Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-14

drasi,g OF the wagons wss further md ussvoidsbl
eau OF delay. Notwithstanding tbs hsrsulssn saor
Of the Quutemaster General, and biz favohng me Il
every way the wagons for ammuuition subsSeBce, &C.
and The borses for Che trains and artillery did not a
arrivs for more than week after the time appointed
movs vas not even prepared late tbs 18th ult
and the desire should move becsme great and Il va
wished should not possible delay longer than Thurs
div the 18th ult When ! SET out on the 10th, va
ct deficient In wagons for subsistence. But went for
ward trusting to their being procured in time to folio.
me- The trains thu, hurredy gathered together, will
horses wagons drivers and wagon nansgers all new ant
unused to each other moved with difficulty and disorder
and was tho cause Of days della, r getog the provi
sions forward making It necessary to make on Sunday
the attack We should have made on Sturdy.
could not with every exerron, get forward with The
troops earlier than We did. wished 10 90 70 Centre
vile the second day, which woui have ken Us there
on the I7th and enabled US, 20 far they con
c.rped 70 70 into the action on the in4 cad Of the
2lst but when vent forward from FirsxO H., beyond
Germantown, to urge than forward, vas told IL was
impossible for the men march farther They had only
come from Vienna about six mil and II was not more
than six miles and half farther 10 Centrevie-in s
march Of twelve aud half miles the men we're foot
weary not 90 much told, by the distance march.
ed a. BY the time they had been fco caused By the
distractions 10 the road aud the slow pscs we had 10
move to avoid ambuscades. Th, men we're, moreover,
unaccustomsd to marching, hsr bodies not in condition
for that kind Of work. and no. Used il Carrying even
the load Of light marching order.
We crossed Bull Run with about l6, 900 men OF all
arms, the fifth division miles aud Richardson's brgads
on the left, al Blsckburns Ford TO Centrevie, and
Schencks brigade of Tylers division, the et Of the
road, near tho Stone Bridge, nos participating in the
main action. The numbers opposed 10 u have been
varously estimated. may safely say, and avoid even
10 ali he could which not kep. engaged elsewhere
He had notice OF our coming on the l7ih and had IRON
that time until the 2ls! to bring up whatever be had
Ia known that in estimating the orcs TO 60 against Ma
nsssss engaged Lot to have to DO with the snemys
forces under Johnston then kept in check 10 the valley
by Msjor General Patterson, or those kept engaged
by Major General Butler and know eve.y effort was
made by the GsnerslDOhief that this should BE- Done
and that even II Johnston joined Beauregsrd Is would
not be because he could be followed by Geo. Patterson,
but from causes not necessary for me to refer to, II
knew them all This vas not done, aud the enemy was
free 10 assemble from every direction In numbers ouy
limited by the amount Of his railroad rolling stock and
bis supply Of provisions To she forces therefore,
drove in from Fairfax Courthouse, Fairfax station, Ger
and Centreve, and those under Beauregard
Manassas, must be added those under Johnston from
Winchester, and those brought up BY DAVIS from Rich
mond 10 other places at the South 10 which Is TO be
added the levy en- masse ordered b. the Richmond su.
thorilies which ordered 10 assemble at Asnasas
What all this amounted TO, cannot saycsrtainy much
more than we attacked them with
could not "a have SAID, more early push on lasbor
nor could delay. 4 large and the b5st part OF my
forces we're three months volunteers whose term Of SER
vice was about to EXPIRE but who sent forward
having long enough to for the purpose Of Iped
tion On the Of the battle the 4.h PenDsy
regiment Of volunteers aud the battery OF volunteer
tlery Of the n Y sh miti whose term Of service eI
pred insisted on their discharge. wrote TO the rgi
ment pressing reQues. for them 10 remain short time
and the Hon Secretary Of War who at the time on the
GROUND tried TO induce the battery to remain at least five
days but In vain. They insisted their dischags that
night il was granted and next morning. when the army
moved forward into battle these troops moved 70 the
reu to the sound Of the enemys cannon.
Ia the next few days. day after day should have lost
ten thousand OF the best armed drilled, Offered and
disciplined troops in the army In otbs, words every
day which added to the strength Of the enemy made
weaker.
In conclusion. desire to s,y, In reference to the
events OF the 2lst ut that tho general order for the bat
Ito to which referred was with slight notifications
literally coDormed To-; that the corps brought
Bull Run iu the proposed and pa. ato action
before arranged and that up to late In the afternoon
every movement ordered carving successfully to
the object We had proposed before trns-that Of get
tag to the raroid leading from Msnassas 70 the valley
Of Virgn and going il far enough TO break up and
DESTROY the communication and interviews between the
forces under Beauegsrd and those under Johnston And
could We have fought day few hours sooner there ID
everything to show how We could have conI.nued sc-
cesfu even against the odds with which commended.
have the honor TO be, very respectfully, your most
obedient servant,
-. IRWIN NcDowELL,
Br'r1ier General Commanding.