Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-08-08

ltuueu, Ou dll SlueS, tue CtulTdl COiuuu WHICH,
poured on, and which was to divide at the path
to the right, on the Warranton road, consist
ed of the divisions of Gems Tyler, Hunter and
HeintzIemau the first being appropriated to
the central and direct attack, and the two lat
ter to the faux movement on the right.
THE CENTRAL ATTACKING COLUMN.
The division of Tyler consisted of three brig
ades and those of Hentzelman and Hunter
contained three and two respectively. The
first brigade of Tyler consisted of the I'd New
York and lst and I'd of Ohio, under Gen.
Schenck, accompanied by battery of light ar
tiIlery then followed the brigade of Sherman,
consisting OF New York 69th, 10Th, 18th and
I'd Wisconsin, accompanied by Ayers Bat
terry while the brigade of Keyes, comprising
the lst, I'd, and Sd Connecticut, and I'd Maine,
formed a rear guard for the division. This
latter brigade was accompanied by Tomp&in's
I. S Battery and by the New York VoIun-
teer Battery of Varian. The division was fur
ther accompanied by riaed 32-pounder, which
was known as the Parrot gun.
THE FLANK1NG DIVISION.
The nankng division of Hunter and Heintz
ieman consisted of the 8th, l4th, and 9th
New York under Gen. Porter, accompanied
by companies of United States infantry, and
cavalry, and marines, Ransoms United States
and Grfins West Point Batteries Then
came Burnside's Brigade, of the Rhode Island
Regiments, the New York list, and I'd New
Hampshire, accompanied by Reynolds and
Webb'S Batteries, and two light howitZerS,
which the boys of the list had learned to
work, and borrowed from the Navy Yard
This brigade also had battery of rifed 80
Founders, under Capt. Seymour, of Fort Sum
ter. Heintzleman's Division consisted in its
first brigade, of the 5th Massachusetts, lSt
Minnesota, and 4th Pennsylvania. Two bat
teries accompanied this brigade. The next
brigade was under Wilcox and consisted Of the
ISt Michigan, 3Sth New York, and the Fire
IouaveS, backed 10y battery OF United States
Artillery. The last brigade contained the 81,
4th, aud 9th of Maine, and the 81 of Yer
mont. the sixteen regiments thus enumerat-
ed in the Hanking column may be set down at
between 1900 and 1000 men, while the
eleven in the central line may he numbered at
between 5000 and 5000. The entire attack
ing force, therefore, may be summed up at 22,
600 men, all of whOme could hardly expect to
be engaged
This was the army which passed out Of the
valley up over the hill at ; o'clock on the
morning of the Dist, and which, with the
moon still lighting them upon their journey,
took the right-hand road toward the strong
holds of the enemy. 1t was brave sight, not
soon to be forgotten by those who witnessed it,
while The thoughts which it inspired were to
become henceforth an established portion Of
the mind. The regiments of the reserve, as
stood Ot no mas pn
We'd their marching comrades what they re-
garded as better fortune and as they went
by, Saluled them with various requests, rang
ing between the acquisition of some traitors
scalp, down to the possession OF palmetto
button. The marching liue replied with va.
IiDus concetS, but in most cases the requests
were responded TO with a large excess OF pro-
mise. 1t was, indeed a gallant sight how
! sadly to be changed in a few hours none OF
| them, fortunately, knew. BY ID o'clock,
the last bayOnet had disappeared over the Elll
and the entire column was on its way by the
memorable Warrenpoint turnpike to GEEK its
! fortune The halts were numerous, IN order
| that the Generals might insure the compact
ness of the line, and presently we all passed
across wooden bridge in quiet, no challenge
being made that might prevent US from reach.
! ing the deepest entanglc nent where the foe
desired TO give US more bitter battle. Onward
we went, the soldiers cursing the rough road
wondering when they would have breakfast
or vowing to get even on the fellows who had
put them to all this trouble. The day broke
mildly as we pushed along, and many soldier
thought from the dead silence of the woods
that lined the road at intervals, we should
have no battle after all. Presently we struck
the path that branched off to the right, anC
here the column, under Hunters lead, broke
off, while the central column, with Mcdowell
ut its head, went directly Oh.
THE MAIN ATTACK.
As the circuit of the fanking column wa
to be a wide one, and as it could not reach itE
destined point and come into action with effect
in less than two or three hours, our first al ten
ton must be given to the main column accom-
panied by the Commandern-Cnief 1t wa
broad dav when we parted with the fankini
column, and we proceeded along with an eaS,
step, with our skirmiShers well in advance, auC
watchful, on the lookout. No traces of th(
enemy appeared, however, and the extraordi
nary quiet of the scene, coupled with the fac
that our entire column had been allowed t.
cross the wooden bridge unmolested, induced
many to believe that the enemy, consulting
prudence would yield the defenses of the RuI
aud give US battle only at Manassas. But thi
idea was formed in perfect ignorance of tn
extent of the Confederate defenseS, for we wer
already within range'of some of their batter
les, and at the close of the day they lande'
their she'll upon the bridge with murderous ei
feet. In short, their whole strategy was de
coy, and their hasty retirement from Fairfax
and pretended abandonment of camp furniture
as well as the shallow obstruction of our ad
vance by leveled trees, were merely portion
of a well digested plan, to coax our army, ste