Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-16
lfhe Bull Run SkedaddIe.
The IudicrOus Side OF the FIRST
Great Battle Of the war.

after the lapse of twenty years-Just
listen The day was fearfully hot,
such days always are, and by II or
o'clock, July l2, 1861, the men were
pretty well warmed up for the work
before them. We were in Shermans
brigade, he was afterward heard from
by way of Atlantic and other points
further south aud of course we were
also in the fight. There are thousands
living to-day who were in that hght
and yet never saw Bull Run Stranger
We we're in the fight but don't pro-
pose to draw a picture of the combat;
such battles can't well be described,
especially when they happen to wind
no with q breakdown followed by an
"every man for himself and the devil
take the hindmOst" kind of a dance,
the first step of which is easier than
all the rest put together. Certain
details, however, can be put on pa
per afterward. Here are few. I'm
til well along in the forenoon every
thing consplred to favor the Union
arns-that is, in the main. Some
valuable officers had fallen and quite
n number of men, but the rebels had
at some points been driven back, at
Others met with repulse after repulse
as they attempted to advance. There
was hard fighting and stubborn re-
sistance on both sides until
GREAT CESAR, WHAT A RUSH!
A little squad of Rebel horsemen--
the famous Black Horse Cavalry
some thirty less than a hundred
charged down, and report says were
mostly killed or wounded. Nobody
appeared anxious to ascertain which
casualty had befallen them. No one
thought of stopping to investigate
or even enquire into the matter.
Everybody took to the bushes; ev-
erybody yelled: "rhe Black Horse
cavalry are coming" at least every
body tried to yell that or something
else, and everybody began to survey
a route to Washington that would
take them to the National Capital in
half the distance. We entered upon
the arduous undertaking at about
shutdown, and struck into the pine
and cedar underbrush like a locomo-
tive jumping the track into n brian
patch. Oh, but we made things fly
and that horrid Black Horse close
behind
We hadn't gone far when we got
the sideache-and such an ache W.
seemed all sides, and felt like taking
rest. Dropping down in a seclu
ded spot, we had just succeeded il
smosthing the last wrinkles out o
one side and getting the cramps on
of one leg when the id contounde'
cavalry came ripping and tearing
through the bushes.
Oh, LORD !
Up we sprang and away we sped
making more noise than ten regi
ments of hOrsemen, and-how W
perspired. The fellows who had go
the start of us, and had been dom
little business in the resting lin
themselves, heard us coming.
They thought we were the Blac
Horse Cavalry, and the manner i
which they blazed a pathway throug
the timber, leaving shreds and patch
es of clothing c'inging to bush an
twig, was caution. Half doze
times, just as we felt like dom
something else than run, that infer
nal cavalry came swOoping dow
through the darkness and the den'
underground of scrubby timber, an
half a dozen times we were forced
flee that the government might NJ
lose our valuable services. 1t WI
perfectly awful. On one occasion Oh
of the hideous monsters came so ne;
that he spoke-called us by nam
"What the h-ll does all this mean
he inquired. 'Damfino," we answe
ed. and fastened Oh without stOl
ping to think that there were thou
ands of friends following on benin
nj, between us and the enemy.
You see the woods couldn't hold
all at once. Well, before gre
il