The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-20

tsLyha puo SsEW VfIeauS fic2yn r,
NE y OaIsa March I, 1876. Dear sfr.s
avail myself OF the arst oDpottnne 'm6men
70 answer your letter OF the 1Tsh iultima, nj
curing OF me, ss 10, command at The fine
wing the pursuit OF the Fedefals immed la,aI,
i after their rout at the battle of Mauasssa
4 july u, 1851, was suddenly checked and tb;
4 Confederate troops recsIlsd toward Maj
! !nassas. zs37,.,aa5Q 4 So =. .. -.
| wlll first state that though with Genera ,,r
the command during the battle. at its close
after / had ordered ali the troops on the
field in pursuit. l. went personally TO tbe
Lewis House and relinquished that command
70 him. l then started at a gallop to take
lmmediate charge of the pursuit on the Cen.
Irevilie turnpike, but was n soon over
taken by courier from Manassas,
with a, f.,note IS addressed 10 me by
| Colonel T. G.. Rhett,fsof General John.
ston's staff, who had been left there In, the
morning to forward that Generals troops as
they might arrive2by raif from Winchester.
Colonel Rhett thereby Informed ,me that q
strong body Of Federal troops, had crossed
the Bull run at Union Mills ford, on orr
right, and was advancing on Manassas our
deL0seEsuppliess W hich bad been necessarily
left very weakly guarded IL hurried back to
the Lewis, House tofeompunieate: this Inn.
portant dispatch to General Johnston, and
both of US beiieying the Information. to be
authentic,'I undertook to repair to the
threatened quarter with a EwelFs and
Holiness brigades, at-thats moment near the
Lewis House, w here they had, Just arrived
too lateJ to take part IN sthe action..@ With
these troops engaged to ATTACK the enemy
vigorously before be could efiscta lodgment
on our side or Bnl!run;t but asked to be re-.
inforced asi soon as practicable by such
troops as might: be spared from the Centre.
| vile pursuit. :Co.g4 . aM't % :fGs"1o9.s>'
Having 7reachedthe near vicinity of Union
| Mills ford without meeting any enemy, I
ascertained, to my surprise, that the reported
hostile passage; was 8 fslse alarm growing
out Of some movements of our own troops
"a part Of General. D. r. Jones's' brigade),
who bad been thrown. across the run in the
morning, bpursuantto my offensiyeplan Of
operations for the day, aud upon their re.
turn now to The south bank or the run were
mistaken,, through their similarity of uni
form, for the Federals. returned to In
tercept the march OF the two brigades who
were following me towards Union Mills, and
as it was quite dark when i met them, and
they were greatly jaded by their long march
and countermarch during that hot July day,
directed them to halt and biFouac where
they were. Hearing that President Davis
and General johnson bad goneto MANASSAS,
I returned, and found them between half.
past and 10 o'clock at my headquarters. I'D
This will explain to you why the partial
| .eretrograde movement to which you refer
was made, and why no sustained, vigorous
pursuit Of McDoWelRs army was made that
evening. i'm -------- -. : =
i. Any pursuit. Of the Federals next day to-.
wards their, rallyng- point at and around
Long Bridge, over the Potomac, could have
led to no possible military advantage, pro-
tected as that position was by system Of
ield-works.r No movement upon Washing.
ton by that route conld hsYe been possible;
for even il there had been no such works,
The bridge--a mile to length-was' com
manded by Federal ships OF war, and few
pieces Of artillery Or the destruetien5of q
small part Of the bridge could have made its
passage impracticable.H !. e'.tal@ -
T Our only proper operation was to pass the
Potomac above, into Maryland, at or about
Ed wards's ferry, and cmIrch upon the rear o.
Washington. With the hope OF undertaking.
such movement had caused reeonnois-
sance oftthe country and shore (south Of the
Potomac) 10 that, quarter TO be made in the
month Of June, but the necessary transporta-
tion, even for the ammunition eFsentiaHto such
a movement, had not been provided for my
forces, notwithstanding my application for 1t
during more than a month beforehand, nor
was there twenty-four hours food at Manas-
cas- for the troops brought together for that
battle. o.. ..,...,' -. q. L. BEAURB6ARD.
Hon. John C. Ferriss, Nashville, Tenn. ~