strea N crossed by frantic
thousands, who then sought the corner Of
the woods. while others, clogged with wa
ter aud indifferent from sheer desperation,
dsed moodily along the open path, as
needless OF the explosions. which were
On -.,g bormIess Chinese crackers