The National tribune., 1886-04-08

strengthen his right for some purpose. ana
what can that purpose be, but to throw ms
augmented right upon our left at Black
burns Ford, and so along the Ridge road,
upon Centerville? Thus Mcdowell guesses,
and guesses well. To be in readiness to pro-
tect his own left and rear, by reinforcing
Miles's Division at Centervllle and along tne
ridge TO Blackburn's Ford, he Temporarily
holds back Towards Brigade OF Helntzel-
mans Division ut the point where the cross
road to Sudley Springs Ford-along when
Hunters Division, followed by the brlgades
of Franklin and Wilcox, of Heintzeimans
Division, have already gone-lntersects the
Warrenton pike.
1t is 8 o'clock. Beauregard, as yet I'M
aware of McDowells new plan, sends an
order TO Ewell, on his right, to hold him.
self ready " to take the offensive At mo-
ment's notice and directing that Ewell be
supported in his advance toward Sangsters
Crossroads and the rear of Centervllie by
Holiness Brigade. in accordance with that
order. Ewell, who is at Union Mills and Its
neighborhood," gets his brigade ready, and
Holmes moves up to his support After wait
ing two hours Ewell receives another order
for both Ewell and Holmes to resume their
places" Something must have occurred
since o'clock to defeat Beauregards plan OF
attack on Centeryille-with all its glorious
consequences! What can it be? We shall
see.
While Tylers artillery has been cannon
aiding the rebel left under Evans, at Stone
Bridge-fuily impressed with the prevailing
Union belief that the bridge is not only pro-
tecied by strong masked batteries, heavy
supports of infantry, and by abatis as well
as other defenses, but it is also mined and
ready to be blown up at the approach Of our
troops, when in reality the bridge Is not
mined. and the rebel force In men and guns
at that point has been greatly weakened IN
anticipation Of Beauregard'S projected adj
vance upon Centerviile-the Union column,
under Hunter and HeintZelman, is adyanc-
ing from CenteTvilie in the scorchlng heat
and sulfccating dust of this tropical July
morning. slowly, but surely, along the War
renton pike and the croSs-road to Sudiey
Springs Ford-a distance of some eight miles
of weary and toilsome marching for raw
troops in such temperatuTe-in this order:
Burnside's Brigade, followed by Andrew
Porter's Brigade-both OF Hunters Divis-
ion then Franklin's Brigade followed by
Wilcox's Brigade - both of Heintzelman's
Division.
1t is 9:30 o'clock before Burnside's Brigade
has crossed the Bull Run stream at Sudley's
Ford, and the head of Andrew POrters Bri-
gade commences to ford it. The troops are
somewhat slow III crossing. They are warm,
tired, thirsty. and as to dust-their hair and
ewes and nostrils and mouths are full of it,
while most of the uniforms, once blue, have
became dirty gray. The sky is clear. The
sun already is fiercely hot The men stop to
drink and fill their canteens. 1t is well they
do
Mcdowell, who has been waiting two or
three hours at the turn,f impatient at the
delay, has ridden over to the front of the
Franklin column, and now reaches Sudley's
Ford He feels that much valuable time is
already lost. His plan has, in measure,
been frustrated by delay. He had calculated
on crossing Bull Run at Sudley's Ford, and
getting TO the rear of the enemy'S position at
Stone Bridge, before sufficient rebel force
could be assembled to contest the Union adj
vance,. He sends back an Aid with orders
to the regimental commanders in the rear to
break from column and hurry forward
separately as fast as possible" Another Aid
he sends with orders to Howard to bring his
brigade across fields. To Tyler he also sends
orders to press forward his attack, as large
bodies of the enemy are passing In front of
him to attack the division (Hunter's) which
has passed over"
II may be here explained, that the Sudley
road, running about six miles south south
easterly from Sudley Springs Ford to Manassas
Junction, is crossed at right angles, about
two miles south of the springs, by the War
renton pike, at point about one mile and
half west of the Stone Bridge For nearly
mile south of Sudley Ford, the Sudley road
passes through thick woods on the left, and
alternate patches of wooded and cleared
lands on the right The country farther south
opens into rolling fields, occasionally cut by
transverse gullies, and patched with woods
This is what Burnside's Brigade beholds as it
marches southwark along the Sudley road
this eventful morning.
ATTACKING THE REBEL LEFT.
Thus far. the cannonade of TyIer's bat
teries, and the weak return-fire of the rebel
artillery, at Stone Bridge, over two miles
southeast of Sudey Ford, is about the only
music by which the Union march has kept
time.
Bat now, as Burnside's foremost regiment
energes from the woods at 1870 o'clock. the
artillery of the enemy opens upon it,
Let MS see how this happens Evans's
Brigade, defending the Stone Bridge, and
constituting the enemy's extreme left, com
prises, as has already been mentioned. SlOan's
4th S. c.. Wheat's Louisiana battalion,
Terry's Squadron of virginia cavalry and
DayidsOn's section of Latham's battery of
six-pounders.
Earlier in the morning Evans has sup
posed, from the cannonade of Tyler's bat
teries among the pines on the hills obliquely
opposite TO his position, as well as from the
sound Of the cannonade of the Union bat
teries away down the stream on the eneIny's
right. near Blackburn's Ford, that Mcdowell
is about TO make an attack upon the whole
front of the rebel line of defense along Bull
Run-by way of the Stone Bridge, and the
various fords below it, which cross that
stream. But by 10 o'clock that rebel Gen
era! begins to feel doubtful, suspicious. and
uneasy. Despite the booming of Tyler's guns.
he has caught in the distance the rumbling
sounds Of Hunters artillery wheels.
Evans finds himself bordering the mean
ing Of those long lines of dust away to his
left. And then, like flash, it bursts upon
him that all this military hubbub in his
front and far away to his right, is but
feint; that the real danger is somehow con-
nected with that mysterious, far-away rum
BILE, and those lines of yellow dust; that the
main attack is TO be On the unprepared left
and rear Of the rebel position!
No sooner has the rebel brigade COM
mander thus OWNED the Union plan of
attack than he prepares, with the limited