Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-02-22
ASHTABULA o.. SATURDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY q. 1862.


Long the natural inquiry 4
Gen. Beauregard's bulletinf'--reverber
ated through the land victors are moi
apt TO be silent with regard to their achieve
ments, especially young soldier who has
won an unexpected. unprecedented triumph
is not; and there ware many pressing rea-
sons for an official exhibition Of the mag
nitHde rnd completeness Of the Coufeder.
ate success. Yet week succeeded week
and call after call for the rebel bulletin re-
sounded through the land, without bring.
ing Il 10 light. At length, some four
mouths aflev the battle. some fragments Of
the report appeared, preceded 10y iniima-
tions that some grave difference between
President Davis and his victorious General
1.-The former forbiddiBg, the latter urging
a vigorous offensive on the PUtomac--pre-
vented a fuller publication. FiuaIIy ID
February. ise2-more than six months
after the battle was fought the long
awaited bulletin Is permitted to see the
light Let us glance at some Of its more
remarkable characteristics;
The battle Of Bull Run sss fought on
the 2lst Of July; the report Of Gen. Beau.
regard is dated Manassas, Aug 26th"--
more thsu Eve weeks thereafter. And it's
constant reference, not only to Gen. Me.
Dowell's, but TO the reports Of several Of
our Generals subordinate to him, indicate
that il wss not till our official accounts Of
the conflict were all 10 bis possession that
the Confederate chief yentured to commit
bis version Of the combat TO paper. Can.
did readers will ask why?
1t was asserted directly after the battle
by Confederate lettes-wriiers that Presi-
dent Jef Davis arrived on the Reld 10 the
heat OF the action, assumed the command
10 chief. and that his preseucs aud the en-.
thusiasm it excited decided the fortune Of
the day. Gen. Beaurvgard-who must
have read sumo Of these stories--exlin.
guishes taem pitiIessly. He does not name
Davis as on the field at any moment; and
it is evident TINT, If be arrived at Manassas
Junction that night, II must have been after
the battle was over
Nor does General Beauregard give any
countenauce to the report that q large re-
euforcemen,---saidt to have numbered ten
thousand men--on It's way from Richmond
to take part in the battle, was brought to
a stand by the treachery Of a Unionisl en-
gineer, who cUntrived TO disable the engine
OF somehow arrest the train. BY his Ian
guage and bis silence, the General clearly
adaits that the whole available rebel fore,
within reach AS on ibe field. aud that Ih,
arrival Of the last brigade OF Johnston.
"A my Of tho Shenandoah" led by Gen
| y K Smith, aud, after e was wounded
by Col. Ezry, decided the fate of tn,
Cay.
Geu. Beauregard. without expressly say
Ing 50, labors 10 give the impression tha'
the whole Of his "Army Of the Potomac
present wa, barely % 900 men, and thai
Gen. j ohustOn's Amy of The Shenan-
dUah" that came to his assistance number.
I'd but about 1000, making hut 81 600 in
oil He then tries 10 figure up 'hr Uuiun
force engaged to $4,000. in the lace Of
Gen. McDOW ellis express statement that
II was less than 5000. That We might
aud Shuuld have had 10000 men in that
battle, is clear enough; that they we're not
there. is equally certain. Had fresh Union
brigades aud regiments coatinned TO arrive
ON the 6eld, aud to be sent TO the support
aud relief Of the weary and wasted col
ums in the froni--as was the case on the
other side-the result would have been
very different
Gen. Beauregard represents the nnm-
bers engrged on osr side as greatly supe-
rior throughout the greater portion of the
conflict, and cohfesses to very heavy losses
on The part of the Confederates. Here is
u specimen:
"IIeavy losses had been sustained on our aide
both IN numbers and 10 the personal worth Of
the slain. The Georgia regiment had suffered
heavily, being exposed, as il took and maiu-
tanned It's position 10 a Ere from the enemy,
already posted within hundred yards Of their
front and right, sheltered by fences and other
cover. IL was at this time that Lieutenant
Colonel Gardner was severely wounded. as also
several other valnable officers; the Adiutant Of
the regiment. Lieutenant Cranch, was killed,
aud The horse Of the regretted Barlow was shot
under him. The 4lh Alabama also suffered
severely from the deadly Gre of the thousands
of muskeIs WhIes they so dauntlessly frouted
under the immediate leadership of Bee himself.
Its brave Colonel. e. j. Jones, was dangerous
~ wounded. aud many gallant officers fell, slain
| or hOrs dR combat.
"Now, however, with the surging mass of
over fourteen thousand Federal infantry, press
ing on their front. and under the incessant FIRE
Of at least twenty pieces Of artillery, with the
fresh bFigades Of Sherman and Keyes approach
ing--the latter already within musket range-
our lines gave back, but under orders from
Gen. Bee.