Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-30

The Louisiana correspondent OF the
Philadelphia Press thus describes our
generals, as they appeared waiting npOn
Pleasant Hill for the second days attack
Ofthe enemy:
The plateau had the appearance of a
parade ground on a holiday. For any
one mau To See all that was to be seen,
or to understand tue different movements
of the armed aud uniformed men before
him, would be impossible.
Regiments marching To the right, and
regiments marching to the left, batteries
beng moved and shifted, cavalry squads
muying in single file thorough tue brush,
now aud then AN aid HallOpIng madly, or
an orderly at tull speed, driving his spurs,
and holding an order or dispatch be-
tween his teeth, bugies sounding the diff
ferent cavalry calls, aud drums repeating
the orders of the captains, all passed
and re-passed, and controlled the vision,
making very much the impression that
spectator 10 the theatre receives as he
looks upon q melO-dramA.
In an enclosure near the roadside was
a small cluster Of gentleman ~ whom all
this phantasmagoTa had the meaning of
lie, and death, and power, and fame.
01lls A9uASl WIN ALS ltEut-ll00 GNGESOob
buItOned closely around his chin, was
strulling up and down, occasionally con-
Versing with q member of his staff, or
returning the salute ola passing subal-
tern. Near himRas Gen. w. b. Frank
lin-his face as rough aud rugged as
when he rode thorough the storms of this
Peninsula, the ideal of a bold, daring,
impertuFbable soldier.
There are few drawer men than Chas.
O'Malley Of MaiOre- Generals. lie had
twU horses shot under him the day before.
His face was very calm that morning, and
occasionally he pulls his Whiskers nervous
", as though he scented the battle afar
otf, and was impatient 10 be in the midst
Of tue fray. General Charles P. Stone,
the chief Of staff, a quiet, retiring man,
who is regarded, by the few that know
him as one of the finest soldiers of the
time, was sittlng on rail smoking ciga.
rettes, and apparently more Interested
in the putfs OF smoke that curled around
him than in the noise and hustle that fill
ed the air.
There was General Smith, with his
bushy, graYiSh beard, and his eager eye,
as it IVVks through sDectacles, giving
him the appearance Of a schOolmaster.
General Arnold, the chief of artillery,
with his high boots and slOuched hat
thrown over his heud, seemed the busiest
man of all. The other members of the
staff, colunels, aud majors, and captains,
competed the group: with Orderlles in
the distance, and servants Gliding or
or soothing their masters FESTIVE hor.
SEES, and the body guard disInUunted and
doing under the trees.
THE PANIC
Suddenly there was a rush, a shout,
the crashing Of trees, the breaking down
Of rails, the rush and scamper Of men,
i was as sudden as though thunderbolt
had fallen among us, and set the pines
on FIRE. What caused it, or when it COM
meuced, no one knew. turned to my
companion to inquire the reason Of this
J extraordinary proceeding, but before he
s.had the chance to reply, we found our
selves swallowed up, as it were, in a his
sing, seething, bubblinR whirlpool of agi-
tAted men.
We eShld not avoid the current; we
could not stem it, and if we hoped to live
In that mad company, we must ride with
the resebf them. Our line of battle had
givenWay. General Banks took off his
hat and implored his men to remain; his
stat officers did the same, but it is of no
avail. Then the General drew his sabre
and endeavoEed to rally his men, but
they would not listen. Behind him the
rebels were shouting and advancing.
Their musket balls filled the air with
that strange fIe-rasping sound that war
has made familiar to our fighting men.
The teams were abandoned by the drivers,
the traces cut, and the animals ridden of
by the frightened men. Bareheaded ri
ders rode with agony in their faces, and
for at least ten minutes it seemed as il
they were going to destruction together.
II was my fortune to see the frat battle
of Bull Run. and to be among those who
made that celebrated midnight retreat to-
ward Washington.
The retreat Of the Fourth Division was
as much a rOut as that Ofthe first Federal
army with the exception that fewer men
engaged. and our men fought here were
with a yalOr that was not shown on that
serious, sad, mock-heroic day in july.
We rode nearly two miles in this madcap
way, until on the edge of ravine, which
might formerly have been bayou, we
found Emory's Division drawn up in line.
Our retreating men fell beyond this line,
and Emory prepared to meet the rebels.
They came with rush, and as.the shades
of night crept over the tree.tOps, they en-.
couqtered our men. Emory fired three
rounds, and the rebels retreated.