New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-07-26
FRIDAY MORNING. JULY 26, 1861
the Battle at sun Eun.


who was an eye witness to the events he relates.
The letter is dated Manassas, July 20: .a-
70 understand the position OF affairs here, and
the physical aspect Of the army Of the Potomac IN
its various lights and shades, would require men
tai picture, which no pen can paint 10 depict Il
in detail would be the height of impToprety. 10
portray it in general, can only state such hic1
dents as are apart from prospective movements OF
the army, and consequently, are IN a measure ui-
satisfactory. -...-
The details of the late battle, or rather skirmish,
for such it was viewing the-msgbitude Of tue two
armies, have already been laid befora your read
ers. Ihe few additional facts, which follow, may
be,a repetition of what is therefore known: but
coming as they do from fresh and varied sources,
| additional interest will be lent to the subject.
Flsf. Of the battle ground. This was upon both
sides Of Bull Run-a5 creek perhaps twenty feet
| vide, and less than as many inches deep--aGd
upon both sides of the road leading to CeptrevilIa
Here the enemy appeared after having paid their
respects to Fairfax and the other positions from
| which our forces, by previous arrangement, had
| fallen back, and here they encountered a Virginia
| brigade, under the command Of Gen. i4ongstreet,
consisting Of First, Eleventh and Seventeenth Viz,
| GINA regiments, two er three companies OF tie
eventh Louisiana regiment Col. Hays. and the
| Washington Artillery of New Orleans The South
Car0iinans and other regiments which formed the
| advance under Cen Bonham, were located within
short distance Of the scene ready, if necessary,
at a woments warning, to cooperate With the Con-
| fGderate troops engaged.
! The object Of the enemy was undoubtedly 70
break our lines and fight the faNks TO this end
| @hermau's battery was brought forward and at
distauce uf g mile and half opened heavy but
Intellectual fire. expecting doubtless to make
| breach in ranks, through which their infantry
| might enter, and open a general battle They
we're gallaatly encountered, however, by the
Washington Artillery, with six pieces. and in the
| course OF the action, notwithstanding the enemy
had thirteen guns served by United states regI-
| lars, the tar-samed Sherman's battery was coEu-
petely silenced, and obliged to retire. It is said,
however, that we had the advantage Of firing up
hat
the shells and balls Of the enemy passed entirely
over the heads Of our own artillerists and buried
themselves in mound beyond. Under the cover
of this fire, Mcdowell threw forward his skirmis!l-
ers, who were soon after followed by the entire
attacking column. These took up their position on
the banks Of Bull Run, and in the adjoining fields
Oar own forces were stationed inmediat te!y oppo
site the first virginia Regiment, !. iloore which
portion Of the day sustained the brunt of the at
tack lying fat upon their faces and firing frem the
ground. 1t is said that at one time they were so
close that he smoke from their muskets eEve0ped
each other almost from sigh, yet strange to say,
the wounds caused resulted mostly frOtn the falling
fragments Of shells AID no.~fr0ia lnusket balls.
The fight did not become general until about II
O'clock, anl did not cease until nearly 5 p. NJ,
when THE enemy finally gave way before the COM
| bine1 fire ana fell back in disorder leaving the
ground strewed with dead and wounded. They
wore thus rapuised twice during the fight, but each
time rallied to the work. and fought With bravery
| at which many of our soldiers We're surprised.
Once a small party endeayoreQ TO cross the
: stream but these were completely riidied with
the exception Of one individual, Who was wounded
and taken prisoner. From him it has SINCE been
learned that Pennsylvania regiment was almost
completely annhilated. the artillery moving great
lanes through the ranks at every shot, while the
infantry dropped them with their small arms by
scores at every discharge.
