The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-08-05

least, have held the field, and that no panic
would have ensued.
Captain Griffin. Of Grifiu's battery. whe
had been placed in this advanced position, says
AFTER j had been there about ive minutes,
regiment Of Confederates got over fence my
| front, and some oficer-I took for Colonel-step
ped out in front of the regiment, between II and my
battery and commenced mAkinga speech to them
gave the command to one Of my officers to fire
upon them. He loaded the cannon with canister
and Just ready to fire on them when Major
Barry rode mp TO me and said; Captain, don't
fire there-those are your battery support 7" said
they are Confederates." He replied. II know they
are your battery support" sprang to my piece
and told my officer not to hre there. He threw
down the canister and commenced firing again in
the former direction. After the officer who had
been talking 10 the regiment had got through. he
yards to the woods, then faced them to the right
and marched them about forty yards towards us,
and then opened fire upon us, and that was the last
Of MS. N
Before this occurred started to timber up nv
pieces so thoroughly convinced was / that they
were the Confederates But as the Chiefof Artillery
told me that they were my battery support, was
afraid to fire upon them. Major Barry said. II
know i is the battery support it is the regiment
taken there by Colonel" Every WELL" said /.
the battery; but never delivered the fre-for we
were oil cut down."
Colonel Avcril! says:
''In going down the hill after the general break,
saw an offer galloping along in front of me.
recognized M,jor Barry, and cried out, 'Halloa I
Barry is.that your He said, Yes. said. where
is Griffin 2 He said, i am afraid he is killed.
said, that battery is lost. am afraid we gone
up, or some remark to that effect. Barry then sad
IT 10 E,rt tha loaa Of hath
Griffin there myself"
5. The failure to bring the reverse into
action at the critical moment. The reason
assigned was an ins fficient staff and lack
Of dicipline by brigsdes.
The foregoing l believe to be the true and
only reason for the loss Of the battle of Bull
Run. l am of the opinion that the remedy.
ing Of any one of tho five errcrs would have
saved the field, but it was lost. and scene
too disgracefuI for description met tho aston.
ished gaze Of the nation. And yet our losses
were small comparatively. Two thousand
five hundred men killed, wounded and miss
ing, in round numbers, twentv-six guns,
twenty. five army wagons, twenty five ambu.
lances, and from six TO eight thousand stand
Of arms will cover the whole loss of that de
feat.
Were the people discouraged, depressed!
Net at all. Untold thousands rushed into
the shattered ranks eager to wipe out the
stain end stigma of that defeat. From the
East, tho Vest, the North, and the mi,ldle
States, thousands and tens Of thousands and
hundreds of thousands come pouring in, until
the government said ''hold, enough" The
army Of The Potomac, donudcd in August of
the threo months men, scsrce ly numbered
fifty thousand efficient men, sweIled in Sep
tember 10 over one hundred thousand, in
October To one hundred aud fifty thousand, in
November to one hundred aud seventy five
thousand and upwards, until, on tho 10Th
day Of Dec ,mbsr, the m,rning r,lls showed
one hundred and ninety five thousand four
hundred men. and thirteen regiments not
reported, chiefly intended for the Burnside OK.
pedition, but all under the comwrul Of Gen.
McCl,ll,n. During the months Of O;t. Nov.
and December, The weather wa, Ii .htfu ful
aud the roads fine. The question began TO
bc asked in October, when will the advance
take placel All bad the most unboundej
confidence in the army and its young general,
and were aoxiously waiting for Napolconc
stroke. 1t came, but such stroke! That a
general movement was being prepared, the
whole country had known for weeks; but
when the terrific blow was TO be struck, 10
one knew save the commander of the army
Of the Potomac. Tho nation believed in it.
young CO nmande, the President relied upon
him. and all, myself included, had the most
confidence ia the result Of the in
tended movement. II came. On the 2lst
,f October, McCall's division, twelve thon>a nj
strong, was ordered to Drainsville upo; re
Smiths divisi N, twelve thous
and strong, was ordered to support him. Nc.
Calls reconnaissance extended four miles he.
yord Drainsvile, aud to within nine miles Of
Lee-buig. Stone, on Sunday, was informed
If McCall's aud Smiths advance, and directed
o make slight demonstration upon Lees.
burg. Howl He could do il 10 but one
way, and that was BY crossing the river and
moving upon j..
According to the testimony Of Colonel Lee,
confirmed by Mnjr Revere, of the Twentieth |
Massachusetts, tie following dispatch was
tent from Nc Clellan 10 tone:
OoroBxR 20, 1861.
General Mcclellan desires me TO inform you that
}en. Mccall occupied Drainsville yesterday, and
Sill tnere. VIII seuu out heavy recOnnolssances
O day in all directions from that point. The Gen.
lesires that you keep good lookout upon Leesburg
il this movement has the effect to drive them
way. Perhaps a slight demonstration on your
,art would have the effect TO move them.
A v. COLLUM,
Assistant Adjutant General
General Mccall says:
General Mcclellan told rne, when he gave me
he orders 10 march Saturday morning, that thcrs !
confederate troops at Leesburg hat they had
eft there several days before. On my arrival at
)ranesville all the inhabitants told me that the
brigade at Leesburg had crossed Goose Greek, and
eturned to Manassas on Tuesday. That was q
hing clearly understood. We did not see . man
IN the Leesburg road. / ascertained afterwards
hat Evans had sent back his heavy baggage with
guard; and that body oro.aing Ciooaa Creek gave
Use to the report that he had retired with his whols
orce But he was there at the time was at Draines-
rille, but did not know it. Had been ordered
Onward, have not the slightest doubt that could
nave debated Evans and captured his whole COM
nand. But it certainly would have been very
delicate matter; because they could have thrown up
wenty or thirty thousand men from Centervie, and
tut of my retreat from Dminsville."
Ir another place, General Mccall says:
"At six o'clock Monday morning, reported to |
,im General McClellanl that the engineers whom |
had consulted reported to me that they would