Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-23
MR.. RUSSELL'S LETTER
% the London "Tim 9 s..


TIE DEFEAT At MANASSAS.
A. oowARDLY RoUr AND oAUsELEss PAMIcT
SCENES IN WARRINGTON AFTER THE AhfNhAr'
WASHINGTON, July 90, 1861.
SCENES By THE wAy-RoA OF TIE cAHSoSADE
FIRST HEARD Ut THE TOURIST.
| sit down to give an account-not OF The
action yesterday, but CT what l saw with my
own ewes, hitherto not often deceived, and OF
what [ heard with my own ears, which in this
country are not so much to be trusted. Let
ME, however, express an opinion as to the altar
Of yesterday. Ia the first place, the rcpulse
Of the Federalists, decided as it was, might
have had no serious effects whatever beyond
the mere failure-which politically was OF
greater consequence than it was in a military
sense-but for the disgracciul conduct OF the
troops.
The retreat on their lines at Gcntre7illc
seems to have ended in o cowardly rout-a
miserable, causeless panic. Such scandalous
behavior on the part Of soldiers | should have
considered impossible, as with some experience
Of camhs and armies l have never, even in
alarms among camp followers, seen the like Of
it. How far the disorganization OF the troops
extended l know not, but it was complete 10
the instance Of more than one regiment.
Washington this morning is crowded with
soldiers without officers, who have fed from
Centreville, and with "three months men"
who are going home from the face Of the enemy
on the expiration Of their term Of enlistment.
The streets, in spite Of the rain, are crowded
by people with anxious faces, and groups OF
w~ayering politicians are as. embed at the cor
ners, in the hotel passages, and the bars. If
in the present state of the troops the Conied-
crates were 10 make q march across the Poto.
mac above Washington, turning the works al
Arlington, the capital might fall into their
hands. Delay might place that erent out Of
the range Of probability.
REcuPERATIvE ENERGY OF THE NoRTu-AERo.
CANOE OF THE NEW YORK JoURNALs TOWARDS
FOREIGN NATIONS.
Tho North will, no doubt, recover the shock.
Hitherto she has only said, "Go and light for the
Union.'Erhe South has exclaimed, Let US fight
for ourrights." The North must put its best men
into the battle, or she will inevitably full be.
fore the energy, the personal hatred and the
superior fighting powers of her antagonist
In my letters, as in my conversation, | have
endeavOred to show that the task which the
unioniSts have set themselves is one Of no
ordinary difficulty, but in the state Of AFRO.
gance and superclllous confidence, either real
or affected, to conceal a sense OF weakness,
one might as we'll have preached to the Pyra.
mid Of Cheops.
Indeed, one may form some notion of the
condition Of the public mind by observing that
journals conducted avowedly by men OF dis.
graceful personal characteristic be.whipped
aud be.kickcd and unrecognized pariahs of
society in New York-are, nevertheless, in the
very midst of repulse and defeat, permitted to
indulge in ridiculous rhodomoutade towards
the nations Of Europe, and to move our
laughter by impotcnlly malignant attacks
on Our rotten old monarchy" while the
stones Of their bran new republic are tumbling
about their ears. 1t will be amusing to Oh.
serve the change OF tone, for VIC can afford to
observe and to be amused at the same time.
GOING OUT TO GEN. McDowELL's ARMY-ExcIrE
! CONVEYANCE.
On Saturday night | resolved to proceed to
General McDowelrs army, as it was obvious
to me that the repulse at Bull Run md the
orders of the General directed against the ex-
cesses of his soldiery indicated serious defects
ia his army-not more serious, however, than
| had reason TO believe existed.
How to get out was the difficulty. The ru-
mors Of great disaster and repulse had spread
through the city. The livery stable keepers,
with one exception, refused to send out horses
to the scene of the action-at least, the eXCcp.
ton told me SO. Senators and Congressman
were going to make q day Of it, and all the
vehicles and horses that could be procured
were in requisition for the scene Of ACTION
This curiosity was aroused by the story that
Mcdowell had been actually ordered to make
an attack on Manassas, and that General Scott
had given him till twelve o'clock 10 be master
of Beauregard's lines. If General Scott order
ed the attack at all | venture to say be was
merely the mouth piece OF the more violent
civilians Of the government who mistake in.
tensity of feeling for military strength. The
consequences OF the little sklrnish ut Bull run,
ending in the repulse Of the Eederalists, were
much exaggerated, and their losses were put
down at any figures the fancy of the individual
item who was speaking suggested. 81 can as.
sure you, sir, that the troops had 1900 killed
and wounded; | knuw it." | went of to the
headquarters, and there General SCOTS aid in.
formed me General McDowell's official report
gave six killed and thirty.seyen wounded. The
livery keepers stuck to the 800 or 2, 000.-
The greater the number hors de combat the
higher the tariff for the hire OF quadruprds.
All l could do was to get a kind OF cabriolet,
with a seat in front for the driver, TO which 4
pole was affixed for two horses, at 4 Derby
day price, and a strong lead.horse, which In
| dian experiences have induced me always TO
rely upon in the ueighborhood Of uncertain
fighting. I had to enter into an agreement
with the owner to pay him for horses and
buggy if they were captured or injured by
| the enemy and though | smiled at his pre-
cautions they proved not quite unreasonable.
The master made no provision for indemnity
in the case Of injury to the driver or the color.
| ed boy who rode the saddle horse.
When / spoke with officers at General
| SCOTS headquarters Of the expedition, it struck
me they we're not at all sanguine about the re-
suit Of the day, and0ne of them said as much
as induced me to think he would advise me to
remain in the city if he did not take it for
granted it was part Of my duty to 60 to the
scene of action.
An English gentlemen who accompanied me
was strongly disuaded from going by a Colonel
of cavalry on the staff, because, he said, "the
troops are green, and no one can tell what may
happen" But my friend got his pass from
General Scott, who was taking the whole at.
fair of Bull Run and the pressure of the NOR.
rows work with perfect calm, and we started
on Sunday morning-not so early as we ought,
perhaps, which was none Of my fault-for Cen
t~reville, distant about twenty-five miles south.
west Of Washington.
I purposed starting 10 the beautiful moon
light, so as to arrive at McDowells camp in the
early dawn, but the aids could not or would
not give US the countersign over the Long
Bridge, and without it no one could get across
till after five o'clock in the morning. When
Mcdowell moved away he took so many of the
troops about Arlington that the camps and
forts are rather denuded Of men. I do not
give, as may be observed, the names of regi.
ments, unless in special cases-frst, because
they possess little interest, I conceive, for those