The daily Wabash express. (Terre-Haute, Ind.) 1857-1867, 1861-08-13
THE BULLS RUN BATTLE.
Gen. NcDoweii's Omeiai Report oi
the Engagement

l4iFutxNALtr L. ~
tant Adjutant General. Headquarters Of the
Army. Washington. ID. c.
ooroSrI: have the honor TO submit the
the following report ofthe battle Of the 2lst
OF July near Manassas. Virginia. IL has
been DELAYED until this time from the insbili-
" of the subordinate commanderSto get ear.
lier true account Of their commands.
In my communication TO YOU on the 10Th
uitimo. l stated IL ss nv intention To move
that afternoon. and drive the enemy from the
east side Of Bulls Run, % IS 10 enable the
engineers TO make sufficiently accurate re.
conposancc, 20 justify our future movements.
Later In the day they bad obtained enough
information Of the passage across the stream
10 dispense with this Reconnaissance. aud u
Was decided 10 move without more delay. IL
had been my intention 10 move the several
columns out on the road few miles on the
evening OF the 20sh. 80 that they would have
. shorter march in the morning. but defer
red TO those who had the greatest distance 10
90. and who preferred starting early in the
morning. and making out one move.
Ga the eSening OF me Goth alt my com
mand Was mostly at or rear Cenireville. The
enemy VAS at or near Manassas. distant from
cenireville about seven miles 20 the south
vest. Centreviile Is a village OF a few houses
mostly on the west side OF a ridge running
nearly north and south. The road from
centreyille to Manassas Junction Was along
this ridge. and crosses Bulls Run about three
miles iron the former place. Tho Warren
ton turnpike. which runs nearly east and
west, goes over this ridge through the viii
age. and crosses Bulls Run about four miles
from H. Bulls Run having course be-
tween the crossing from northwest 20 south
east. The FIRST division (Tyler's) was sta
- - i = IL
turnpike. and on the eastern slope Of the
Centrevilse ridge, two brigades on the same
road, aud a mile and a hal. in advance. TO the
vest Of the ridge. and one brigade on the
road from Centreyille 10 Manassas where il
crosses Balls Run. st Blaekburn's Ford.
uhere General Tyler had the engagement OF
the 18th ul,. The second d.vis.on. Hun
ter's) MAS on the Warren.on turnpike one
mile east of Cen,reyille. The third division
! (reintzclmsn's) was on the road known as
The Old Braddock road. which comes into
Centrcville from the southeast. about a mile
and a half from the village The fifth divis-
ion Miles was on the same road with the
third division. and between il and Centrevills.
A map which is herewith marked A, will
show these positions better than can de
scribe them.
On Friday night train OF subsistence ar
rived, and on Saturday is contents were or
dered to be issued TO the command. and the
men required TO have three DAYS rttions IN
their haversacks. On Saturday orders were
Issued for the available force TO march. As
reported to you in nv letter OF the 18th ult..
nv personal reconnostance OF the roads TO
he south had shown that il was not practical
ole u carry out the original plan Of turning
the enemy1s position their right The
affair of the 18th at B'sckburn's Ford showed
he vas 100 ssrUag al that poilt for Us to force
= --a--c there wis.-3ut great soss. and n we
Ii, that il would bring Is IN iron, Of his
strong position AZ Manassas. which was not
/ desired. Our Information wss that the stone
bridge, over which the Warrenton road
! crossed Bulls Run. 10 the west OF Centre
| vile. was defended by battery in position.
and the road on he side Of the stream impe-
dad BY heavy abatis- The alternative was.
therefore, 20 turn the extreme left of his
po.itsoc. Reliable Information was obtained
Of an andelended ford between il and the
bridge. there being another iord between IL
And the bridge. which was defended. Ii was
therefore determined 70 take the road to the
upper ford. and after crossing to get behind
the forces guarding the lower ford and the
bridge. and after occupying the Warrenton
road east of the bridge. TO send out force 10
destroy the Railroad At or near Gainesville.
and thus break mp the communication be-
! tween the enem's forces at Manassas and
those in the valley Of Virginia. before Win
chester, which had been held in check by
Major General Patterson.
Brigadier- General Tyler Was directed 10
move with three of his brigades on the War
renton road, and commence cannonading the
enemy's batteries. while Hunters division.
moving after him. should. after passing 4
little stream called Cub Run turn 70 the
right and north and move around TO the upper
ford. and there turn sou.h and get behind the
enemy. Col. Hesnizslllan's division was 10
hollow Hunters as far the turning Of place
- the lower ford. where he VAS 70 cross after
the enemy should have been driven out By
Hunters division. the Fifth division Miles
TO be in reserve on the Centreville ridge
| had felt anxious about the road from
N .n.ssas By Blsckburn's Ford TO CentEevillc
along the ridge. tearing that whilst We should
be IN force 10 the front. and >ssdesvoring 70
turn the e,emy's- position. we ourselves
! should be turned By him by this road Tor II
he should once obtain possession of this
ridge. which oserlooks all the country 20 the
~es; 10 the foot Of the spurs Of the Blne
Ridge. We should have been ifretrievably cut
of and destroyed. had. therefore. directed
| this point % he held1n force. and sent an
engineer 20 cx.empofze some Geld works 10
strengthen the position.
The Forth division (Runyou's) had not
been brought o. the frert further than %
guard our communications b. Nay Of Vienna
and The Orange aad Alexandria Railroad
His advanced regiment va about seTen
miles in the rear OF Cen,revilie.
The divisions we're or.eses % march At
half psst too O'Clock. A: ". 50 a. TO arrive
90 The ground early in the day. and thus avoid
the heat which Is n be expected n this
season. There IVES delay in the 5rst division
getting ca. Of is camp on the road. and the
other divisions we're IN consequence between
t~o and three hours behind the time ap-
po.ntet--s great misfortune. ss events turned
out The wood road leading from the War
renton turnpike % the upper ford was much
larger than re counted upon. the general
direction Of he strefm being ob'ique Ia the
road. and re having the obtuse singles on
our SIDE
General Tyler commenced with his artil.
lsry =, hsft. past sin A. ". but the epems
did TO, reply. and after some time IL became
question whether 10 wss in any force in
our front. and Il be DID not intend himself 10
make attach and make IL by Blsckb Z.
Ford. Afe- firing several times. and. ob.
tsiniag 70 response. held one OF fieinl1el-
mans orixades in reserve Ia casc should
have % send soy troops bsck 20 re enforce
Miles, division. The other brirades moved
forward ss directed IN the general orders
On reaching the ford. a. Sndlsy's Sprinr. I
found part Of he 'esding brigade Of Hunter.
dsvis,ca fBnrnx&de's) kad crossed. bat the
zen we're SLOW IN getting over. stopping %