New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-07-23
CAMP NEAR BULLS Run,
Saturday. July 20. 1861.

] should have been glad, while the reulem-
brnnce of the hundred exciting iuciI,nts ut the
Bulls Run skirmi,h was stiIl fresh, to gather
thrm Together m some soTt of hssty record, for
the satisfaction If Those who woud be proud II
Know with what energy ond daring The best
part &c our troops serlcd Inspired on that day.
But the opportunity u not permitted. haze
already twice ebdeAvored 10 give accounts IN de-
tail of ihs Affair." aud have ON each occasion
been crowded cut Of time. and compiled TO di-
mss Wits q word many matters that should
rightly have claimed ample narration. One i.n.
portsnt puint-tho estimated number Of the
enemy eEgoged-i have not before alluded 10.
] find there ~ great difference of op'n'on "a r.
CARDS this question. Gen. Tyler believes that the
number ans small, aud that not more than one
Regiment Was employed. He judges from the
sDund Of the secrssive Voleys OF muskety. Col.
Richardson on The, other hand, ia convinced that
tJe enemy Was in great force, aud prepared to
make a long aud powerful resistance. Lieut.
Col. We., who led the innermOst attack, is Of
the sAlno opinion us Gen. Tyler aud attributes
the execution among his men to the fact that tue
rebels were oil concealed and could not be ell
feci,ely fred upon aud dislodged. Officers VI
the regular army, sgaip, declare that atoIt four
or fiyo thousand must have taken part. My own
observation would lead me 10 this last belief. Ii
is true that each yolley appeared 10 come from
about thousand mu.ket-, but it is probable
that different parties assoilrd The different bodies
sent forward by US. Tnus the skIrmshers, the
Massachusetts, regiment the Ncw.YoIk Twelfth
and the artillery, we're probably each encoun-
tered by .eparts regiments at the various parts
oi the wood lear which and in which they ep-
pearrd.
The night after the skirmish passed unqnietly
Our guards were barrsssed by scouts from the
enemy, and sharp discharges Of musketry were
h,.rd at Intervals along the lines. No po.itiVe
attack Of any kind WA mAde, and the morning
found us in undistIrbed Possession of the
ground, a. lar as we had advanced the previous
usy The 4th Bngsde-Col. Rchardsons--was
moved back to the edge of the woods pear tbs
summit Of the hlll, whence an attack had becn
made, aud there bWouacked. Early observations
were made by Gen. I, Ter and Col Richardson,
which disclosed q busy activity among the
Rebels, near the main road, by which army
il 10 advance Close examination, Inter in tho
day, showed that they were reariog ear!hworks
along tho line. No interference was made by
our ARTILLERY, and IN fact, our tro"ps were all
da, kept carefully concealed among the woods,
i, order that our number should not be discoy-
ertd. One or two commanding points 10 ihe
LIFT Of our lins were takon possession OF BY
small detacbnen.s, and, toward evening, full
body of sklrmishers vas seut down into the open
valley, 20 guard against the advance OF stray
plers who showed now and then disposition to
uw to- near u. The visible movements OF
tho enemy during the day were contined to the
operations on thc eorthworks tue moving back
ward and forward of hundreds Of umbulaDces
(Which Indicated a considerable loss on their
slde), aud occasioDal creeplpgs iGtO the valley,
TO tSke possession Of the blankets aud knap.scks
which the n. Y lSsh had thrown of iD their
hurry 70 get away. About a score Of stray
slots were sent by them over thu h at different
timts, but nothing more directly offensive was
ventured.
Large reer!orcements arrived during the after
noon and evening, md Centeryile is now filled
with the greater purt of our army, but ut the
latest hour, no arrangements for action seem 10
DO preparing. The enemy Is $50 collecting
forces from various points, which arc from
time to time, moving over the distant hills, and
gradually descending the valley.
The two intrepid Zouavcs, Of whom I spoke in
another litter, walked down IRON ther camp
tn. afternoon ~ look over the field. They did
NOT pass the Fourth Brssde without st.eatiUn, you