The National tribune., 1882-09-16
A FAMOUS FLIGHT.
How the First News Of Bull Run WGs Brousl
TO Washington.


Run appeared in the Pittsburgh Dispatch
recently. The historian is Kennedy Mar
SHALL of Butler, Pa, prominent lawyer,
and brother to Thomas Marshall, who some
| weeks ago declined a nomination on Camerons
State ticket. Mr.. Marshall, at the date of the
battle, was member of the Pennsylvania
Legislature, and, with hundreds Of persons,
had followed the army to see the rebels crushed
by Mcdowell. Mr.. Marshall was accompanied
by Henry ]. Raymond, editor of the New York
Times and DR.. Russell, the famous war CORES
pondent of the London Times.
Raymond, Russell and l." began Mr.. Mar
shall, "were seated on the roadside, taking
| lunch, at three o'clock in the afternoon. While
we were talking together we heard locomotives
whistling over on the Manassas Railroad. The
| trains stopped in q cut, out of sight. Pretty
soon out marched q lot of soldiers in gray, with
@ stand of brigade colors, and came at double
quick across the field. 1t was Kirby Smith
with the last installment of Johnson's army
from Winchester, which had eluded Patterson.
The panic which had seized our troops when
these fresh fighters hurled themselves at the
Union lines, already tottering with exhaustion,
was wilder than anything in military history
since three Austrian soldiers coming out Of the
woods to surrender after the battle of Solferin0,
put the whole French army to rout for a time.
Regiments that had stood up to their work
| bravely since nine o'clock in the morning,
melted away in q few minutes at the sight of
| the gray charging columns. There was no
| knowing what force was behind Smith, and
Hunters men did not wait to see. They took
the road to Centreville, pell-mell, every man
| for himself The infantry charged their own
batteries, cut the horses loose, jumped on their
backs, and went to the rear on a gallOp. Rus
sell disappeared on the tide at the top of his
speed Raymond drifted away from me, and
l did not let many pass me in the race myself.
ItWas the further the faster" and, after cover
ing what seemed to me about five miles, l
dropped exhausted beside the road to rest
| "By y-and-by Raymond came along He had
found his barouche and he took me in. We
whirled along in the crush of ambulances,
artillery horses, privates, officers, and camp
followers on foot ladies and politicians in car
riages, and 200 or 800 steers, all making the
best of their way to Washington. drove of
cattle had been driven out behind the army
to be slaughtered after the battle. They were
| stampeded with the rest and added to the con-
! fusion.
81 got over the Long Bridge at Washington
at nine o'clock, just as the countersign was
| being given out for the night. ! rode up
to Wizards Hotel, through streets crowded
! with people, wild with excitement over the
favorable dispatches that had come in from the
front. The brass bands were out in force, and
somebody was making rousing On to Rich
mond' speech from the balcony of the hotel.
| walked into the office, under the sound of his
| inspiring words, knowing how soon those
| cheers would be hushed to whispers Of alright.
Chadwick was keeping the hotel then, and as
pushed up to the desk he stared at me, bare
headed and streaming with dirt and sweat as
= | was and, finally recognizing me, asked me
3 where had been, and what was the matter.
. "'I come from the front. Mcdowell is licked
/ out of his boots, and the wreck of our army is
not far behind
Chadwick dived back into his private office
with scared face, and in a few minutes came
back and took me in with him.
"Tkere sat Gen. Mansfield, who wa in COM
mand Of the troops around Washington, with
q bottle of champagne before him.
"'Mr. Chadwick informs me, sir, that you
report our army retreating. Are you mill
tary man, sir2
"'No, SIR
Then, how do you know, sir, that they
were not merely making a change of front or
executing some other military man@uvre, sir?'
"'Well, General replied as calmly as l
| could, while the gray-haired old martinez eyed
me sternly, i saw whole regiments throw
down their guns and take TO the woods. l saw
| artillerymen cut their horses loose from the
guns and cassons and gallOp away. l saw Off
| GERS, men, Congressman, and Texas steers run
ming neck and neck down the road toward
| Washington, and steers were the only things
that had their tails up. 1t may have been
change of front, as you say, but
"' don't believe single word of it, broke
| in the General, who had listened to me with
evident impatience.
Good evening" 1 replied, and walked out
of the door. The crowd had got the news by
this time from Chadwick, and | was almost
pulled to pieces. Somebody noticed that [ was
wearing a gray suit, and shouted: He's a
rebel There were several suggestions that I
be lynched for attempting to stimulate q rising
of the rebel element in the city. Gen. Mans
field hurried Off to the War Department, and
pretty soon sergeant and squad of soldiers
came for me and took me to the Department.
President Lincoln and his entire Cabinet were
there, with old Gen. Scott, anXiously waiting
for news from the front. Simon Cameron had
known me as member of the Legislature and
vouched for my loyalty. There was very little
said while told my story briefly.
"The President sat with his head bent down
upon his hand, and was evidently very much
depressed. Simon Cameron, then Secretary of
War, was the coolest head in the Cabinet He
Immediately consulted with Scott as to hurry
ing re-enforcements across the Potomac and
orders were issued to stop all fugitivcs at Long
Bridge. They asked me very few questions,
but after had told my story and was dismissed
the newspaper correspondents nearly dcvoured
me. Just as | came out of the War Depart
ment met one of Gen. McDowelrs aids bring
ing in the report of his commanders defeat"
Engand's Pension Roll.
An interesting list of British annuities and
DpnSinns has inst bepn iSSIipd Over and obo,-a