Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-09-18
Array Correspondence of the Charleston Courier.
The Second Battle OF Manessas.

Array Correspondence of the Charleston Courier.
The Second Battle OF Manassas.
Description of the Engagement Strategy Of Lee and
Rout of the Eneny Great Slaughter of The Federais-
Fosptih 6cenes-1he Field after the Fight Incidents
&C.
NEAR GERxAsrowN September q 1862
by last letter written the field Immediately after the
CONT o the affair." based upon lin ted personal observa
Stree h8n have gathered many interesting par
ficnars from others ard in the present communication
shall eDdeavor lay before your readers full and
nected Narrative Ct the splendid achievement
may premise b. saying that event OF the wsr has
beea decisive satisfactory in results great
battle has been speedily fought severely contested
quickly and never before has cur nnselupulous enemy
been forced SO soon 20 acknowledge his defeat
my former letters aud tslegrams have reached then
DISTINCTION ycu already know the circumstances of ad
vance hfher: the departure from Orange Court House
the movement the Rapian the steady retreat of
Federss before their stand the Rappahannock
he artillery duel at the rail BRIDGE the flank movement
the river to Waterloo and subsequently eight miles still
the= passage there the continual edging around
his rear ard the right; tha advance of Souews to
BrstoE ard Manassas the capture and destruction there
material of war including cars wagon trains and hundreds
Of prison es the Burning the railroad bridge Bull
Washngton the fsIing back OF jackson the march of
LongsFests corps deane through Thoroughfars Gap, in
6nzl the Concentration of cur entire amy beliad and
aEound the old battle ground of Manassas.
this the result Of the strategy of Gen Lee and it
needless to add thai under Jackson aud L0ngstreet the
details the grand pl carried out in respect
!
every point.
For len dl"s the troops of both Ct these tere
"a the advance constantly under fire. The for
had been engaged in no less than four serious fights
taY Ct the bareto0ed in rags provided with
OILY single baGEe protection against the heavy
ies ana cold al ncht frequently they would get
nothing from dag light 20 daylight ratcns at best consist
ed of hard bread ana Hte with rare ard economical
ermug1P Of bacon ard the whole army in What
sny other time they would have chars oterized sut
lerns condition Notwithstanding these adverse ctrcum-
msicbes Of twenty in Instance OF thirty. miles
dag have been patiently endured AMI the spirit OF the
far from being hoken elevated to degree OF en-
thnsasm which forohoded nothing hut the victory
he determination be defeated written in
cry face.
Friday JacEsons army aligned The left of the
Waenton turnpike, with his lett wing resting Bull
Run, aid hia right not far from Gravetonhe whole col
pa ale or thera2bous with the road. hen speak
Of ary lines, refer thu general disposition Of the
troopa the exact situation If bricades which,
in tie Of engagement, frequently face every
# oice. Tho division of Gen. Anderson had yet
4 end the corps LoJgs eel had not been fully placed
in position The enemy, Probably aware Of our move
mcps, selected IS 9pGortuni1y 10 make attack upon
Uiaatons and G3oacert the lans WHICH had already be-
come apparent the Federal Commanders. After heavy
caunonldug ard skirm hing which commenced eally il
the morning. the M. &C four O'Clock, p, r. moved il
lie Washington Artillery OF New Orleans and several
her baterea were planted upon high h'li that com
2anded the e1eraig" ground which the enemy
advancing and JUS trent Of this, ps chaps little
column, supported by fed batteries, and under
fell upon portion e EWes troops VII concealed
behind the enbankmeut CT rarad, but no sooner had
the enemy appeared within close range Than they received
terri ly calling fye which drove them pan stricken
trOm that portion Of the field. As they ran, artillery
opened uoon flying mass with shell an7 round shot
Every ball could be taking effect The enemy by
scores until finally the once beautiful line melted confused
II ato the woods q ore Yankee regiment it Is stated
tie attack and gradually the fight became general along
nearly the entire column of jackson The enemy mace
renel dous efforts, bit tt5 old CncwaH " wilhstot
AS the airernooo progressed however General Lee dis
cd has EF;Tn
up and h. accordingly ordered the division of Gen. Hood
belonging 70 ongstreets corps to make demonstration
fore dark aId the mGmeD they went in the difference be-
perceptibs at glance Jackson, thus strengthened
nature of The reinorcements, and diverted by onset
which GEN. elled him to change his lines proportion
ately weakened The result waa, that at dark Hoods ST.
had the Of quarters
of mile from starting point and had not been tor
The aenes of the hour might have turned the defeat into
al utter rout.
In this al r the Hampton LEGION l8h Georgia, lst, 4h
aEd 9Th Texas known Writings brigade, but
recently as Hoods participated and from every
learn thav performed their part the bloody drama hand
aonely. pa5ing the .ht the Eighteenth Georgia Fifth
Texas and the hampton Legion, encountered the Seven
tecnt@ Twentysec0nd Twenty fourth and Forty fourth
New ork regiments, who concealed from viaw by
deep ravine and before they Of it the anago
nists thin twenty steps Of each other. Our
cured the vanage Of the first fire, however, and hing
forward With yell after their valley. in q moment
upon the Yan&ee ranks. Adjuent Patton of the Eigh-
een1h Georgia made dash for the color of the Twenty
fourth New York but the bearer refusing give up
of the Georgians named Sergeant ONe hopped upon him
IN true Irish te and knocked him down with his fist. D
ring his hardo-hand conflict, Lieutenant Smith, also
the Eighteenth, attacked with bayouet, which he
cau2 HI with his left hand and win the other brought hi.
opponent to ground. Lieutenant Thomas of the Hamp
ton Legion had similar fight with the colo bearer of the
Twenty second Few York. in which he secured The flag
that regiment.
this fgh5 for tie ueuder of the Hampton Legion by
Colonel OF the 22i New York. = Surrender h-l thur
blow your blaiDa cut These az South Caroniaps
wbereupcn the prudent Yankee gave up bis
Hood being routed aud the darkness closing il
upon the troops biVouacked upon the field
During the night orders from headquarters to fail bach
to their orig inal position. which done-a distance
three tours oI mile. The cIject Of this movement wal
sprung upon tie foIow cay and is this simple retro
movement which led to tie dispatch by Genera
driven from the fed but confessiIg that the Fedora
losa was eight thousand in killed an. wounded.
IF cur own los that occai0n have Of form
Ing 81 estimate We captaEed several hundred prisoners
arms, and a humber OF f+Gs.
THE BATTLE OLE SATURDAY.
Friday night found those OF VINO were not en-
sleeping upon their All the troops of Longstreet
corps with the exception of Gen. R. H. Andersons which
only three or four miles in the rear, had taken then
places in the line OF battle every looked forward
to The events me coming day, the ancipations which
conosta 2nd depVatloIs OF their ten days tedious march
"Dawn awoke from lis starry silence
To the hum Of gathering armies"
and with tie first streak of DAYLIGHT visible th OUCH he
light mist that assembled from the woods the srrane
from their LARS and prepared for the The
pckes within four hundred yards of each other anG
between these firing commenced, and extended along
the entire line Sometimes you would hear the discharge
of single gun again would be sharp succession of re
Ports half dozen muzzes were aiming at single
object and frequently vo!ey would salute the ear AL
these hosever were but the faint pats of wind which pre-
cede the hurricane.
At early hour Lee and Longstree in the saddle
and the 'front.' Inspecting the various commands,
sutDg with aubOrdn-te eleras and making their final
position of troops.
Through the of the battle field the Warrentor
Turnpike, terminating at the Stone Bridge Bull Run
In OF the Run, and nearly parallel line is road