Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-21

Under this title the London Spectator dis
cusses letter written from Manassas to the
Lond0n Morning Herald, by correspondent
in the insurgent camp. II seems that this
gentleman "draws his information direct
from the southern head quarters" and wo
may believe that IL he errs it is on the side
Of those who give him his information and
his opportunities to look on.
1t must be remembered that the battle
took place on the 2lst of july On the 18th
the insurgents had, according to the London
Herald writer, forty thousand men in posi-.
ton, on ground chosen by General Beaure.
gard, with knowledge--as this writer
asserts-ot General McDowelPs plans and of
our army's movements. On the same day
General johnson, escaping from Winchester
where Patterson pretended to watch him,
joined Beauregard with four thousand men.
1t seems, according to General Beaure-
CARDS communication to the correspondent,
that McDowelPs advance was by an OBJ
lique movement from Uenterville, and that
his left covered his line of retreat; and
Beauregard gave oaders to attack this line
by flank movement. But the order, it is
said, never reached the proper officer; the
movement was not made, and while the in.
surgent General was waiting he found him.
self outflanked. "The fact is" says the
Herald correspondent, " that the enemy TAX
ing advantage of the woody country, had
out1anked our left without being perceived"
ia confession" adds the Spectator, (which
shows how near the Federal troops were to
success. General Beauregard attacked in his
centre, and outflanked on his left, found il
extremely difficult to keep his men in line"
" AT two P. M }" writes the southern corre-
spondent, the fortune of the day appeare
to tremble in the balance" "Our volun-
teers are described as gloomy in spirit, fairly
worn out from fatigue, and positively sink
ing from exhaustion" Numbers of soldiers
were leaving the field. Beauregard used
his utmost skill and power to force his regi-
ments to keep their ground. And just then
came the blow which decided the fate of the
day. General Kirby Smith appeared with
four or five thousand fresh men, who had
been hurried down by rail from Winchester,
He fell at once upon McDowell's right, which
was fighting unsupported in the woods. The
British writer in the Spectator makes this
comment on the result:
"This il was that gave the South the vic
tory at Manassas. With regular troops, an
unexpected assault on an exposed flank 1CouLd
haze probably led to defeat. Bonaparte at
Arcola drove off whole brigade of Austri-
ans with few trumpets sounding a cavalry
charge in their rear. But the Austrians drew
Off in order. Not so the American volun-
teers. Undrilled, undisciplined, with them
to retreat was to fly, to retire was to run
away. How well they had fought while they
stood is shown by the fact that the killed
and wounded on the side of the Confederates
is admitted to be no less than two thousand
men. Up to the moment when General
Kirby Smith appeared, the Federalists had,
as they report really gained the command OF
the field of battle. Had this officer delayed
another day, the probability is that the Con-
federates would have been defeated, and they
instead of their enemies would have exhibited
for our edi6cation the worst defects of un.
disciplined armies, which always show them
selves in retrogade movements. There is no
reason to believe from this southern descrip-
ton of the battle that the Confederate troops
are one whit better than the Federalists.
That they are as unmanageable is shown by
the the fact that General Beauregsrd did not
venture to pursue his flying foes, but followed
them at a leisurely pace, gathering up the
| spoils."
How far General Beauregard's long ex-
| pected report of the battle will change this
statement we can not tell. But it is now
known, on trustworthy testimony, that our
rout was not such wholesale affair as it
seems to Mr.. Russell, who led in it, and that
large part of our army retreated in such
order that an attack from Beauregard, had
| he dared it, would have been exceedingly
| dangerous to him. 1t is also pretty we'll es
| tablshed that the battle of Bull Run taught
| the insurgents lesson which cost them so
dearly that they are very cautious before
venturing again.-NeV York Post 18th.