Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03
General Sherman's First Smell of
GunpoWder.

GEN. SHERMAN first smeiled gunpow-
der in an actual battle at Blackburn's
Ford, July 81, 1851, during the battle of
Bull Run. In his recently published
Memoirs he gives his report of the affair.
and comments as follows:
This report, which had not read prob
ably since its date till now, recalls to
me wildly the whole scene of the affair
at Blackburn's Ford, when for the first
time in my life l saw cannon balls strike
men and crash through the trees and
saplings above and around US, and real
lied the always sickening confusion as
one approaches fight from the rear;
then the night-march from Centerville,
on the Warrenton road, standing for
hours wondering what was meant; the
deployment along the edge of the field
that sloped down to Bull Run, and wait
ing for Hunters approach on the other
side from the direction OF Sudley Springs,
away Oft to our right; the terrible scare
of poor negro who was caught be-
tween our lines; the crossing of Bull
Run, and the fear lest we should be fired
on by our.own men; the killing of Lieut.
Col. Haggerty, which occurred In plain
sight; and the first scenes of field
strewed with dead men and horses. Yet,
at that period Of the battle, we were the
victors and felt jubilant. At that mo-
ment, also, my brigade passed Hunters
Il h,,+
of us, and we followed its lead along the
road toward Manassas Junction, cross
ing & small stream and ascending long
hill at the summit of which the battle
was going on. Here my regiments came
into action well, but successfully, and
were driven back, each in its turn. For
two hours we continued to dash at the
woods on left front, which were full of
rebels; but l was convinced their or
ganIzation was broken and that they had
simply halted there and taken advantage
of these woods as a cover, to reach which
we had to pass over the Intervening fields
about the Henry House, which were
clear, open, and gave them q decided ad-
vantage. After had put in each of my
regiments, and had them driven back to
the cover of the road, I had no idea that
we were beaten, but reformed the regi-
ments in line in their proper order, and
only wanted little rest, when [ found
that my brigade was almost alone, ex-
cept Sykes regulars, who had formed
square against cavalry and were com
ing back. [ then realized that the
whole army was gin retreat" and
that my own men were individually
making back for the stone bridge.
Corcoran and I formed the brigade into
an irregular square, but it fell to pieces;
and, along with crowd, disorganized,
but not much scared, the brigade got
back to Centerville to our fOrmercamDs.
COrcoran was captured and held pris-
oner for some time, but I got safe to Cen
terville. | saw Gen. Mcdowell in Cen
terville, and understood that several of
his divisions had not been engaged at all;
that he would reorganize them at Center
vile and there await the enemy. | got
my four regiments in parallel lines in a
field-the same in which we had camped
before the battle-and had lain down to
sleep under tree, when l heard some
one asking for me. | called out where /
was, when Gen. Tyler in person gave me
orders to march back to our camps at
Fort Corcoran. aroused my aides, gave
them orders to call up the sleeping men,
have each regiment to leave the field by
a.. i
by which we had come. It was near
midnight and the road was full of troops,
wagons and batteries. We tried to keep
our regiments separate, but all became
inextricably mixed. Toward morning
we reached Vienna, where l slept some
hours, and the next day, about noon we
reached Fort COrcOran.
o