The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-07-26


left Centreville at 8 o'clock this morn
ing. The last fragments of our force bad
all been long gone; even the hospitals were
nearly deserted, all who could limp having
started forth with crutches and canes. The
rebel scouts were passing through the town,
and apparently endeavoring to ascertain in
which way they could best succeed in cut
ting off the stragglers. l do not know,
however, that any serious attempt to do
this was made
The road from Centreville to Fairfax was
thick with the debris of the retreat. Bag
gage wagons were overturned, and the
horses lying dead and dying. Guns, ambu-
lances, and stores of provisions were strewn
everywhere. At Fairfax Court House the
inhabitants were plnndering our deserted
baggage, Toward Arlington, the evidences
of the disgraceful retreat continued About
four miles from the Long Bridge, General
Blenker was moving regularly towards
Washington, his force in thorough order
AS he passed, he destroyed the important
bridges to secure against hidden pursuit
For the character of the retreat, the off
GERS are more censurable than the men,
who, by all accounts, behaved much the
better. Indeed, after learning that john
ston had effected a junction with Beaure-
gard, we determined not to go to Bulls
Run TO see the battle, which we were as
sured would take place yesterday, because
we could not believe movement in front
would be made until Patterson had hanked
Manassas.
When Col. Burnside fell from his killed
horse he conversed a moment with a rebel
officer, who asked him whether he was
wounded when he replied, /" Only slightly"
q am mortally wounded, said the rebel,
"and can have no object in deceiving you
assure you that we Eave 10000 men in
and within forty minutes of Manassas
Junction" - E aHo4e Eas
All other troops, except one Pennsylvania
regiment, whose time had expired, and who
refused to make charge, fought most he
roically, and drove back the rebel cavalry
/ and infantry, time after time, but were
| finally routed by the terrific fire of small
shot from the batteries, and fell back to
! Centerville, and part of them to che forth
| feations opposite this city. The other two
! divisions have commenced to entrench
themselves at Centreyille. % $3.50
/ The reports of losses are various. l
| cannot estimate our loss at less than 500
killed and wounded but I believe that it
! cannot much exceed that number. As re-
CARDS individuals, the most contradictory
rumors reach US, and it would be criminal
to spread them in this moment of uncer-
tainty.
have spent eight hours in carefully
questioning the returned soldiers in various
parts of the city. Our losses are far less
severe than was at first reported by
scared civilians and running soldiers There
are probably not 300 killed, and perhaps
not 20O for example; The I'd Connecticut
Regiment returned, which was reported in
the morning as badly cut up, lost but q
dozen.
The New Haven Grays have all returned
unharmed, yet this regiment was exposed
to frequent vollays of cannon and mus
kerry.
Again, 200 of Ellsworth's Fire Zouaves
were reported to have been surrounded in
the road and annihilated by the Black
Horse cavalry. On the contrary, they cut
down and destroyed the cavalry, and suffer
ed little loss themselves. In this encounter,
the New York list, also reported as used
up, suffered but little, and so of others
Few of the vast number of balls fired by
the rebels took effect. On the contrary, al
the instances detailed by our men show
that the enemy suffered severely.
Three New York Fire Zouaves, who were
scouting in the advance, hunted the rebel:
on the sly, like squirrels among the bushes
and chalked down 26 as positively killed by
them.
The New York list came upon rifleC
gun. 1t lost men, but in return killed
the whole of the 8 rebels secreted.