Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-07-28

! 10 u
no officers when they did halt, and so they
kept on retreating. "Water, water ~ was the
cry; "give me water or Pll sink" was heard
from all sides. Not a drop was to be had fit
to drink The wells were all drained, and the
clouds Of dust filled the air at every point. We
cot in the rear Of negro hut, and there Sc
cured water thick with filth, but il was the
best 20 be had. A number cf buildings were
used for hospitals, and on every side cries were
made for surgeons.
All the inhabitants nearly had fed from
Centervile, expecting it 10 be stormed by the
rebels, Guards were stationed at the few
wells not dry, tc allow no water except to the
wounded and sick. A house on the top OF the
bill had been burnt the previous night, and
what few men could be induced to work we're
engaged in throwing up an embsnkment, some
eight feet thick, out Of the ruins and OF dirt !;
it was about two hundred feet square. Orders
were now circulated for the men to gather at
their last camping ground, around CenteTvlle;
it was needed By some, but others neglected
it and kept up the stampede. No provisions
were TO be had, and the men were all hungry,
having had nothing TO eat since two O'Clock,
A. NJ and but little or no water. At six and
a half O'clock, P. NJ, when We started for
Washington, the troops were coming in, and
no one Of anv GOODNESS or self possession sup
posed our forces would retreat from Cen
terville.
As the hours passed on, the fight became
more and more terrific The fortunes Of the
day began 70 waver, especially as the federal
troops did not seem to gain any material ad-
vantage, and only made the T advances slowly,
labori0uslv, and at great loss of life. The
rebels were strongly entreuched behind mask
ell batteries Of Tifed cannon. They seemed
to be innumerable. Again and again our men
charged upon them, only to find when they
had dis'odged them in one place they bad re-
appeared in another, until at last the federal
soldiers were compelled to fall on their faces
TO avoid the swift messengers of death. 1t
was found, too, that the rebel forces largely
outnumbersd those Of the federals. have no
means Of knowing the exact strength of either
of the armies, but the best authorities state
| that the sec ssionists numbered 1000. while
at no time had Gen Nc Dowell in action as
manyss 40 900. Our troops were mainly in.
fantry; our batteries, as a eneral thing, were
small, and although well managed, they we're
no mach for the cannon OF larger caIibre
manned by the rebels
The fight continued until after FIVE O'Clock,
without exhibiting any material result The
rebels had most decidedly The advantage in
position and guns, and they used it With fear
ful eject The bravery gr our troops was su-
perbunan, but what bravery could meet the
unerring and uncessing cannon which came
sweeping from almost every tree or heap Of
brush? Our men unmasked them, battery
upon battery, only to find heir lessened ranks
were unequal TO the task A retreat was com
mencsi BY New York regiment, aud very
soon became general.
The firing OF the enemy was kept up on our
rear with artillery, and their cavalry rode
through and through, cutting and slashing with
perfect iendishness. We heard Of numbers
Of The most infamous and dsmning acts ever
committed by savage tribes.
Colonel Miles was sent with dispatches from
Genera! Scott, while be was lying in Center
vile, in the hottest OF the fight for Gen. Nc
Doweil, which be had orders to deliver imme-
diately. He at once, without making any at
tempt TO do so, said If Gen. Scot wanted to get
bis head blown of, LET him take them himself :;
be would not 90 50, and so they never went.
We left CentreviIle withtbe cheering news th at
Gen. Mansfield with artillery and an immense
force, was coming up 10 turn the rebels BIC k.
| About a mile east Of Centervil'e, we met the
! first New Jersey, with theiT colonel leading at
their head and his staff, pleading for the men
| to return: his drummer corps were playing
"Yankee Docdls," and their coloTs we're hving;
the men kept cheering all the time, and urging
| one another TO return; they were nearly worn
out with their forced march from Vienna. They
were followed BY the New Jersey Third.
They inspired courage into the retreating
lciers, but many fell exhausted BY the way
side, considering it safe 70 remain few min
utes longer TO rest Large numbers OF the
men fell into their old camp grounds, and the
baggage wagons drove in the fields all along
the road; hnt the most sorrowtul sight was the
loss Of provisions and aH kinds Of stores, that
lined the road for FIVE miles.
The coWsrdlv retreat, en- the morning Of the
| fight, by the PennsYlyania Fourth. and vari-
Gus batteries, had depressing effect upon our
! force, and encouraged the rebels by the story
| that our men were running. That their time
was up, is an excuse that will not answer.
INCIDEYTALs.
! Members Of the list say that 200 Of that
/ regiment has been captured, but that its loss,
! killed and wounded, is not severe.
The Zouaves have probably suffered most.
! Their conduct was beyond praise.
OF 300 marines only As were counted at the
! Long bridge this morning.
The sight which met the eyes Of Colonel
Hunters brigade when, after marching
| through the woods and taking one battery, it
came in sight Of the enemy, is described as a
grand one. Their line Of battle had been
formed in splendid order, and fresh troops were
brought in by rail constantly.
A New Orleans Zousve captured Yesterday
| tY the Fire ZouaVes, boasted that the rebels
bad shown no quarter to the federal troops,
having in many instances cut the throats OF
the wounded. He bad no sooner made this
disgusting disclosure than he was suspended in
the air.
During the retreat Heintzelman's columns
we're followed By the rebel cavalry, who liter
ally butcbered our men It is reported that
when the left wing reached the batteries a
second time, they took them, and routed tht
rebel forces.
The rebels, however, being reinforced again
came up and retook them. When the retreat
Of the left wing commenced, the enemy mad,
an attack en- Gen. Schenck's men, who wsr,
still in command, defeating them and causiD!
them to retreat. Most of the fighting OF th
enemy at this point was done with bowl
knives.
L has been ascertained that the rebel force
number about 80, ,O0O in and about Manassas
Gen. Scott received this information to-day
and was asked by member Of congress wha
was the strength of the Union force. at i
enougb,o - was the laconic reply of the general
rebel was observed sta bbing some OF on
men who fell in battle He was captured an,
hung to a tree, in sight OF the rebel pickets
and remained here, dangling in the air, witt
his face as black as any negro.
From the Baltiu ore American
Enough has been gathered, however, an'
from reliable sources, to render II certain tha
the battle was most bloody, not in its genera
result, but in the character Of its individual
conflicts. In some instances the conflict il
said 10 have been carried on with hand to hanC
desperation, entrsnchments being lost and wOI
sgain at the point Of the bayonet, ard in ont
instance, at least, at the point Of the knife
Thus the Second Michigan are said to have
been driven out Of a small battery which thel
had entered bY desperate bayonet charge BY
! q regiment (of MssissiFpians, it is supposed,
{ armed with rifles without bayonets, and viii
| bowie knives, one Of which, captured by
member Of the Second Michigan, and trium.
: phan'ly exhibited by its csptor, was in sizt
= and weight not mach unlike ssber bsvonet
An officer OF the Sixty-ninth Irish) regi-
meat states, in illustration 81 the desperate
character Of the attack and OF the repuse
tlat the third battery attacked during the day
by them, and defended, as was ssceTtainec
from two youthful prisoners, by a regiment o
South CaroliniaBs, was taken and retaken a
the point Of the bayonet eight times in sWcoes
zion. the Carolnians at last retaining posses
sion Of The work by the aid of fourth battery
which was unmarked at the critical perioC
Of the fight.
A confederate soldier and q member Of ;
Wisconsin regiment were found upon the fiel'
locked in a deadly embrace, the former clutch
ing the hair of bis antagonist, in whose bTeas
a bowie knife was found buried to the hilf, ht
himself having died apparently from ghastll
wound ia bis breast.