Santa Fe gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1859-1864, 1861-08-31

elo III BcuVldl ualtle uS he sl0Ou.I n sU0nb eNi-
dence Of patriotic selfreliance but not an abund-
ant proof Of judgment The army did not howev-
erquestion the determination of their General but
with the wholesome vanity Of yalor, each soldier
felt the happiness Of expectation, and slept the
sounder for the prospects Of the morrow. II
|" ~. POSITION OF THE REBELS. 'r
On their part the rebels lay on that brilliant
moonlight evening embodied IN vast strength; their
position being that of triangle, with the point
towards US, and branching upward toward Manas-
sas, with an open base Of several miles. The point
or open Of this Triangle about mile round, was
most heavily protected at Bull Run, whore the di-
rect roadby Manassas crossed the 0coquan. All
its branching sides, however, batteries faced out
ward in deep rows, their ponderos iron tusks, con-
cealed by artificial masks, wherever natural groves
did not volunteers screen. A stronger field po.
sitlon could hardly be imagined Defended as it
was by 10000 men. TO be increased to 10000
| in the morning, it would scarcely suffer in compar-
ison Of strength with SOlIerino or SevastopOl, and
doubt if there Is any French Or Russian engn-
eer who would have undertaken TO assail it, except
by regular approaches and several respectful days
of distant compliment with heavy shot and she'll
Brgader General Irwin Mcdowell however, with
a few 32pOnnders and 0 field batteries nearly all
of them lignt) backed by some five or six brgades,
whom mentally, he gave the credit of believing to
be equal to its capture. Had our poor fellows
but known the depth Of the compliment thus law
shel on their powress doubt II they would have
risen 80 joyful for The fray on the lovely Sunday
morang now so near upon u.s. What rendered
,, things even still more desperate, could we but
have known their state, the enemy were thorough.
y acquainted with our strength and our intentions,
and waited our comming with the greatest eager
ness Their anxiety however, was deeply mixed
with dread that our General might change his
mind. With them therefore, the eve Of this bat.
: te was night Of true hopofnlne's and intelligent
reliance and well might the rebel chieitans, as
l. they looked proudly over the vast host which an
immense and desperate energy bad NJ together
llatter themselves that they now had the fortunes
ofthe Great Republic, which they had 50 long
contemned and plundered, securely in their grasp
, In this belief Davis and his legions early went
to sleep, while our batta,onS, half rested, rose
i little after midnight, to be wearied by seyera
hours Ofhot march before entering upon the more
, violent latigues of the attack
The order for an early movement in the morn
!, ! ing was promulgated in our camp at 10 O'Clock OF
Saturday night; and We now have reason to be
: lieye that the order Of march and battle, then dis
y tributed among our militia MajorGenemls, was il
= possession Oftbe Confederate leaders before OuI
;, troops had risen for the conflict From the hou
Of midnight, our sentinels could hear the oltre
peated distant railway whistle at the Junction
. signaling the arrival either Of the last regiment
! ofJohnson; or Of fresh troops coming up ror
> Richmond,
As the time Of our start was Fixed at 2;3O a. m
u the entire army was awake an hour before, and i
y marching order at the indicated moment. 1t wa
= bright moonlight, yet through the brilliant shee
\ some Of the stronder stars looked curOusly dowl
. rs ilthey shared with us our wonder at the spe,
Y tace. From the hill of.Centreyille, backward tC
!. y ward Fairfax, the whole valley, SO lately unlrot
u u den in its verldre, was sparkling with frost
~ !, steel and as the thirty thousand bayopets move
'' forward in the uncertain light, with that billow
motion peculiar to the step Of troops, the stirrin
mess looked like hrlstling monster lifting hmsc
st by slow wavy motion up the laborious ascent
70. To the loft and forward through the village In d
Dir direction oil the Run, the ground descended hr(
Id or four miles toward the 0ccoquan and then ro
IN in gradual ascent to Manassas 1t was a scene
d. mingled grove and opening and the moonlgl
IT. slept as pacidy upon the uDgles of that rise as
lt, Treason, armed in triple strength, were not sly
to watching from lis lair our ignorant advance, rea'
nd to bech forth upon US its deadly and malignaI
bis fires.
s- PLAN OF THE ATTACK
Ith The plan Of General Mcdowell was, as la
q already indicated to advance upon the enemy
Wy two directions, launching his main and cent
elf column along the WMrenton road in direct liz
re- until he reached their batteries; while stro
ely column, by circuit to the right, was to smi
in them in the rear The road to Bull Run on t
ar left and the hostile batteries at It's end were to
to merely watched throughout the day, so that I
ne enemy could not issuefrom that quarter and tn
lile our left Col Richardson, with the lst Mass
Q chusetts, % and Sd Michigan and New.Yo
dy Volunteer 18th, and q. s, Artillery, was charg
md with thisduty while to support him, in case
it should be seriously attacked, General Miles, "
tn. nine regiments, was posted in reserve, but
Ken enough back toward CentreyHe to give aid prs
mad cor also to the main column in case it should M
the with areverse These nine regiments consist
nst OF the sth 7th, lItl, 18th, 2gth, 3lst and
full n. H. the Garibaldi Guard, and the 9Th NC
llor York German Rifles. L was further support
ler- by Green's and BOrrys United States Batter
it'll The left being thus guarded General Mellow
leni posted the New-Jersey regiments seven n NUM-
ON in reserve at Centreville' and even still iurt
10 lection on tho riobt [ and ana ouard oliLe acninst
:, w sooV'on un Vho iienV anu suaiu "s,no % eS""'v