St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-08-01
The Great Battle

The following very just statement Of
! the circumstances that led to the engage
ment so prcmaturcly, and the nature Of
the action is from Col. Forney's Philadel-
phia Press:
WASHINGTON, July %.
The eagerness of our officers and men to
meet the enemy induced premature en-
gagement, which has resulted in reverse,
and taught US lesson that will not soon
be forgotten. Our men were not in con.
dition for an engagement when they were
called to arms at six o'clock on Sunday
morning. They had, even those who arri-
we'd first on the ground, scarcely recover
ed from the effects of two days marching
under hot sun, while many of the regi.
ments had only arrived on the field few
hours before the call, and others were yet
miles away resting for the night. The
call was sounded through the lines, aud
many of them, without breakfast-not a
few Of them without supper the previous
night-were hurried into the ranks to con-
tend, through the day, with rifle, bayonet
and sword. Added to fatigue and hun
ger, aud consequent weakness, they suffer
ed for water, even to drinking from pud-
die holes, as they inform me, thick with
mud.
These were the circumstances under
which our men, too eager for an engage
ment, met the enemy. Another defect on
our part was an insufGcicncy Of '2en.
While we had $4,000 troops on the other
side Of the river, with reserve Of 10000
here in Washingt IN, it is now asccrtalned
that there were not over 10000 on the
field against 10000 of the enemy. In
view Of this odds, an engagement yester-
day was premature But our men urged
on their officers, and officers in council
with tho superior commander presented
the same enthusiastic appeals for an on
ward movement. Bnt in fair, open field
fight, with all the odds against us, the re-
suit would have been q glorious victory.
This, however, was not the mode Of war
fare adopted by the enemy. They had
chosen the ground. It was carefully Sc.
lccted, and was composed of, valleys and
hill covered with forest trees. The bat
teries were planted in various positions,
and so arranged that when the front one
should be silenced there was another, and
yet another in the rear, ready to open FIRE
upon those who had succeeded in slen-
cling the guns in front. They were near
ly all masked, and their position could not
be discovered until they had opened fire.
/ Against all these odds our men were I'M
prudently called, in inferior numbers, to
contend against a Determined and treach-
erous foe. .'.,i 9, j.
The first gun was fred at 6 clock in
the morning. 1t was not answered by the
enemy, however until half an hour had
elapsed, during which time our men contin-
ued slow fire. Before seven, however,
the firing vas opened briskly on both sides,
and continued until after four o'clock. with
an occasional Stacking at long intervals on
one and then on another part Of the lines
The. accounts Of the valor, resolution and
determination Of our men are beyond prec-
e1ent. Many of the wounded, as they
were carried off the field, begged to be left,
that they might, after little rest from the
exhaustion caused by the shock, rally
again, and take their position in the ranks.