New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-27
TIMELY RECOLLECIIONS.
BULL UN-M'DowELL-THE PASIC-BUIL RUN
RUSSELL
Col Don Piatt, in recent letter of war

BULL RUN-M'DowELL-THE PANIC BULL RUN
RUSSELL.
Col Don Piatt, in a recent letter of war
"reminiscences in The Cincinnati Commercial says:
Irwin Mcdowell who planned this little campaign and
fought the battle that ended it, was, In NV humble
opinion next to Gen. Geo. H. Thomas the most capable
first discover, and suffer from, the fatal defects
Of our military system. He thought out his cam
reality, an army of 10000 men. And il by an
army we mean mass OF men drilled aud disciplined
that one mind can move and control it, one compact
effective body-he had army whatever He had a
mob Of that number, without much drill and no dsci-
had CONSTITUENCY not soldiers and themselves ignorant
were driven Wild by men who were not subordnatcs.
enough but lacked the thorough drill and sense Of disc
pine pun that mean war We had been, for years, making
stead OF putting them promptly to their uses elevated
them to Brgader and Major Generals leaving tho real
WORK OF making an army 10 men elected have said
and totally ignorant of their duties.
Gen Mcdowell and the socalled historians complain TO
this day that the plan OF this battle was rendered
by the delay mat occurred in getting Gen Tylers division
upon the road at the time ordered Could he have been
purpose on That OCCASION he wOHd understand the utter
hopelessness OF the task imposed upon u.s. The men we
while Others laughed or cursed in their
o es,5 N The response to the hurried, ANXIOUS
courage in our men, but this counts for nothing without
.ne iolg painful process that we teach only to officers
suPPosnk VIII come TO the men, like Dogberrys read
ing and writing by nature This was the lesson sought
" Ne laugn Us by the war; but We fail TO learn Were
same helpless condition. while CONTEMPLATE in mbe-
che adIatoh our so-caed great captains and listen to
senseiess thh about our proves "A military mower
slood upon the emnence the sunny hour OF yester-
uay anu round myself lost In at the work
really uld accomplish. Our brave men marched and
charged ana nred in very Wild confused way; but
they fought and why they should ii the
N1her Ana here must enter my protest 10 a world
Vide SANDER heaped upon Men talk OF the panic at
Bun Run VINO gather their information from FRESHMEN
anu correspondents who did not witness the fight when
our men el back before the reinforcements OF the
Confederate johnson there OF course great con
fusion, ana SO long a. they under fire SUI
Tered the usual Generalization. But this lasted only
some ten or neen minutes When the army reerossed
Bun Kun II was mob something more disorderey than
When We went INTO the hight but possessed on no panic
whatevef was sent into the ROAD by Gen TYLER with
sther oicers oreredfo try and Fforn the Insae yet
armed, but sTging Oh in disorder found them beyond
control but laughing singing aud talking in very
n way while hundreds stopped to gather black
berries then thick and ripe upon the ground
HE panic referred TO- and implicitly believed in
happened, am told, In this way. About O'clock per
maps hter, company OF Confederate calvary called
ny stelously the Black Horse dashed orally In ON the
Warfent0n pike far in the OF 1.-THE battefeld This
seaa was crowded with ARMY wagons, hacks containing