Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-31

MIR. Russell NJ Hull Run--Whas an
/ Eye witness Says of His Behavior
4 ---Eais veracisy Impeached.
A writer to the Chicago Tribune says:
Mr. Russell's letter tn the Loudou Times.
the greater part of which we transferred to
our columns yesterday morning. ia in many
respects. a remarkable paper. We enjoyed
the privilege of riding from point couple
of miles east of Centrevlle. to another point
a mile east of Fairfax Court House. with Mr..
| Russell, and when be tells what took place
| on that bit of road. we are competent judges
of bis truthfulness and fairness descrip-
tive writer We do not know and do not
care what he saw, says he saw, of the fight
and the fight. before we found him; but from
| the errors and missiatemsnts in that portion
| of his narrative with which we are immedi-
ateIy concerned. we should be justified in be-
| lieving that he was not at the battle at all.
and that the materials for his letter were
gathered from some Fire Zouave or private
| of the Ohio Second. who left, terror-sircken
| IN the early part of the fray. aHd carried the
| fatal news of the rout and the race to the
credulous rear. We left Centreville without
knowing that a repaise had been felt, or that
a retreat to that point had been ordered.
jogging leisurely down the Washington
road. perhaps ten Enthusiastically not
more-ahead of Mr.. Russell, we saw nothing
of the 1ogging, iashing, squirting. beating and
abandoning that be so graphically describes
| The road was quiet and clear if no
army were in the vicinity. A mile from
CentrevilIe, we met that New Jersey regi-
| ment. a private of which, Mr.. Russell says,
| Threatened to ''shoot him if be did not halt !"
| The officers were turning back the few fugi-
tives-not dozen in all-that were on their
| way: but, recognized civilian, as the
| Times correspondent must have been. we
| passed to the rear unchallenged. Mr.. Rus
sell, at this moment, could not have been
| halt a. mile behind Us. Pushing on slowly,
We were overtaken by Col. Hunters car
| rage, in which he. wounded, was going to
the city. Mr.. Russell saw it, or says he saw it,
attended by an escort of troopers.at the head
| OF whom was Major, who considered it right
| to take charge of his chief and leave his bat
\ TALON" We saw no troopers nor Major.
| Hon Isaac N Arnold, of the House, was rid
| ing by the side of the vehicle, and he, a
| smooth faced gentleman in the grab of
Civilian, may have been mist AIKEN by our
| "own correspondent" for a doubtful man of
| war. Possibly two miles and half from
Centreyille, we stopped at roadside farm
house for cup of water. While drinking,
MIR. Russell passed. We recognized him, rode
along and were soon engaged with him in
discussion of the Causes OF the check-it was
not then known to DE anything more; and,
in his company we went on thrngh Fairfax,
in all distance of six or eight miles; and
we can affirm that not one incident which he
relates as happening in that stretch had auy
foundation in fact. We saw nothing of that
Euglishman of whom he says:
at was about this time l met a cart by the
roadside surrounded by q group of soldiers,
some of whom had .69' on their Caps The
owner, as L took him to be, was in great dis
tress, and cried out as passed, can you tell
me, sir, where the Goth are These men say
they are cut to pieces Il can't tell you
I'm in charge of the mails, sir, and l II deliy-
er them if die for it You are a gentleman
and can depend on your word. Is it safe
for me to go on? Not knowing the eAent
of the iebacte, l assured him it was, and asked
the men of the regiment how they happened
to be there Sure the Colonel himself told
us to go off every man on his own hook and
to fly for onr lives, replied one OF them. The
mail agent. who told me he was an English
man, started the cart again. l sincerely hope
no bad result to himself or his charge follow
ed my advice"
We rode into Fairfax together.
81 reached Fairfax 6burt House; the peo-
pie, black and white. with anxious faces were
at the doors, and the infantry under arms l
was besieged with questions, though hundreds
OF tugitives bad passed through before me-"
1t is small matter, this. but it marks the |
character of the man. Not a question was
asked of MIR. Russell, nor of us; not a '.fugi- |
tive" we dare affirm, had passed that way; |
the infantry-another New Jersey Regiment,
if We are not mistaken-were at their usual |
evening parade, supposing, no doubt, that |
their companions IN arms had won great
victory.
''At one house | stopped to ask for wafer |
for my horse; the owner sent his servant for |
it cheerfully, the very house where we had in |
vain asked for something to eat in the fore |
noon. There's a fright among them,' | OBJ |
served, in reply to his question concerning |
the commissariat drivers. They're afraid of |
the enemy's cavalry Are you an Ameri- |
camp said the man. No, l am not We'll, |
then, he said, there will be cavalry on them |
soon enough. There's twenty thousand of the |
best horsemen in the world in Virginny.'"
At the little one-horse tavern in Fairfax. |!
the horses-Mr. RS and our own-were wat
cred by servant; but the reported CONVEX
sation did not take place. A short distance |
from that inn, Mr.. Russell put spurs to his
animal, aud, riding furiously, left us behind;
he picked up ample material for misrepre-
sentatiOn however, as he went. We point |
oct the greatest falsehood, if one fasehood |
can be greaeer than another. in the columns
that he has devoted to the villification of our
troops.
Washington was still eighteen miles away.
The road was rough aud uncertain. and again
no use trying to outstrip the runawaysI-
Once or twice l imagined heurd guns in the
rear. but could not be sure, in consequence
of the roar of the fight behind me. 1t was
most surprising to see how far the foot SOL
diers had contrived to go on in advance"
1t must have been surprising Indeed From
the moment of meeting the First New Jersey
Regiment, OF which we have spoken, not
soldier, unless one of a baggage or picket |
Uua VI a !
The wagons going in were few. and their pro-
gress was not such as TO indicate that they |
were making a retreat. We faced train after
train going out with supplies, without guard
and without suspicion that the army was bea.
ten and in flight. The defeat was not known !
to any on the road. not even to Mr.. Russell.
who informed US that our army would fall
back and encamp for the night, only to re-
new the battle the next day. The "roar of
the flight behind me'' is stretch of the ina |
gination. We were "behind me-" and heard
the guns and marked the time as us; but |
save our poor old thick-winded steed, there
was not another horse on the road within our |
sight. A few carriages with wounded, few
retiring civilians-none making haste, nole |
the finale that was reached-soon
passed US; but not an armed man, trooper
OF footman, was anywhere near. Mr.. Russell |
in the next paragraph confesses as much.
sit was a strange ride. through a country
now still as death. the white road shining like
q river in the moonlight. the trees black as
ebony in the shade; now and them figure |
fitting by into the forest or across the road
frightened friend, or lurking foe, who |
could say? Then the anxious pickets and
centres all asking What's the news ?" and
evidently prepared for any amount of loss"
The truth is probably this The imagina-
tive correspondent left the battle ground be-
fore any confusion occurred, and when the
retrograde movement was ordered. Hearing