The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-29


The soldiers letters In their home papers
at that period show how fully the idea Of
victory had taken possession Of them. Any
man would have been drummed out of
camps for admitting the bare possibility OF a
bad defeat. Gen. Beauregard himself was
so carried away with the prevailing senti-
ment that his plans were all arranged to
leave his defensive attitude, and throw him
self upon the advancing foe, though the
latter had fully three men to every one that
could have been marched over Bull Run to
attack them.
BATTLE OF BLACKBURNs FORD, JULY 18TH.
umns. commanded by Gems. Tyler Hunter,
and Miles. Gen. Mcdowell, the comman
der (Gen. Scott having wisely decided to
remain in Washington marched with the
central column under Hunter, and camped
at Fairfax Court House, on the 18th. Next
morning, Tyler's column, Of the Federal
right wing passed through Centreville, and
attempted to cross Bull Run at Black kburn's
Ford, on the turnpike. You will remember
that Longstreet's brigade lay in rear Of this
ford, with Early in position to assist him il
needed. Kemper's battery of four guns oc
cupied hill little to the right in rear of
North of the creek. These four brass dogs
of war, squatting on their trails" beheld
queer looking thing coming over the dis
tant ridges, long blue centpede, with a
thousand legs in motion and fringe of
steel bayonets sticking up from it's back,
like poraupine quilts Undulating, but
steadily onward, comes the blue Dragon"
until suddenly it begins to open out in fan
shape the fragments uniting In long line
across the road, but never pausing in it's
forward march. 1t is Tylers division COM
ing down to the ford.
But Eow Kemper's barkers give forth a
vigorous growl that roars along the Run,
and echoes over the pine clad hills saying
to the Blue Coats Thus far and no far
therr' calling to the Southern camps, near
and far,-''Arise! and take arms; for the
Philistines be upon thee
A battery trOts out upon the opposite
hill to silence Kemper, but, after receiving
dose of only six solid shot, scampers away
in disgust. Gen. Tyler decides to force a
passage at Blackburn ford with infantry.
-Four thousand selected troo IS dash down
the slope. Lo' gstreet's twelve hundred
rise up to meet them, and when the smoke
of the contest rolls away, the strangers have
likewise rolled out Of view. Not all Of them,
however ? for here and there blue-clad OBJ
ject lies motionless upon the brown sward,
and crouching in gulleys and fence corners
are scores of wounded men, grOaning and
writhing in pain.
More cannonading: the "Washington ar
tillery," Of New Orleans, now taking posi-
ton. More Bluecoats massing on the hill
side. Another rush. followed by pro-
longed crash of musketry; and after twenty
minutes the Second Lesson ends like the
First.
Tyler, all ambitious Yankee, chagrint d at
the repulse by SO small force, makes
third effort later in the day, and receives his
Third Lesson In experience of Southern
steadiness. 1t is experience dearly bought
for SO men are left upon the field and by
usual per centage the wounded must have
exceeded double that number. Longstreet's
the First and 18th Virginia Regiments, and
the 7th Louisiana. The losses, however,
we're but trifing compared with the moral
effect on the two armies; depressing the
Federals; enthusing the Confederates.
Tyler is condemned by Northern historians
| for making the attack when In reality he
should have been blamed for not pushing IL
| more vigorously.
BUCKLING FOR THE FRAY.
Friday and Saturday were without Incl
| dent, except the closing up OF the ranks on
both sides. The Federals concentrated
along the ridges in front of Centreville, COW
ering the whole face of the e r,h' with
| men, tents, horses, wagons, artillery, ambu-
lances, as if the 'Locusts of Egypt, clad in
| blue and armed with bayonets had settled
| upon the lonesome plains OF Fairfax. The
! Southerners, too, were in motion. The
three days delay, resulting from the fight on
the 1T I, permitted military concentration,
surpassed only once during The war, viz {:
! when Jackson joined Lee at Richmond,