Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-04-01
THE FIRST BULL RUN.

Under date of New Orleans, March
7, 1876, Gen. Beauregard writes the
following letter stating why the Union
troops were not followed up by the
Confederates, after the first battle at
Bull Run. He writes to Hon. John Z.
Ferriss, of Nashville, Tennessee as fol-
lows -
avail myself of the first opportune
moment to answer your letter Of the
18th ult., euquiring of me, as in COM
mand at the time, why che pursuit of
the Federals Immediately after their
rout, at the battle of Manassas, July 81,
1861, was suddenly checked and the
Confederate troops recalled toward Ma
nassas. I will first state that, though
with General Joseph E. Johntsons con
sent | exercised the command during
the battle, at its close, after | had or
dered all the troops on the field in pur-
suit, Invent personally to the Lewis
House aud relinquished that command
to him. / then started at gallop TO
take immediate charge CT the pursuit on
the Centreville turnpike, but was soon
overtaken by a courier from Manassas
with note addressed to me by Colonel
T. G. Rhett of General JohDston's staff,
who had been left there in the morning
TO forward that Generals troops as they
might arrive by rail from Winchester.
Colonel Rhett thereby informed me that
a strong body Of Federal troops had
crossed the Bull Run at Union Mills
Ford, on our right, and was advancing
on Manassas, our depot Of supplies,
which had been necessarily lett very
weakly guarded. l hurried back to the
Lewis House 10 communicate this i'm
portaut dispatch to General Johnston,
and both OF us believing the information
to be authentic, undertook TO repair
to the threatened quarters with Ewers
aud Holmes brigades, at that moment
near the Lewis House, where they had
Just arrived, too late to take part in the
action. With these troops / engaged
to attack the enemy vigorously before
he could effect lodgment on our side
of the Bull Run, but asked to be rein
forced as soon as practicable by such
troops as might be spared from the Cen
treville pursuit.
Having reached the near vicinity OF
Union Mills Ford without meeting any
enemy, I ascertained 10 my surprise
that the reported hostile passage was q
false alarm growing out Of some move
ments of cur own troops "a part Of Gen.
ID. K. Jones brigade,) who had been
thrown across the run in the morning,
pursuant to nv offensive plan of opera
tons for the day, and upon their return
now to the south bank of the run were
mistaken, through their similarity of
uniform, for the Tederals. returned
to intercept the march of the two bri-
gades who were following me toward
Union Mills, and as it was quite dark
when met them, and they were great
ly jaded by their long march and coun-
termarch during that hot July day, /
directed them to halt and bivouzc where
they were. Hearing that President
Davis and Gen. Johnston had gone to
Manassas, / returned and found them,
between $50 and 10 o'clock, at my
headquarters.
This viii explain to You why the par
tial 'retrograde movement to which
you refer was made, and why no sus-
tanned vigorous pursuit of McDowell's
army was made that evening. Any
pursuit of the Federals next day, toward
their rallying-point at and around the
Long Bridge over the Potomac, could
have led to no possible military adyan-
tage, protected as that position was by
a system of field-works No movement
upou Washington By that route could
have been possible, for even il thsre
had been no such works, the bridss-s