:. The number of the enemy killed is vnriously esti
mated from 200 to 1000. One gentleman informs
NE that he counted more than two .IuEdred bodies
i within the space of two acres. Certain it is that
the enemy under flag Of truce, were Engaged the
= greater part Of yesterday in digging pits AM
burying them ten and twenty in 4 bunch. a
small cart load Of ps and felt hats picked III
on the field since the battle, some of them rddle(
; with balls and saturated with blood. Such wa
! the stencil 0i the decayins bodies twenty-loh
hours after the battle that our men III the neigh
: : borhood were obliged to 60 out and cover then
l. with earth The number OF arms taken is said tt
be 504, including one piece Of artillery; bu
another authority puts the figure as low as 300
d This is exclusive of reEolYers and sidearnls, /
: Our own loss has been pretty accurately ascer
: : talned but as all the reports have not been hande
in TO headquarters, ain unable to collnlunicat
u the names Of the killed or wounded.
y Among tte many incidents related Of the affair
is one Ut this character, and it fairly illustrates tn
J. military spirit Of the whole army Connected wit
:, tie Seventh Virginia Regiment is a little fiftee
Il year old. His position in the regiment is that
), marker" and he was supposed to be of no mor
:, use upon battlefield than brass band in meet
! ing house. The Colonel accordingly ordered lliI
to go TO the hospital, and remain there until tn
| significant idea of himself, however, and as sool
. as the Col0nel's back was turned, oft he went 70
his musket, and was soon in the fight. The resul
: Of his craftsmanship is said to have been one deat
| EaHkee and one winged
/ Another little chap-a drunmer-bov from Ly nch
: burg-not much more than yard high, hurried Il
: the field, as after the battle as he could, st
get gun and revolver, but unfortunately was TOT
! late, and his only trophy was an oddlooklng knife
7 with buckhorn handle. He says he examined tn
clothing Of dozen or fifteen, to see il lie could'n
z make a "rase," but an empter set of pockets h
: don't believe it possible to exist. The only pro
|. | duction out of the whole number was q due bill
II for seven dollars and a-halt from one Dutchman t
e another.
Il The Incident is related also, that during the fgh
u a negro from Lynchburg named Dick Langhorl
I belonging to of the officers of Virginia reg
Il ment shot one of the Yankees in the shoulder, an
, | knocked down another who was accompanying
l him, with his revolver. As they from tn
II ground, the ebony patriot brought his pistol t
: bear upon them second time, accompanied wit
the very philosophical remark: 9 Berry sorry
hurt you, inRsea, but de fac am, dis chile wants
show you to some OBJ de gemmen in ole Wirgnny
Come along, or dis nigger hurt y Ill shuah," " Com
lie along" they did, and the boy had the proud pen
lii of delivering his prisoners into the hands of IL
Colonel Of his regiment.
From these circumstances you can readily d
Il duce that our "boys, " big aud little, black IN
OF white, are full Of fight.
in The Enquirer also has the following additions
en particulars of the affair, commencing with a de-
Is. cripton Of the locality:
az As it adds very much to the interest and the trr
" | understanding Of description of battle to hay
~ a correct comprehension of the battle-ground al
surrounding localities, to aid readers in sketc
' ing an approximate man of the scene of oper
~ tons at Manassas Junction, supply the follos
- ing data:
n A line drawn in a north and south direction, al
F to represent distance Of eight miles, will answ
W W for the road from Cenreve to Manassas Junctio
~ Centreville is to be marked down at the northe
rs end, and Manassas Junction or Camp Pickens
~ the southern. The road itself has about the usr
,s meanlers.
al "a A line drawn east and west through Centrevil
Va will represent the turnpike road leading fro
Iva Alexandria on the east, to Wawenton on the wes
b On this road, and six miles east of Centrevlle,
49, Fairfax Court House. On the west of CentreVill
,o and about four miles distant, the turnpike ros
90 90 crosses Bull Run what is known as the Stol
dc Bridge.
mo no If a line be drawn through Manassas Junction
t a direction nearly east but north Of it, it will re
NJ resent the railroad it leads to Alexandria, wh
IN is distant II miles At point about four mil
- from Manassas junction, the railroad crosses Bi
" Run on high bridge.
The above points being marked down, if mea
he dearing line be now drawn from the Stone Bird
on the turnpike to the railroad bridge above d
scrbed, it will show the position OF Bull i2nn
las crosses obliquely the road leading from Manas'
he junction to Centreve, and at about four mil
,sc from each. The whole course of Bull Run, /