Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-08-02
Incidents of the Fight at Bulls
Run.

l 6ASfe>>~ ~SSSNAAS
Bulls Run, published in the New York World
we CLEAN the following incidents of the great
rout: t----s u i
"By the time reached the top Of the hill,
the retreat, the panic, the hideous headlOng
confusion, were now beyond hope. was
near the rear Of the movement, with the
brave Capt Alexander, who endeavored by
the most gallant but unavailable exertions to
check the onward tumult. 1t was difficult to
believe in the reality of our sudden reverse.
"What does it all mean?" asked Alexander.
at means defeat" was his reply. "We are
beaten it is shameful, a cowardly retreat !!
Hold p, menr' he shouted, don't be such
Internal cowardsy' and he rode backwards
and forwards, placing his horse across the
road and vainly trying to rally the running
troops. The teams and wagons confused and
dismembered every corps. We were now cut
off from the advance body by the enemys
infantry, who had rushed on the slope just
left by us, surrounded the guns and suffers
wagons, and were apparently pressing up
against u.s. "Its no use, Alexander" said;
''you must leave with the rest" "Ill be id
if WILL" was his sullen reply, and the
splendid fellow rode back to make his way as
best he could. Meantime l saw officers with
leaves and eagles on their shoulder straps.
majors and colones, who had deserted their
commands, pass me galloping as if for dear
life. No enemy pursued just then; but sup
pose all were afraid that his guns would be
turned down the long narrow avenue, and
NOW the retreating thousands, and batter to
pieces army wagons and everything else that
crowded it. Only one field officer, so far as
my observation extended, seemed to have re-
membered his duty. Lieut.. COL Speidel,
foreigner attached to Connecticut regiment,
strove against the current for league. L
positively declare that, with the two excep-
tons mentioned, all efforts made to check the
panic before Centerville was reached, were con-
fined to civiti0ns saw man in citizens
dress who had thrown off his coat, seized
musket, and was trying to rally the soldiers
who came by at the point of the bayonet. In
reply to request for his name, he said it was
Washburne, and learned that he was the
member by that name from Illinois. The
Hon. Mr.. Kellogg made similar effort. Both
these congressman bravely stood their ground
till the last moment, and were serviceabe at
Centerviile in assisting the halt there ultimate
ly made And other civilians did what they
could.
THE CHARGE OF THE GOTH.
d
into the death struggle. With such cheers as
won the battles in the Peninsula, with quick
step at first, then a double quick, and at Last a
run, they dashed forward and along the edge
of the extended forest Coats and knapsacks
were thrown to either side, that nothing might
impede their work, but we knew that no guns
could slip from the hands of those determined
fellows, even if dying groans were needed to
cjnc A bp
swept along, Meagher galloped towards the
head, crying "Come on, boys! you've got
your chance at lastw ! have not seen him
since, but hear that he fought magniicently
and is wounded.
WILT THE ZOUAvEs DID.
1t would not oe surprising if our entire loss
in killed and wounded should prove to have
been not over a thousand men. The rebels
must have suffered twice as much from the
terrible cannonading Of our artillery in the
forenoon, and from the desperate charge of
the Zouaves, the SiXty-ninth, and the other
corps which were especially distinguished i'll
the engagement. The Zouaves captured two
batteries, fought hand to hand with the Caro-
linians in fierce bowie knife conflict routed
the famous Black Horse Cavalry, and only
broke ranks when victory became hopeless
BRAVERY OF COL COWDIN.
During the battle great many interesting
scenes occurred. Col Cowdin, OF the 1st Mas
sachusetts regiment, was leaning his back
against tree in very exposed position when
friend expostulated with him for his reck-
lessness. The Colonel said the bullet was not
moulded that would shoot him that day. In
few seconds after another personal friend came
up and reaching out his hand to the Colonel
Il .xx1o -
conical cannon ball struck on the spot, where
an instant before was the head Of Col. Cowdin,
shattering the tree into splinters. The Colonel
turned about calmly and remarked that he
was certain that the ball that would kill him
was not yet cast" and proceeded to issue his
commands
THE PANIC.
But what scene! and how terrific the
onset of tina. tumultuous retreat! For three
miles hosts of federal troops-all detached
from their regiments, all mingled in one dis
orderly rout-were fleeing along the road, but
mostly through the lots on either side. Army
wagons, suffers teams, and private carriages,
choked the passage, tumblng against each
other, amid clouds of dust and sickening sights
and sounds. Hacks, containing unlucky spec
tators of the late affray, We're smashed like
the Debris. Horses, flying wildly from the
battle field, many of them in death agony,
galloped at random forward joining in the
stampede. Those on foot who could catch
them rode them bare hack, as much to save
themselves from being run over as to make
quicker time. Wounded men, lying along the
banks-the few either left on the field or Ia
ken to the captured hospitals appealed with
raised hands to those who rode horses, begging
to be lifted behind; but few regarded such
petitions. The artillery, such as was saved,
came laundering along, smashing and over
powering everything. The regular cavalry, l
record it to their shame, joined in the melee,
adding to Its terrors, for they rode down foot
men without mercy One of the great guns
overturned and lay amid the ruins of a caisson
as passed it. | saw an artery-man running
between the ponderous fore and after-wheels
of his gun-carriage, hanging on with both
hands, and vainly striving to jump upon the
ordnance. The drivers were spurring the
horses; he could not cling much longer, and
and more agonized expression never fixed
the features of drowning man. The carriage
bounded from the roughness of steep hill
leading to creek, he lost his hold fell, and in
an instant the great wheels had crushed the
life out of him. Who ever saw such a fight2
Could the retreat at Borodino have exceeded
it in confusion and tumult! / think not. 1t
did not slack in the least until Centeraille was
reached. There the sight of the reserve
Miles Brigade-formed in order on the hill,
seemed somewhat to reassure the van, But
still the teams and foot soldiers pushed on,
passing their own camps and heading swiftly
for the Potomac, until for ten miles the road
over which the grand army had so lately
passed southwark, gay with unstained banners
and flushed with surety Of strength, was COW
cred with the fragments of its retreating
forces, shattered and panic-stricken in
single day.
BRIGHAM YoUNG mas ! PIvAL-h new
Mormon prophet, by the name of Joseph