The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-10-31

reOelS y "d0ng d. ~. 10 SOUR apple
treee!" &c. In the South: "Bring us q
lock of old Abe's hair!" ''Come home
soon with some Yankee scalpsl'' s..
Impatience over inactivity became intense
every where, and soon the cry of ION
to Richmond" was rung out over all the
land from Washington. Nobody looked
forward to anything save an a 1using
military promenade, barrirg few WISE
acres, who have sinced confessed to the
corn, yet every body happened to have
entered upon lcLg lane, whose only
turning was years afterward found at
Appomattox Courthouse.
In satisfaction of the popular demand
for a decisive scrimmage. General Scott.
against his own better judgment and
Mexican experience, gave General Nc
Dowell peremptory orders on the 10th of
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 4 lies
of, spread out over an extent of eight
miles along the banks Of Bull Run, very
narrow, buggy little stream, running
from the Blue Ridge Mountains into the
Potomac River: and never was there a
better. prettier plain for a free fight be-
tween two encountering hosts. The tim
Der aud underground covering portions
the locality were no. equal obstacles in
the way of handling troops as were sub
sequently met in many battles. At that
time the roads, fields, fenct and vegeta-
ton presented to the view an aspect OF
innocence and comfor. 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 little
aslde after the passage of Bull Bun. The
battlefield along the stream was about
six miles equi-distant from Centerville
and Manassas Junction. General Nc
Dowel's army arrived at Fairfax early
on the morning of the 18th, and as its
glistening bayonets and white-covered
wagons hove in extending and meander-
ing line the brigade of Contederates 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 expeditiously in dignified 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 tire 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
ellis column ebosouched ON the hill a
mile and half opposite their position a
Mitchell's Ford, when in twinkling q
battery of twenty Founders opeLed a
searching fire ON their position. The
Contedelates reserved their masked bat
teries yet awhile; hence in front of tn.
heavy guns a battery OF light artillery
Was pushed out on the open declivity md
rapidly got the exact range of the Confed-
crates, WI en- these, too, in their turn ad
vanced battery across the Run into the
opening ana compelled a withdrawal.
This was the first little fire of cannonade.
the first shot heard eagerly watched al
most in breathless awe on both sides) that
precluded the skirmishing latter on the
same day (the 1Sth) at Blackburns Ford,
where General Tyler vainlv reconnoitered
TO find q suitable passage Of ths stream.
Upon finding the Confed-rates too strong
on this end, General Mcdowell decided
to look around few days before again
moving. The effect of this check on
their advance was rather astonishing to
the Federal side, while inspiriting to the
Confederate; at any rate, all were now
seriously convinced that the pinch had
finally come, aud that grand trial Of
strength was imminent; 1t was now that
the best generalsh,p on either side was
not only in order, but in urgent demand l.;
and how stood the heads of the two op-
posing forest
General Mcdowell under-estimated at
several points during the day the strength
of the forces Immediately opposed to his
subordinates. and this through his mex
perience of war. thus failing at capital mo-
ments of the conflict to oppose the fitting
tactics. He certainly showed himself
brave and obstinate, and reviewed his
lines for attack in the most creditable
manner, but always too late to withstand
the concentrated oosets 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 left flank of the
Confederates, under General Evans, was
due only to surprising it, and to the
splendid fighting of the Regular regi-
menss, whose men were moved down In
serried ranks, face to face to the foe, and.
affording As they lay shining example
to their comrades Of tn art Of not run
ming away to fight another day. On the
Confederate side, generalship was latent.
but on the spur of the moment very lit
tie of it was displayed, Is both the pluck
and pluck of the Southern shooters won
for them. Generals Johnston and Beau
regard were in command-t"e first chef;
the second. subordinate. The only ex-
hibition approaching gsneralship was the
recall Of Johnston with 5000 men rom
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