New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-17
RErnKT OF GtN. TYLER.

HsAp.u AtTEus iEsr bls sioH bAf fthNiniAfl
N,sHiN Gros, July u, 1861.
Gsn. NeDowsrt. Co.~ardiag D1'ar'~af'
SiR. On the 18Th inst. ) on ordered me TO take nay
division. with two 9O-pound rihed gons, and move
against Ccntreyille to curry that position. Ny diSis-
ion moved nom IL encampmcnt at o. m At9 a. u.
Richard son's brigade reached CentreyIo, and found
that the enemy hGd retreatel the night before--one
division ON the Warrntown pike, in the direction
of GAINESVILLE ard the other, AMI 10y fSr the largest
diyirion toward Backburns ford or Bah Ran. Find
inc tlat Ricardsons brigade lad turned the latter
point and hsled for the conveniepee Oi obtaining
,v4ier took suuYdron Of cavalry aud two light cOu.-
u,ries irni Pithardson's brigade, with Col Richard
sou ~ make reconnaissance, and m feeling our way
carefuliv We soon found curative. overlooking tic
strong portion of the enemy, situated at Blaekburns
iorl OF Ball Run.
Amom.rt's = observation discovered battery on the
oplo ie bank but uo great bOiy of trOOpF, slthOugh
tie usual ,ktts ana small detarhnouts showed the-
fe!ycs on The left OF The position. >uspeebg ieom the
natural ,t.eT gIh which the position TO posse 81
that th. enemy must he in force and desiring 10 ascer-
Tain tie extent of that force aud the positSn OF lis
batteries, | ordered up the two Tiled gus, Ayerss
Inttery and nirhaldson'e entire brigade, ant subee-
oreufk sherman brigade In reserve, To be ready iOF
rny contingency. "A coon as the nled guns came MP,
ordered tteu il 10 battery on tie crest OF the NIL,
n,nly mile from singlo battery which we could
-,e Iced on the opposite oi Tue kdn. len or
loseit ,bo. woe fired, Of them seeming 10 take
,I.ci on n large body Of cavalry, who evidently
thorvht Lese,e ont OF the range. The battery we
had discovered On cur rival hred sX sots ana dis-
continued fire Finding thai our hre hId not provoke
tia enemy TO dscovor bis force and his batteries or
d.red col Richardson 20 advance lie brigade ana 10
,,ooy out skirn.ighcf 20 scour the thick woods with
,ybicb me whole bottom OF Bal Ran was covered.
Tis order was skillflly executed aud tie sklm
o., cane out of tie wood uto the road aud ei're To
,h ford without provoking any considerable hie ilo
,bs euemy Desiring 10 make a further attempt 10
ELECT the object II the movement, and discovering an
opening low down Oil the bottom OF Tue sceaI "be'e
~ rouIle of howitlcrs could be put INTO battery,
ordered Cant Ayers to deach n section, put himself
o the ground pointed ont to him. aud sent squadron
of cavalry 20 support this movement ihe hoihen.
Capt. Ayers opened bls lire, the eneIAy iepheu VIII
yo1,ys which showed that tho whole bottom was
hIled with troops and that he bad batteries established
in different positions to sweep all the Approaches ~
tho road leading TO Blackburn's Ford. capt ayers
maintained himself most gaiiantiy, anu ai'er nins
away all his canister shot aud some spherical case win
t,vriIle effect as we afterward learned Withdrew MS
Iiec,s safely and reoin.d his battery lhls attaeK on
Cant. Ayers accomplished the object desired, az II
thowed tnat the enemy was IN ioE,e ana dseio ca .pe
position Of his batteries, and had been nalu Ihe
movement wond have ended here; but Col Richardson
having previously given Nm order Tor the i-tn NEW
York TO deploy into hue and advance INTO the WooIs
In IN attempt 10 execute this order the regiment Ooao
with The exception OF two companies, apu =, q;
r,ood their ground gasntly and was only falned III
the woods some mile and hall IN the rear 'ne o
which the regiment encountered was severe, pu' no
excuse for the disorgannation 1t produced. ha'ihs
satisfied uyrelf that the enemy was N ~ a." Reb.
as 20 the position Of hs batteries, ordered Coi. h
srdson 10 withdraw his brigade, which was ssniiuly
though unwngly accomplished, ss nc relnSseu pa "a
uission with the LET Massachusetts,, ahd "a anu oa
cben Regiment. TO charge tue es%y aas sts 10 SsS .sy
tls, thew stood firm naneuyered well, aud have no
Soub, would have backed up maniuly the proposition
" Aflsr Ibe inf,ntry had been withdrawn. directed
Capt Ayres aud Lieut.. benjamin VINO eolnnansu , az,
the two pounde TO open their hie ocen On VIC
on ihs battery which We had dseoyered IN the bottom
Of Bull Ran, which we knew 10 oe sairounaep W
large body Of men. This lire was continued IRON %
unlil o'clock, firing AIS shots. Tbs iIre Was . an
swerd from tho enemys batteries gun ISr gun' oo'
was discontinued the moment we eeased hrlng;
THE concentrated position Of the enemy and the facl
that the elevation Of battery and the raass wss .n
srrsd severely om our re and this belief Is confirmed
by tho fact that the ensuing day until II M, a%su
hnces were seen coming and going from and 10 ma
| nassas two miles disisnt.
In closing lLi report, Il gives ne great poasure