Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-09-11
Letter from Washington.

DEAR SIR On Saturday abont P. NJ,
| notice was given ont among the clerks connect
ed with the War Department, and believe,
with the other Departments, also by Mr.. STAN
TON, Secretary ofWar, that any of Us who
desired to go to the battle ground, at Manas-
sas, to assist in taking care Of the wounded.
in the battles of Friday and Saturday, could
do so, and those who went out were directed
to supply themselves with three days provision
rations. Among others, | volunteered my
services and prepared myself with three loves
of bred, one-half pound of cheese and bottle
of cordiat About three hundred ambulances
were provided for our conveyance. We as
senfbed at the starting point about 5, P NJ,
but did not get under way till Z, P. NJ When
we got to the Long Bridge an order was is
sued that no ambulance should take no more
than three persons besides the driver. At
that point we were detained a short time, in
enforcing tie order, which obliged got d
many that had started with US, to return home.
We found new regiment there on its way
over the river, which was stopped to let the
ambulances pass over the Bridge. 1t was
now about dark | enquired of some of the
men who belonged to the regiment, where the
regiment was from, and On being informed
that it was the l4lst regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers, after giving "a cheer for old Penn
sylvana | enquired what part of the State 1t
was from, and, to my agreeable surprise, was
told that it was principally from Bradford
County. | then announced to them that
was General PATTON from Towanda, and was
glad to meet them, and thereupon several of
them rushed up to our ambulance to see me =:
but it was now become so dark that | was
not able to recognize but few of them. They
told me they were going over the river, to en-
camp at Fort Wells ne0s Arlington Heights.
| told them 10 return that we were on our way
to the battle field, at Manassas, to assist in
taking care OF our wounded soldiers, which
was responded to by them with hearty cheer
which was tapered off with approving individ
ua calculations, such as "Bnly for you,"
good for the old general" &c, &c. They
told me that Guy WATKINS was their
Lieutenant Colonel-and ut this point, Or
interview was cut short by the movement of
our ambuances We travelled all night and
arrived at 9 house occupied as a Military
Hospital, three or four miles from the battle
ground, by large number of sick and wound
ed soldiers Here we learned that instead of
the battle ground being occupied by our forces,
nearly the whole of it was occupied by the
ling going on then between portions of the
Federal and Confederate armies, which ap-
peared to Us, from the sound, to be only
couple of miles off 1t was impossible to get
them over undera flag of truce. Judge WHITE
of the Supreme Court of New York, and |
proposed to the Medical Director at the Hos
pita, that We would take the risk Of going on
to the battle ground to bring off the wounded
if he would give US authority TO do so under
flag of truce but he said flag Of truce for
that purpose would not be respected, and the
CeTldIu result hOuiu DSJ IL VIC dllCuItCu ~
that we should either be killed wounded or
taken prisoners by the rebels ; and moreover,
that he did not feel authorized under the cir
cumStances to give rs flag Of truce. He
said to me, in an undeTtone, that he was
then hurrying these invaed soldiers away to
get them out Of danger, for he did not know
Of hot ha robaIc rnirhf no there nd
capture the embuances and every body that
was there Somebody in the crowd, | snp-
pose, happened to overhear this remark, for
within few minntCs afterwards it was report
ed that the rebels were coming and the driv.
ers of the ambulances commenced q general
skedaddle" for Washington, but were stop
ped by some officers who overlook them on
| horseback, and drew their revolvers upon them
and threatened to shoot them if they did not
stop The danger seeming to be more imme-
date from these officers than from the rebels
return. | remained at the hospital assisting
in transferring the wounded soldiers there TO
the ambulances which occupied rs till 2, 2. M.
On our return one civilian was assigned to
seat in each ambulance to take charge of the
wounded, placed it. But, when we got as
far as Centreville, we met with q number of
soldiers, who were badly wounded, and one of
them so very badly that he could not wear his
pantaoons and | voluntarily gave up my
seat to him and proceeded on my way back,
about % miles through the mud on foot, but
fortunately, Just as had started on my way,
short distance, and before l got through
the viIlage,!one of the ambulanceS stopped
along side of me, and a man, who occupied q