Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-09-04
THE WAR In VIRGINIA..
BATTLE WEEK
The Great Fight On Friday-Bsll Run Re.
gained he struggle Of SATURDAY..

NJ u 00s0rQ0y.
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune
at Warrenton early on Wednesday / ls,rned
that Jackson was In our rearS and thai We sborIS
once more try to trap him Sigel and McDcwel
toward Up the so,a!e fsm
was supposed to be. This road parses throurh
Bull Run battle neld, I'VE mi q wet Of Cen.er
willie. Hooker, Porter and Reno moved nom our
LEFT now, az we face about toward w ashing
ton, becomes our rightly toward the same point
via Manassas Junction. SiQel, in advance OF
Mcdowell, reached Gainesville, four mtIes from
ire Bull Run Geld, that night, and came upon
the enemy: cavalry and stragglers Resting a
few hours. by O'Clock he was moving. The
enemy did not appear in 'front.' and leaving
mcpoweI 70 take care Of that road, 9 gel turned
70 we rsn snt % connect with Hooker at Manassas
junction Hooker had fought near there on
wednesday (of which 1 viii speak In a mo-
ment), and 1t was possible he needed help.
When within two miles Of the Junction sigel
learned that the enemy was on the W arrentnn
road, and turning short 10 the left he marched to
the south side ofthe Bull Run field II was then
p m. Mcdowell, who, a. before stated, had
remained on that road between the enemy and
Warrenton, had been throwing she'll some houra
nnd now we could hear musketry. Gaining the
heights where Hunter fought year ago, and 3D.
preaching the turnpike we could locate the scene
Of the engagement by the line Of musketry flasher
IL was king's division repelling the enemy In his
attempt 10 escape toward Warfenton. The affair
hsed two hours, and King held the field We
K.
division became partially engaged, gave lhe
enemy's cavalry few shell, then the whole corps
rested for the night. At the very time King was
fghang 90 the Warren'on road, ricketts, was en-
gagged lighting Rebel reinforcements coming up
through ThorOughfare Gap, ave miles further
west. He was compelled, having suffered loss
OF 20 70 withdraw and Join King after the latter
had finished his days work Reynolds's division
(pa. Reserves), sthen temporarily with Mellow.
eli o corps, was In the same vicinity
The situation then, Friday morning, was this:
slgsls corps tdivis ons OF schurz, Mflroy, Stein
Ing 10 the west, was close against the enemy
McDowslps corps nearly connected with Sigel
on the Iatters left, but was not within fighting
visions OF Hooker and Kearney, and Reno,s coSns)
were at Centreville, moving down the turnpike
which would lead them upon Sigel's right POr
Is, was Tns rar oacamssvsu Or eight niles-n sges
mans, McDOweil's and Pofterb-were all that
were gagged at any time during the two dnvs-
ftiasy aad saturday: They came upon the Acid
Fortunately had been with sigel during his
two days march to fnd the enemy, and was with
him now that Ii fell to him to open the main
struggle His corps had held the advance under
heavy artillery fre on the Rappahannock the fo1r
previous days, had now marched two days part
Of the time IN line of battle, and taking bat four
hours rest moved Into batsle-not q skirmish,
not an affair, not an action, not an engagement.
but grea: battle, for euch are the names given
10 nges in the order Of their magnitude.
Long before dlylis 1T Sigel had visited every
every battery, and with the dsyliaht his artillery
sounded. The 'iJe0ie Scoutsn transferred by
Fremont to Sigel) reported the enemy a. mas:ed
west Of and running nearly parallel with the
road. The line, however, extended on their
hight to the road, where they had guns on CON-
manding high;s on their LET to Bull Run stream,
Win battery or two across upon the north side
the road -
The nrst hour It was all artillery sigel was
advancing battery after battery to this and tha.
eminence, supporting each with brigade, hear
Ing the reports Of scouts, sending cavalry now far
to The right, now FAR to the left gradually advanc-
heshad placed guns-in a word, feeling for the
enemy, rapidly advancing, but cautiously, every
step. the enemy disdained 70 make any sign
but not long. Ais artillery was compelled to
answef ours, and, pressing on, we unesrthed his
infantry. There was a light rattle, then roar OF
musketry. Milroy, 10 in the advance, had come
square upon Rebels In masses Our line Of battle
was formed, Schurz having the right, schenek
the Left, Milroy the advance center, Stsinwehr
the reserve center.
Just at this opening Of the battle saw, from
the hill from which Schurz was going into ac-
tion, column bearing down upon our right, and
at nrst supposed them TO be Rebels. Unaccount-
ably, they carried high over their heads sundry
white hags, and appeared to march stragg lingly,
and IL was soon seen they were uuarmed.
They proved to be 634 prisoners taken by Jack
son when he appeared at Manassas three days be-
fore. now released on parole. The enemy could
not feed thpm, and would themselves starve unless
r.iaforoemena should push to them with sup
pliss.
little after Milroy, Schurz became engaged
They drove the enemy mile or more, and rested
nom outright fatigue. During this time Schcnck
bad been engaged on the left, but not heavily.
Toagh old heintzelman arrived at this junctufe
from Centreville with his whole corps Schurz
his place. Reno arrived soon after from the same
direction Sevens' divsion Of his corps marcL ed
to the left to support Scbenck, and the attack L
vas orse more along the whole line. should
have stated that some time before the cessation
Mihoy, esler two hours Of musketYy In tornadOes
was driven back, much cut to pieces, and re-
placed by Steinwehr, who was assisted by
Il was now one O'Clock. Sigel's corps only had
been engaged, and we had on the whole gained
grOuudIon the riglt nearly a mile. II wal
reasonable to suppose that with the assistance o.
Rsao and Heintzelman, and most Of the day
before us, we should utterly demolish tn. enemy
1t has since appeared that simultaneously viii
our reinfCrcsments he received larger ones. Long
streets whole comman1, whose passage through
Thoroug hfa,e Gap Ricketts, had dispuIed the da,
before, had now Joined Jackson and Ewell
street would naturally join Jsckson st his fiRLt
II vas upon our left and occasionslly our ceate
that we were most severely pressed the Femainde
Up 70 this time Slgel had command Of the field
He had made the dispositions before the Aght
and conducted II successfully six hours Pop
command, out wisely and generously deferred Il
sgel the rest Of the day, a being best acquainted
wiIhjhe position.
At ta O'Clock the fight was raging along tn
whole line teruhcaliy -musketfy Ike Gaines
Mill and artiIlsry LIKE 81 alyern Hills. There wa
not ten minutes cessation at any ono time for tn
next three hours. We advanced not step; W.
retired Mt a step. The enginery Of war, men
guns and "villalnous saltpeter," seemsd equal
each side to the Other. At O'Clock Schencl
was ordered back from the left, and the artiller
CT that wing fell back TO the next eminence
During the three hOun, scarcely regiment O
the three corps on the field that had not been int
the thickest. Promptly and sktlfuuy, a. com
mGnd would become exhausted, II wovld be re
placed bv another, but only for a brief rest, the
TO up and at 1t. These splehdid passages G
lines }" a. such splendid movements are techn
cally called, seem to me feature that ought nc
70 pass uncommended. Gaines Mil would hav
been o victory had such novements been mad
promptly and orderly.
The withdrawal of the len IVES not giving
Of the battle Troops were rushed 70 the ri2 b,
and redololed onset made there. Again th
enemy was forced back. His LEFT was swet
upoa his center-we took him "endways"