The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-09-06

Tragedy, but counts the hour between AZ and
0R O'CLOCK the severest fighting he ever knew,
II was Al at ons point. Along the right half
OF the line the combatants seemed to desist in
IN smasement at the struggle there. By half
after 3, it was apparent that We were beaten
outhanked by Concentration upon the left.
"agoners and stragglers about the hospital
scented the retreat, and soon trains of the for.
mer ana streams Of the latter could be seen
making Tor the Bull Run bridges and fords.-
McDowelPs and Porter's corps retired in com.
Psfauve order. use this term not as a mild
ous 1aise psrafhrase for driven back, but be-
cause 1t covers the actual fact in the case.
! 90 not think there Was brigade that could
not. % 1t came from the field, show its distinct
regiments. or rather nucleus of each reei.
msns 20 whose standard ere it had marched .
niue its scattered men gathered. Still there
were several thousands hurrying pell-mell in
ADVANCE OF them toward Centreville, crowding
!ae stone bridge and wading the stream A
ao1en long wagon trains centered there, but
mere was little confusion among them, no de-
sermon Of wagons, but simply jam, where
escn desired and pushed to be first. They
We're thus cool. Notwithstanding few shell
burst among them. All this time the right was
nrm, and only at the calm discretion of its
generals. Unaccountably to me at the time,
30 soon as We fell back from the left the mus
kerry almost entirely ceased. We were pur.
sued by shells only. It is probable that the
enemy dare not advance lest Heintzelman and
Sigel shall fall upon his flank as be should
pass by them Sigel had not had his fight out
nor had Helntzelman, and the enemy WAS hard.
y IN condition for smother battle immediately.
1t is possible, also, that Bank corps was near
ing the fisld-he Was known to be at Manassas
early in the dsy-snd they may have seen his
advance and been afraid. It was Ill done in
two hours. Another corps upon the field
would have frustrated that rush Of overpoWer-
ing numbers upon one point. Those numbers
were 20 overpowering that they succeeded be-
fore men could be moved against them from
any other part Of the field
forded Bull Run in the dusk of the evening
and st some time looking ct the crossing Of
men and trains. While conversing With Gen.
Butte, field, who had Withdrawn bis men only
when ordered, although he had made the at.
tack ct tAat point and was In the advance, a
. shell struck the ground some twenty feet
from 90, and in its ricochet passed over our
heads, instinctiveiy lodged, and my horse
sprang forward. The Gen. did not move a
muscle until he smiled % he remarked, that
his horse was too accustomed to those things
to be disturbed by them. A moment after an
other shell knocked wagon to pieces close by.
The fragments were taken ont Of the road and
the train moved on undisturbed. I recalled
the scenes at this crossing of the same place .
year ago, after the battle, and knew that this
Was no panic.
Riding on towards Centreville, which is six
miles from the field, about midway, met
Franklin's corps, which having learned the pc.
sition OF affaire. that the whole army was re-
firing to Centreville-was on the point of re.
tracing his steps-I marched with it to Cen
treville. Richardson's division and Kimbalps
brigade Of Summers corps arrived here during
the night from Alexandra, and this morning
Sedgwick's division, being the balance Of the
same corps; is coming in from Arlington
Heights.
Altogether the position appears favorable
These two corps comprise not less than thirty
thousand vetrean soldiers, under the best Of
the Peninsula Generals Besides these there
is Banks corps, 10000 strong which must be
somewhere in the neighborhood, for do not
credit the rumor that he is cut off though he
may have been forced to destroy his trains
This last conjecture 10 strengthened by heavy
explosions having been heard in the direction
of Manassas Junction last night 1t is estima-
ted this morning that at least $1,000 men Of
Of those engaged Friday and Saturday are still
in their ranks; Add to all these bodies %, 600
new volunteered men, which have been ordered
here from Washington, and there is total of
100000 ready, within twenty-four hours, to
meet the emeny-.that number exclusive Of
Banks. fciaf -e ~
The army engaged yesterday is understood
to be concentrating here, though much of it
csmped but little this side of Bull Run, and has
not yet come up. t