The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-30

was until we reached to within three miles
or so of Manassas, we noticed that the dead
of the enemy, men and horses, we're contin-
ually scattered, and yet unburied lover the
whole route, and that squads of rebels were
busy hunting up their wounded,placiDg them
in common transportation wagons without
springs, and sending them forward to the
junction.
UNPLEASANT ENCOUNTER-ABUs1vE REBELS.
At intervals we would be challenged by
parties of their irregular cavalry, and two
or three times were stopped, and it was de-
manied of us "who we were," and "where
we were going," in every case meeting with
the most gross, wantOn and ferocious insults
and curses from the "chivalry." Nor did we
receive this savage treatment from coarse,
uneducated, uncultivated men. The
worst case occurred while we were be-
ing driven some few rods in advance
of our escort, which had stopped behind
for q few moments, for some purpose or
other. A horseman with rifle slung across
his shoulder, rode up in front and compelled
US to stop, and asked who we were and where
we were going and, though by his lam
guage, evidently man of education, and
one who could probably, on pinch, put
on the outside manners of civilization,
he commenced barbarian TRADE of abuse,
calling US id lag Yankee s-ns of
b-h-s, "why don't you 60 and bury your
dead and gather up your wounded; you
ought to be shot ;"-making at the same
time motion as if he would unsling his rife
from his shoulder. Being prisoners, unarm.
ed, in the midst of the enemy, several of
his "chivalric" fellows, over whom be seem~
ed to have same command, having come up
in the meantime, of course there was noth>
ing for us to do but explain, as we did,
quietly and camnly, though our blood was
boiling, that we were prisoners of war,
without volition of our own, that we had 90
licited permission to 60 upon the field and
attend to our wounded and dead, but the
Confederate commanders had refused US.
WHY THE REBEL LEADERS REFUSED.
would here eobserveparticularly that this
was the fact-we had formally asked the re-
bel officers who came to US at Ludley Church,
some of them of high position, to allow US to
search the battle field over for our wounded
and dead but was peremptorily and alto.
gether refused. would likewise state in
this connection, that the rebel loss in killed
eLd wounded was very heavy-by their
own admissions to US Surgeons, much heav.
ier than our own, as we'll on account of the
superiority of our arms, all mimic rifles
and muskets and the more skilful practice
of our artillery and small arms (they COM
plimented the shooting of the Minnesotians)
as from the fact that they thought they
were going to be defeated in the early part
of the battle and undertook to remove their
wounded ten miles to Manassas, which,
over such a road and in common lumber
wagons, occasioned great fatality, espe-
cially as mimic bullets make no triae of
wound. The refusal to let US go over the
field was, perhaps, dictated somewhat by
reluctance to allow us to see the extent of
their loss and, partly, that we should not
view their position, which they did not
know but they would require Immediately
again for another battle; for it is fact,
that they did not know of the panic which
seized our whole army, nor the extent of
its decentralization, and that for several days
they were daily and nightly in expectation
of our advance again, with reinforcements.
TWO OF OUR WOUNDED PICKED UP.
But toresume. Lieut.. Cummings having
come up, further explained our purpose in
travelling to Manassas to the cowardly Vir-
ginian who could so grossly insult men in
our situation; and we then proceeded on our
journey without further molestation. 1t was
about here we we're told that two of our
wounded men had been picked up, and were
in one of the lumber wagons from which
we heard them ordered to be transferred to
the covered ambulance behind us, and taken
along with us to the Junction; but we did
not see them, not being allowed to get out
of our vehicle.
ARRIVAL AT BEAUREGARD's HEADQUARTERS.
We reached Manassas about ten o'clock !;
and, after waiting there. il the cart about
two hours, in the rain, were ordered to get
out, and 60 up on the long porch of the
little low old fashioned country house, where
Beauregard had bis headquarters.
suPPER--A "MIsTAKE p SLEEPING QUARTERS.
On the porch table was set, and being
invited to partake of viands, we sat down
and drank of its coffee and eat of its crack
ers (all there was) with, on my part, an ap-
petite slightly enhanced by my nearly forty
hours of enforced abstinance from all food,
and by our wet to the skin and shivering
condition generally. Supper over, and
midnight having come, an Aid of Beaure-
gard appeared and said be was very sorry
we were brought down-it was done under
a mistake-and as it was late the General
could not see US before morning. Anathe-
matizing such mistake" to the bottom of
our hearts, we were next shown into snail
neighboring barn, where, in the midst of
wounded and dying Confederates, and of
the members of the guard not on duty, we
laid down on the barn floor, on which was
a slight sprinklipg of hay, and without
covering of any kind, and our clothes all