Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-07-06
Battlefield or Bull Run-Inter-
~ cSllng account.

Commercial, who recently visited the
famous battlefield of Dull Run, has
this account of IL;
| spent the latter half Of the day,
and q part of tho following one, in
/ rambling over the battlefield so
memorable in tho years of tho war,
First, visited tho scene of the
grand attack of tho rebel position
by tho well known flank movement
planned and executed on the morn
ing OF July, 1861. The Second Di-
vision, under Col, Hunter was first
thrown across Bull Run, by Sudlcy's
Ford, and then marched two miles
farther south before encountering
tho enemy. | shall never forget the
stern, quiet determined look OF
General (then ColoneD Sherman,
who commanded brigade that,
was to follow Hunter, rs he rode
across tho turnpike leading to Stone
Bridge, at the head Of his troops, in
the hot stiffness Of that Sunday
morning, From our post of obser.
vation on the bluff overhanging Bull
Run, we could plainly see the pro-
gress Of the whole battle, and, when
Hunters first success had raised
tho spirits of his men and the rebel
line was forced back over milo,
and cheer after cheer went up from
the Union lines, and tho victory
was regarded as certain. Tho tide
of battle up to three o'clock P. NJ.
was all against the rebols; then
came Johnston's reinforcementsjust
as Beauregard was praying, sob
for tourregimontsl !" and McDowell's 8
army found unexpected and stub
born resistance in front. Our men
had been marching and fighting
nearly twelve hours, scorched by
the merciless sun on that hottest of
July days, painting through clouds
of dust, and the advance portion,
constituting two-thirds of our army,
were severely thinned by losses in
killed. and wounded. The fresh
troops of the rebels turned the scale.
Mcdowell saw that all was lost, and
he saw that his raw regiments of
three months men could not be de-
pended on, exhausted as they were,
to do moro than effect q safe retreat.
Slowly, at first, sullenly, they drew
back across Bull Run, followed by
the exulting shouts Of Kirby Smiths
men, who formed part of Johnston's
reinforccmonts. Soon tho whole
army strcamed confusedly over the
Warrenton pike, and on to Center.
vile, with a motley asscmblage of
Congressman, civilians and teamsters
blocking tho road, and handful of
United States Regulars, under Gen
eral Sykes, guarding the rear. No
pursuit of any consequence was
made, though a fcw she'll and single
charge ofthc "Black Horse Cavalry"
under Stuart though quickly re-
pulsed, threw the advanced line of
retreat into that disgraceful panic
which lasted to the very verge of
the Potomac. The victorious rebel
general reported to Richmond that
"the apparent frmnees of tho Uni
ted States troops at Centcrvillo
checked his pursuit." !" Men who
were there knew botter; but what
not SO well known was that the
Southern army were nearly as bad
ly demoralized as their adversaries.
They had lost, by their own report,
1897 men in killed and wounded
over ten per cent Of tho number
actually engaged, while the Union
loss including prisoners, was be-
tween 5000 and 1000. When that
news arrived the conviction came
home to every Northern heart that
a long and bloody war, and no
ninety day holiday marches was be-
fore us. Tho defeat of Bull Run
was Just crushing enough to show
clearly the hollowness of nero en-
thusiasm, and the stern necessity of
discipline; and q though it virtual.
ly ended the campaingn of1S6l, and
no blow was struck by the army of
the Potomac for a year, it was worth
all it cost to the nation. .a; is,t
AS / was standing at the foot of
the hill on whichtthe Henry house
once stood-a high reach of rolling
land, where the hottest contest of
the day was fought-a solitary
horseman came riding by from the
lower fords of Bull Run. He drew
rein as he approached, and with q
courteous salute he asked if i came
to see the battlefield. Asserting L
enquired whether the second battle
of Bull Run had not been, in part
fought on this very ground. He
turned in the saddle and pointed to
another ridge within q quarter of a
mile, where, said be jackson got
Pope between two fires, enilading
his columns in the shape ofa v, and,
moved them down as thick as grass
hoppers. i was in'both battles" he
Said "Iln q Confederate of cours.-
Ny name is Mosby (proneunced
Moseby." "Are you Col, John Mos
by p / inquired "That's my name
he replied. / told him | found a
good many of his men around, and
heassented with evident satisfaction.
He was q private in both battles--in
the second one attached to Stuar is
cavalry-and his development into
the dashing and formidable guer-
rilia captain came at a later day
In person, Mesby is a tall, wiry,
active man of thirty five, with a
clear, good humored eye, and an
off-hand readiness ofspeech. He is
now a practicing lawyer in War
renton the county seat of Fauquier.
He had been to Balls Ford, he said,
4 to cross Bull Run, but the stream
was too high. He had tried all the
fords below Stone Bridge, except
Blackburn's, With the same result.
TThere Is now not a solitary bridge
Of any kind over Bull Run, as they