The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-19

llitt"ta: TdcI Incoming runaway brought
a rew batch Of horrors. Terror aud uncer-
feeling Of grief Tor the slain. General con
f.ievaie ed among the abolltlonlst
citizens OF Washington. many of whom fled
tie clty Oh the first trains Hundreds OF
au'l..es spcut The night IN packing W Their
vaiuab.c>; only pau>Ing now AID then to
run uPun the house-top, listening for the
boom of R-Lc' gun, south OF the river, or
nal cattcr of Back Horse il the streets.
Such lear ani Trembling Was perhaps a
righteous rcttibution tor the Indecent eXui-
taton o. lie ,al u morning. Meantime a
d.eDe.I:n- lain lad set IN; and q more
pit!ab c Spectacle could not have been
vne,cutel than that OF the weary,
mulIy. be dragged soldiers, crowd
ing under the porches and awnings,
utterly demoIaiiZel. and careless OF their
&c eat; Il miserable mob OF all arms, unl.
tJrlus. aud natiouaiitles. representing that
inagu Gccrt array, the "Grande>t Army III
the Planet. which had marched down into
N.r-inla, Only four day. previous, Haunting
its banners ana boastIng OF It's own urreslstl-
buts.
Bat let Us return to the Conftdcrates.
Ii j. manifest they were slow to appreciate
the magnitude of their victory. So little
pursuit Was male that several batteries
which hal been abandoned on the road
side, were sent back alter and recovered by
the Federal reserve forces. Beaurcgard
state, that Stuart ) cavalry, and some OF
E,ariv's men, pursued the runaways on the
road To Sui!cy'> Ford. but became cloggei
bv the number OF prisoners they picked up.
Cash. Kershaw. Wlthers. Preston, and 9TH
erS, pursued on the Stone Bridge route, but
were soon recalled 10y rumors that the FED
eral reserves we've advancing OF the night
.,.. Va, lao f.Iiy. al this ~ mort cpllI no
a~celtained nightialI had drawn near and
he men were allowed to biyouac where they
happened to be. President Davis, who had
arrived or the field, from Richmond late III
the afternoon, rode along the lines making
short speeches of cun~gratulation, which were
loudly cheered after which the great ques-
ton OF supper came to the 'front.', many OF
the troops having had neither food nor
seen for IS hours. All were greatly ia
tigued. and worn 10y the continual excite
ment of the preceding days. So the vlctors
quietly rested upon their arms and sank IN
to siuGbers. While the vanqulshed were
! hurrying along the wretched country roads.
through darkness and ram, for thirty miles
back To Washington. Had a single regi-
meut Of cavalry pressed the pursuit through
, out the night. the capture, OF both men and
material must have been ~redoubled as it is
now known the Federal brigade ut Fairfax
aihastiiy embarked ona tram Tor ashlng-
! ton. leaving the flank OF the retreatlng hordes
omen to the dash of even u platoon OF reso
lutte troopers; not one IN ten OF the 'strag-
! aler.' having retained his weapons.
Che tdinys of the victory aroused wild
enthusiasm in the Southern capital. So
many uniavorab.e rumOrs from the battle
field had been received during the afternoon,
that the news seemed to be too good to be
true when at 10 p. ma telegram from
President Davis announced" Night has
closed Oh a hard fought battle. Our forces
have won Il glorious victory ETC., etc The
revulsion Of popular feeling was nearly as
great, though more happy, than that which
was transpiring at the same hour Ill the
Northern capital. Little sleep preval,ed
that night III either city and the venerable
Richmond Inquirer, senu-dellrious with JOY ;
burst forth in a prose re Deum, of which |
will give an extract that may be Of interest
even to day by reason of the melancholy at
ter.contrast.
j < y X X x <
have doubted if the Confed-
crates at first appreciated their victory but
that is not surprising when the clrcum-
stances and disparity of forces, are consld-
cred. The Federal muster rolls OF Satur,
dav, July Goth, showed 75,494 men "abie
f"r duty; in Virginia. If this include T..
900 under Patterson in the valley, there
would be left 50, 494 in front of Washington.
OF these about 800 were left at Fairfax,
and possibly a like number on various de
taciied Jaty leaving "a. 794 men under
arms on the morning of the battle. Miles
division, of two brigades, (say 5000 men IL
! front Of Centreville served to hold one hdy
tie Confederate army, wiz: Holmes, Ewell
ID II. Jones, Longstreet, Bonham, and hal
of Cocke's brigades.) comparatively inactive
all day, defending the fords, because there
could he no telling what moment he might
dash down upon one or other of them.
Thus one half of the Southerners were
paralyzed by 5000 Federals; while the re-
mainder, which Gen. Johnston and Beaure
gard both declare (as the army records
show to number less than $4,000 (lncludlns