The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-20
A New View of Bull Run.

The series of battle accounts being
published in the Century is character
lied by one somewhat noticeable quail
ity; that is, there is a very consider
able amount of disagreement among the |
southern writers, while thus far there |
has been little or none at all among the |
contributors who present views from |
the federal standpoint. The current
number of the monthly contains several |
articles relating to the earlier battles
between Washington and Richmond,
and in which three confederate officers,
Imboden, Gustavus Smith, and j. E.
Johnston, and one federal officer,
views. Imboden was an artillerist who
played an important part in the first en-
counter at Bull Run, and who very
graphically describes that celebrated
battle. His account, taken in connec-
ton with that of General Joseph E.
Johnston, affords good deal of light
on that conflict, and makes it far less dis
creditable to the national forces than
the statements published at the time, and
which have since been received as be-
ing just in their presentations of the
battle. The nationalists have been hui
inflated for almost a quarter of CEN
fury over the alleged blunders, inca
pacity, retreat, rout, and sdure qW peW
flight of the federal troops toward the
national capital. Nothing of the sort
appears in the accounts furnished by
Johnston and Imboden; and not only
do they furnish no evidence in favor of
any such disgraceful flight, but the yes
tablish distinctly that nothing of the
kind occurred. In Johnston's account,
the character of the federal retreat is
brought out incidentally, but in a man
ner that admits of no question. John
ston is defending himself against the
charges, or insinuations, of Jefferson
Davis that he lacked in judgment or
capacity in failing to follow the retreat
ing federals into Washington. He says
that at little before five O'Clock, when
the federal retreat began, he ordered
General BOnham to march with his
own and Longstreet's brigades by the
quickest route to the turnpike, and form
them across it, to intercept the fed
eral retreat. g But he found so little
the appearance of rout in these troops
as to make the execution of his instruc-
tions seem impossible, so the two brig
AIDES returned to their camps" That
the federal right did do some heavy
running away admits of no doubt; but
the main portion of the army, the cen
ter and the left marched from the field
in almost as good order as they went on
it before the battle. The popular i'm
preston of the first battle of Bull Run
was founded on the newspaper CORE
spondence concerning the event, and
which evidently emanated from men
who were demoralized by the unex-
pected defeat, and who mistook the
rush of frightened mules and insane
drivers as the wild retreat of a defeated
army. The assertions of Johnston and
Imboden do not convey the idea that
the federals did not fight determinedly
and with pertinacity; on the contrary,
they recognize and freely state that the
first onset was irresistible, and that the
national troops fought like veterans.
Imboden thinks that McDowell's order
changing Ricketts, and Griffin's bat
teries to a more advanced position was
blunder which lost him the battle, for
the reason that the time occupied in
moving the batteries gave the confed-
crates time to take up new and advan-
tageous line of battle, and which would
not nave Deen possible nad lne batteries
remained in place, for, as then located,
they commanded the line along which
the new front was formed. 1t is a salts
faction to the country to learn, even
after lapse of nearly quarter of a
century, that the cowardice, incapacity
and decentralization charged to the ac-
count of Bull Run had no existence
outside of the fleeing correspondents
and the routed congressman and other
civilians who went out to see the bat
tie, expecting to make of it a grand pic
mic. 1t is little out of the usual order
of things that the correction should
come from the men who inflicted the
defeat, and that an army accused of in
ability and cowardice should be relieved
of the charge by the enemy against
whom it fought.-Chicdgo Times.