Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-20
TIE BuLn Run RoUT.
how the Gallant Boys Came b ack from
the First Battle of Manassas.


the First Battle of Manassas.
From. 4 deance Sheets of S. s. Co1s "Three
Dscd0ts oJ FelerdL LsgiStIttOD."
With bated breath Congress awaits the
issue. It's business lags. Its members
gossip in the rear OF the seats and in the
cloak-rooms. At length dispatches come.
They are read at the Clerks desk. Then
Bull Run comes in-preceded by the
PickaWay contractors cattle on 4 stam-
pede. Then come intelligent cOntrabands
and an incou gruous array of wearied sol
diers in muddy uniforms. What of the
Senators and Representatives? Chan
dler, Wade, Richardson, Logan, Gurley,
Morris and Riddle return safely. Ely is
borne by his resistless patriotism, darkly
and fearfully aiar. The Black Horse
Cavalry of the enemy carry him into
Richmond. Libby Prison receives him,
and his goodness Of heart and ample
means enable him to aid his fellow prison
ers. Mr.. Riddle relates how his company
had been charged upon by Wild riders OF
sable horses:
at seemed" said he in a deliberately
penned description, "as il the very devil
Of panic and c0Wardice seized every NOR
tai soldier, officer, citizen and teamster.
No officer tried to rally the soldiers, or do
anything, except to spring and run to-
wards CentreVille. There never was any
thing like it for causeless, sheer, absolute,
absurd cowardice, or rather panic, on this
miserable earth before. of they went,
one and all; off down the highway, over
across fields towards the woods, any
where, everywhere, to escape. Well, the
further they ran the more frightened they
III
idly as we could, the fugiuves passed us
by scores. To enable them better to run,
they threw away their blankets,
knapsacks. canteens, and finally mus
kets, cartridge boxes and every
thing else. We called to them, tried to
tell them there was no DANGER called them
to stop, implored them to stand. We
called them towards, denounced them in
the most offensive terms, put out our
heavy revOlvers and threatened to shoot
them, but all in vain; cruel, crazy, mad,
hopeless panic possessed them, and COM
muncated to every body about in front
and rear. The heat was awful, although
now about 6 the men were exhausted
their mouths CAPPED. their lips cracked
and blackened with the powder OF the car
tTidges they had bitten off in the battle.
their eyes starting in frenzy; no mortal
ever saw such a mass Of CHASTITY wretches.
As we came on, borne along with the
mass, unable to go ahead or pause, or
draw out of it, with the street blocked
with flying baggage-wagons, before and
behind. laundering and crashing on, we
were every moment exposed to imminent
danger Of being upset, or cru he'd, or Of
breaking down; and for the first time on
this strange day felt little sinking of
the heart and doubt whether we could
avoid destruction in the immense thrOng
about us; and nothing but the remarkable
skill OF our driver and the strength of our
carriage and endurance of our horses
saved us. Another source of peril beset
us. AS we passed the poor, demented, eX-
hausted wretches, who could not climb
into the high, close baggage-wagcns, they
made frantic efforts to get on to and into
our carriage. They grasped it every
where and got on to it, INTO it, over it
and Implored US every way to take them
Off"
No more graphic picture has since been
presented Of the race of this army from an
imaginary pursuit. The pencil of "A David
could not DO it Justice. No cOl0rs can be
harmonized for such chaos. De Quin-
cy's "Flight OF Tartar Tribe" is far less
yeracious and not more thrilling.