Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-12-14
Pirst News Of Bull Run.

Pcafeo IN the flttSourg DtSpdfch recent
ay. The historian is Kennedy Marshall.
OF Butler, Pa, prominent lawyer, and
brother TO Thomas Marshall. who pme
weeks ago declined q nomination on
Qkmeron's State ticket. Mr.. Marshall
at the date of the battle was member
OF the Pennsylvania Legislature, and
with hundreds of persons had followed
fhe army to see the rebels crushed by
Mcdowell. Mr.. Marshall was accom-
panied by Henry j. Raymond, editor of
the New York Times and DIR. Russell.
the famous war correspondent of the
London Times.
Raymond, Russell and l." began
MIR. Marshall, ''were seated on the road
side, taking lunch, at o'clock in the
afternoon. While we were talking to-
gether we heard locomotives whistling
over on the Manassas Railroad. The
trains stopped in a cut, out of sight.
Pretty soon out marched lot of soldiers
in gray, with a stand of brigade colors,
and came at double-quick across the
field. Itwas Kirby Smith with the last
installment of Johnson's army from
Winchester, which had eluded Patter-
son. 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 Solferino, put the whole French army
to rout for time. Regiments that had
ctnnd I'm IN THAR. hra ar,alxy
8 o'clock in the morning, melted away
in few minutes at the sightof the gray
charging columns. There was no know
ing 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 gallop. Russell
disappeared on the tide at the top of his
speed. Raymond drifted away from
me, and / did not let many pass me in
the race myself. 1t was the further the
faster, and after covering what seemed
to me about five miles, / dropped ex-
hausted beside the road to rest.
"By-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 carriages, and
200 or 800 steers, all making the best of
their way to Washington. A 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 confusion.
II got over the Long bridge at WASH
ington at 8 o'clock, just as the counter
sign 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 Richmond speech from the balcony
of the hotel. l walked into the office,
under the sound of his inspiring words
knowing how soon those cheers would
be hushed to whispers of alright. Chad
wick 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 rec
egnizing me, asked me where / had
Teen, 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
s'Chadwick dived back into his pri-
vate Office with scared face, and in a
few minutes came back and took me
with him.
.sThere sat Gen. Mansfield, who was
FIN command of the troops around Wash
ington, with bottle of champagne be-
fore him.
."sMr. Chadwick informs me, sir,
that you report our army retreating.
Are you military man, sir?
"No, SIR
"sThen. how do you know, sir, that
they were not merely making change
of front or executing some other mill
tary maneuver, sirp' ;,
"'Well, General l replied as calml..
as l could, while the gray-haired olt
martinez eyed me sternly, Il saw who'll
regiments throw down their guns ant
take to the woods. / saw artillery mel
cut their horses loose from the guns ant
caissons and gallop away. saw off
GERS, men, Congressman and Iexa
steers running neck and neck down tn
road toward Washington, and steer
were the only things that had their tail
up. 1t may have been a change 9
front, as you say, but
81 don't believe single word of it,
broke in the General, who had listene
to me with evident impatience.
"'Good evening", l replied, an
walked out of the door. The crowd ha
got the news by this time from Chae
wick, and I was almost pulled to pieces
Somebody noticed that was wearing
gray suit, and shouted: He's rebel
There were several suggestions that
be lynched for attempting to stimulat
rising of the rebel element in the cit.
Mansfield hurried off to the War Depar
ment, and pretty soon a sergeant and
squad of soldiers came for me and toe
he to the department. President Lii
coin and his entire Cabinet were ther
with old Gen. Scott, anxiously waitin
for news from the front. Simon Came
on had known me as member OF tt
Legislature and vouched for my loya
ty. There was very little, said while
told my story briefly.
ssThe President sat with his head be-
down upon his hand, and was evident
very much depressed. Simon Camera
then Secretary of War, was the coole
head in the Cabinet. He immediate
consulted with Scott as to. hurrying I
endorsements across the Potomac, al
ordars were issued to stop all fuGitiy