Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-20

July to leave Washington at the head of
$4,000 troops for the capture OF Rich
mond. The Contederates, numbering
10000, stood their ground twenty es lies
| of, spread out over an extent OF eight
miles along the banks of Bull Run, avery
narrow, Doggy little stream, running
from the Blue Ridge Mountains into the
Potomac River; and never was there d
better, prettier plain for free fight be-
tween two encountering hosts. The tim
Der aud underground covering portions Of
4 the locality were not equal obstacles in
4 the way of handling troops as were sub
sequently met in many battles. At that
time the roads, fields, fences and vegeta-
/ ton presented to the view an aspect of
/ innocence and comfort destined speedily
to be obliterated for weary years in that
| peculiarly trampled corner of Virginia;
while the blue chain of mountains in that
| distance formed beautiful background,
| which was even still more striking after
the roar of big and small guns had fairly
opened. A wretched turnpike road led
from Alexandria through Fairfax Court
house. Centerville, Warrenton, &C., on
to Richmond, Manassas being left a little
aside after the passage of Bull Bun The
battlefield along the stream was about
six miles equi-distant from Centerville
and Manassas junction. General Nc
Dowell's army arrived at Fairfax early
on the morning of the 17th, and as its
glistening bayonets and white-covered
wagons hove in extending and meander-
ing line the brigade Of Confederates sta
toned at Fairfax became suddenly i'm
pressed with the seriousness of things
and hastily aware they were wanted
elsewhere, viz: about ten miles away at
Bull Run
They were not to fight but to retreat,
and this they proceeded to do with alac-
rity, many of them expecting on the
march to be banged into by the pursuers
Orders had been given that they were to
move expeditlously in dignifed silence
to the spot they were booked to fight,
and during the night no pipes were to
be lit or loud talking allowed, for fear of
spies that might be lurking in the forest
growths lining the road. The march of
this exposed detachment was safely made
will out the exchange of a shot; but few
hours after they landed on the safe side
of Bull Run the head of General Mellow
ell's column debouched on the hill a
mile and a half opposite their position at
Mitchell's Ford, when in a twinkIing a
battery of twenty Founders opened a
searching fire ON their position. The
| Confede1ates reserved their masked bat
teries yet awhile; hence in front of the
heavy guns battery OF light artillery
was pushed out on the open declivity md
l. lu tha Of ri oH Cod
crates, Wien these, too, in their turn ad
vanced a battery across the Run into the
opening and compelled withdrawal.
This was the first little fire of cannonade,
the first shot heard eagerly watched al
| most in breathless awe on both sides) that
Iprecluded the diminishing latter on the
| same day (the 18th) at fBlackburns Ford,
| where General Tyler ,vainly reconnoitered
| to find a suitable passage of the stream.
4 Upon finding the Confederates too strong
/ On this end, General Mcdowell decided
| toslook around q few, days before again
1 moving. The effect Of this check on
| their advance was rather astonishing to
the Federal size, while inspiriting to the
Confederate; ct any rate, all were now
seriously convinced that the pinch had
finally come, and that grand trial of
strength was imminent; 1t was now that
the best generalshlp on either. side was
mot Only in order, sbur'insurgent demand
and how stood the heads of thetwo OPP
pesing forcess
General Mcdowell der-estimated at
several points during the Gay the strength
of thetforces Immediately opposed to his
subordinates, and this through his mex
perience Of war, thus failingat capital mo-
ments OF the conflict to oppose the fitting
tactics. He certainly showed himself
brave aad obstinate, and reviewed his
lines for attack in the most creditable
manner, but always too late to withstand
the concentrated onsets of his opponents,
who were from the start first class marks
men, and had been hunting and shoot
ing all their lives. His early advantages
in actually forcing the leftsfank of che
Confeaerates, under General Evans, was
due only 10 surprising it, and to the
splendid fighting of the Regular regi-
| ments, whose men were moved down in
serried ranks, face to face to the foe, and,
affording as they lay staining example
to their comrades of the art of not run
ming away tofght another day. On the
Confederate side, generalship was latent,
but on the spur Of the momentxery lit
tle of it was displayed, as both the pluck
and pluck of the Southern shooters won
for them. Generals Johnston and Beau
regard were in command frstschief;
the second, subordinate. The only ex-
hibition approaching generalship was the
recall of Johnston with 5000 men from
Winchester in the Valley of Virginia to
Bull Run on the Goth in time to take part
In che fight of the 21st-but this was
really the forced result of mere common
sense, however much of it may have been,
as it was, the chief factor in the fight as
Beauregard alone would have lost ii,
possessing neither the capacity or NUM-
bers to win.
Prier to the s1st he had besought
Johnston to adopt to very risky offensive
movements, but they were declined at
sight. On the morning of the 21st his
plan Of offensive operations against
McDowells right at Centerville, although
sanctioned by Johnston and on the point
OF execution, was extremely hazardous,
and it was, perhaps fortunately for his
side, estopped BY the Federal precipta-