New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-03
THE REBEL ACCOUNT OF THE
BATTLE.

A battle is too vast an event ever to be fully
and perfectly described by single individual
However active and obseryant spectator may
be, it is wholly impossible that the great mass
of details should fall within his vision. Granting
that he seizes the general course OF operations,
and accurately follows the regular progress Of
the engagement upon his own side, thousand
incidents, more or less important 10 the result,
must still inevitably escape him. As regards the
enemy, he is always liable to be nj fault. The
plan adopted, therefore, by most of the cores
pondents of Northern journals, Of avoiding gen
eral speculatioDs, and recounting only what had
come to their immediate knowledge, was un-
euestonaby the wisest aud the beat. What one
narrative might have lacked, another was likely
to supply Thus the material for faithful history
is in a good measure provided without being
impaired by tie vague and exaggerated rumors
which in other ways have found their way 10 the
public, or the dubious speculations IN which 50
many have been tempted to indulge
RELYING frankly upon the fidelity Of Northern
core spondcnls TO furnish sooner or later, what
Was needed for the understanding oil our Owa
action at Bull Run, We have waited With much
interest for the reviews from the Southern side,
to pnable ~ to complete the picture, only one
half of which has hitherto been open to u.s. But
we have waited vainy. In fact We might rs
wen not have waited at all. 1t seems probable
that no thoroughly true version Of the battle,
from tn Rebel side, will ever be suffered to APP
pear. The account from The Richmond Dispatch,
which we published yesterday, is the mo,t con-
pletc that has been, or is lkel! to be eyen
? The writer, according to HE own showing, was
specially favored. He was Of the few civilians
who were permitted to witness the engagement
lie shared the confidence OF the insurgent leaders
ard. Il would appear wrote according 10 their
direction instead of his own-certanly under
their sanction. The result, unfortunately, gives
MS no new light With similar advantages the
most ordinary reporter of a Northern Journal
would have supplied an account hundred times
more valuable. We did not look for decent
writing, but we certainly expected record Of
facts which of themselves, under tue exciting CIR
cumstances, must be wildly interesting So far
as the elucdation OF the great events OF that day
i, concerned, we have gained nothing. The letter
gives us no better idea of the conflict, as a
whole, than we had before. II deals so precisely
with what we were already acquainted with, that
its very falsities of which there are not few, are
patent on the slightest examination.
1t is on account Of these falstes that the mar
ratiye requires q brief notice. 1t might other
wise be accepted az tolerably authentic, having
something OF an official or authoritative twang
about it, We take the lies in such order as
they ave oct forth. giving to each the contradic-
! ton that it needs
The National force is declaqd to have been
! 10000 men, while tn, number of the rebels is
rated at " 5000, with Is pieces Of artillery"
! But the truth is, that the entire National army
did not exceed $4,000 men, and of these not
more than 10000, at the outside participated in
the battle. This can be proved by referring to
the rolls Of the regiments engaged. As regards
the rebel force, We have two good reasons for
knowing il to have been vastly superior to ours.
In the first place, the infantry fight was almost
altogether one Of regiments rather than of
brgades or divisions Each National regiment
that entered was met by equal rebel forces,
which latter were in most eases driven slowly
back for three hours, their places thea being
supplied with entirely fresh men. These, in
turn, were gradually compelled to give ground,
until the appearance of still larger reinforce
ments occasoned the order for our retreat In
the second place. all the rebel officers captured
by our men-some Of them desperately wounded,
and having the fear Of sudden death ia their
hearts-,nited in declaring that we were opposed
BY at least $4,000, and perhaps more than
100000 men. In some cases these officers
described with close accuracy the manner in
which the rebel army was organized and dis
posed upon the field.
The number OF regular infantry troops in the
National army is stated by the Richmond writer
to have been 10000. There was, in fact, one
battalion, half a regiment, of regular Infantry,
and no more. This battalion was with the lst
Brigade of Col. Hunters division. The number
Of our regular cavalry on the field was about
500.
It is proclaimed that sixty.seyen pieces Of can
non were captured by the rebels. The number
of cannon lost by us is known to be less than %.
Our troops are charged with having used the
Dsunion aud Palmetto flags to lure the rebels
into positions where their destruction was GER
tain. Nothing Of the sort was or could have
been at any time ATTEMPTED upon our side. But
it is now known that this very scheme was em-
poyed by the enemy in several eases.
A story s given to the effect that the hall OF
one OF our regiments was absolutely destroyed !
by two discharges OF artillery. No regiment, in !
fact los. more than 80 OK so "a killed aud