Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-04

struggling. l could not see them strug-
Cling. The smoke of gunpowGer prevent
ed that, but l knew they were there, and
trembled for the result. A few minutes
later Sohurz, who was in reserve, was or
dered to the left. Before he could get
fairly into position, Mcdowell and Porter
were irretrievably broken. Their soldiers
fought like brave men; ifmoments be reck-
oned by their intensity, they fought long,
as they surely did fight well 1 doubt not
they piled the ground with Rebel slain, as
| Halleck sings Of Moslem slain by Bozzaris
band. l believe there cannot be a man
who heard or participated in that awful
/ tragedy, but counts the hour between
and 81 o'clock the severest fighting he ever
knew. It was all at one point. Along
the right half of the line the combatants
seemed to desist in amazement at the strug-
gle there. By half after 5, it was apparent
that we were beaten-outfanke by q
concentration upon the left. Wagoners
and stragglers about the hospitals scented
the retreat, and soon trains Of the former
and streams of the latter could be seen
making for the Bull Run bridges and fords
MeDoWelrs and Porter's corps retired in
/ comparative order. use this term not as
mild but false paraphrase for driven
back, but because it covers the actual fact
| in the case.
1 do not think there was brigade that
could not, as it came from the field, show
! its distinct regiments, or rather nucleus
of each regiment to whose standard it had
marched and its scattered men gathered
Still there were several thousands hurry
ing pell NELL in advance of them toward
Centreviile, crowding the bridge and wa
ding the stream. A dozen long wagon
trains centred there, but there was little
confusion among them, no desertion DIVA
gons, but simply jam whore each desired
and pushed to be first. They were thus
cool, Notwithstanding a few shells burst
among them. All this time the right was
firm, and only at the calm discretion of its
generals. Unaccountably to me et the
time, as we fell back from the left the mus
kerry almost entirely ceased. We were
pursued by shells only. 1t is probable
that the enemy dared not advance
lest Heintzelman and Sigel should
fall upon his flank as he passed by them.
Sigel had not had his fight out, nor had
Heintzelman, and the enemy was hardly
in condition for another battle Immediately.
nearing the feld-he was known to be at
Manassas early in the day-and they may
have seen his advance and been afraid. 1t
was all done in two hours. Another corps
upon the field would have frustrated that
rush Of overwhelming numbers upon one
point. Those numbers were 80 overpoW-
ering that they succeeded before men could
be moved against them from any other part
Of the field. Franklin lay at Centreville.
Sumner at Arlington Heights. Why had
they not been sent 10 Pope five days be-
fore as they were ordered, and as he ex-
pected?
forded Bull Run in the dusk Of the
evening and sat some time looking at the
crossing Of men and trains While con-
versing with Gen. Butterfeld, who had on
ly moved when ordered, although he had
made the attack at that point and was in the
advance, shell struck the ground some
twenty feet from US, and in its riehoehet
passed over our head. Iinstinetively dodg-
ed, and my horse sprang forward. The
General did not move a muscle until he
smiled as he remarked, that his horse was
too accustomed to these things to be dis
turbed by them. A moment after shell
knocked a wagon to pieces close by. The
fragments were taken out of the roads and
the train moved on undisturbed Irecall-
ed the scenes at this crossing of the same
place year ago, after that battle, and
knew that this was no panic.
Riding on toward CentreYille, which is
six miles from the field, about midway l
met Franklin corps, AID, having lesrne-
the position Of affairs, that the whole army
was retiring to Centreville-was on the
point of retracing its steps-I marched
with it to Centreville Richardson divis-
ion and Kimballs brigade of Summers
Alexandria and this morning Sedgwick's
division, being the balance of the same
corps, is coming in from Arlington
Heights.
Altogether the position appears favora-
BILE. These two corps comprise not less
than 10000 veteran soldiers, under the
best of the Peninsula Generals. Beside
these there is Banks corps, 10000 strong,
which must be somewhere in the neighbor-
hood, for do not credit the rumor that he
is cut of, though he may have been forced
to destroy his trains. This last conjecture
is strengthened by heavy explosions hay-
ing been heard in the direction of Manas-
sas Junction last night. 1t is estimated
this morning that, at least $4,000 rnen of
those engaged Friday aad Saturday are
s till in their ranks. Add to all these bo-
dies 25,000 newly volunteered men, which
have been ordered here from Washington,
and there is a total Of over 100000 ready,
within twenty-four hours, to meet the en-
emy-that number exclusive of Banks.
The enemy engaged yesterday is said to
be concentrating here, though much of it
camped but little this side of Bull Run,
and has not yet come up. I take it there
will be no fighting to-day; the enemy will
not fight us here. But do take it that we
shall advance before three days.
A gentleman just in from Washington
reports that it is rumored there that large
rebel force is marching up the valley with
the design ofpenetrating Maryland. There
need be no fears of anything of the sort
We have their whole force in front of us
and fought Jackson, Ewell, and A. P Hill |
Friday forenoon, the same with the addi-
tion of LOngstreet, Friday afternoon, and !
all these with Lee and the entire rebel !
horde Saturday. They still need every |
man they can muster to oppose Pope, who |
is not the man to be held on the defensive |
by portion Of their army. repeat, Pope |
will resume the offensive before they have |
time for any such maneuvers.
TIE BATTLE OF SUNDAY.
The above reports the battles of Friday
and Saturday. A correspondent Of the
Philadelphia Press thus writes of Sundays |
fighting
This morning Sunday the rebels re-
newed the battle at daybreak, and it has
been raging furiously all day. An at
tempt was made to turn our right, but the |
brave Sigel with his trusty Germans, and