Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1861-08-31
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Editorial Correspondence of Wilkes Spirit of the Times
The battle Mt Bull Run-tiraphic Narrative
--Barbnrity Of the Observation-Disclosures
Incidents-The Battle as seen by an Eye
Witness. .ls gs
aIa Washington, Friday, July &C. 1861.
The minor action Of the 18th, though ending in
serious repulse, served but TO stimulate the ar
dor Of our troops and as walked, on the following
morning, among the swarmiug, ,battalons that res
ted in the valley this side Of Centeryille, | heard
but one wish expressed, and that wish was that
we should again and ct once move forward and
wipe out the disgrace Of that temporary check be-
fore the exulting rebels could take fresh heart by
their success 1t was soon plain, however, that
Cen Mcdowell, warned by the unexpected eyi-
dence ofstrength which had been developed from
the treachereus covert at Bull Run, had deterRin-
ed 10 remain for time near Centerville, while he
made the minute reconnaissance which was neces.
sary before general attack, The teams, there
fore, were turned from the flying batteries and
wagons, and the fine army beeves which were our
best camp-Ioowers, were driver in and slaughter
ed by the Wholesale, under the order for the pre-
paration Of three days rations. "Grim-vsaged
war relaxed his wrinkled front" and now instead
fprancing steeds and regiments drawn up in line,
nothing could he seen through tho cntirO valley
but louDgng swarm5 surrounding steam kettles,
whose odor and whose funess brought back the
picture of the weddingof CamachO 1t was in the
midst of this vast picnic and these savory steams
that the Secretary Of War paid visit to the
scene and impaired, by the mere fact Of his pres
ence an additional assurance that we would not
move that day. When he left US ia the afternoon
there were some who believed we were on the
brink Of action but the majority were of the opin.
ion that the general advance would not be made
till daybreak Monday morning. This was the pre-
vailng notion in the California camp (whose head
quarters had half adopted, in view of the impen-
ding departure Of the 7lst) and must confess II
was partly mine. had, however, at the same
time, an idea that We might perhaps wait till Gen
Patterson could descend from IIarpers Ferry and
cooperate upon our right.
The nightiwore qnietly away, with the exception
Of a slight alarm at the distant cottage where
slept, and which more than mile from our lines
/ Ind chosen for the convenience Of making up
my letters. AT two hours past midnight three OIL
four volleys Of musketry from grove near By
startled me awake, and as rose upon my arm,
could hear the squad Of Germans who were pick
eted beneath the poarch cautiously cock their mus
kets in expectation of an attack But the Iirinl
soon ceased, and daybreak revealed the fact thai
it proceeded from newlyarriyed regiments whicl
had settled themselves hard by, who had beel
merely expelling stale charges from their pieces il
anticipation Of important work
GEN, aDowELL's rLAM
Meanwhile and all the following day, the ables
engineers Of Gen McDowell's staff had been RI
conuotering for miles around, and the fruit Of the
abors was report that the enemy's position coul
not be tnrned to the left Tor southward, by reaso
ofthe roughuess Of the roads, that it was not ad
visabc to renew the attack Of the 9th on the bal
terry Of Bull Run but that the road to the righ
through Centerville was practicable avenue t
another crossing and which was undelended, an
to which artillery could easily be drawn. Ih
, was called the Wauenton road, and at some di
luuce u0Wni " liau ll0 luVlucl uuNHnlhpe vi pul
divergiug from it to the northward, by which
circuit could be made to the rear Of certain heay
batteries, which the course Of the main road itse
would enable us to strike in front 1t was ther
fore decided by Gen. Mcdowell to send mere
one brigade to Bull Run to hold that battery
check, and to make his grand attack by the Wa
renton road, relying upon the column that was
passo into the nort6ward path to turn the en-
mys position and throw it into confusion viii
assailed by us upon its face This seemed to be
very proper and consistent plan, Undoubted
the theory of Il was a good plan las theory), Al
itmight have been practically successful, had
but fitted the proportions of the enemy. Uncort
natey, however, Gen. Mcdowell had not TAX
the fall measure Of his foe and the circuit he HI
decided upon, instead,of reaching the base of i
Rebels PRINCIPAL position, merely plupged again
the side of his triangle where he was most fearf
" in strength, and where the most desperate val
could but serve to feed his guns. The Oonred
ates, as he might have ascertained, numbered vii
out Johnston and his forces at least 10000 me-
and he now proposed TO fling against this co
pact mass, reposing in jungles behind batteries
the heaviest guns some six Or seven brigades,
cxplore'ths labarynth Of that terrible position a