The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-16
glne gt1tal!l4ettleG.
THE RETREAr AT BULL run,

THE RETREAT An BULL RUN.
How lack Chandler aud hen Wade stOppst
1.-THE story Told by IN Eye WltueSI.
ny BEVERLY cRUNP,
copyrighted 1851,
In the recently published life Of Ben
iamin F, Wade, by the Hon, A, g, Rid
die, Of Washington, which, by the way
IL an exceedingly interesting and valuable
contribution to history, saw an alluslou
to the fact that "old Ben" as he was cal
led, and Senator "zick" Chandler, with
three or four other gentlemen under theil
leadership, stopped the rout at the Bat
tie Of Bull Run, In the National Intellt
gcncer Of Washington Of that date, Ia
which Ireisrred for the accuracy OF the
statement, ! find the following para,
graph:
"Whatever credit there was Of stopping
tho rout Is wholly due to Senators Chand-
lsr and Wade, and Representatives Blake,
Riddle and Morris, These gentlemen,
armed with Maynard rifles and navy re.
volvers, sprang from their carriages three
miles this side of CenterYille, and pre-
sentipg their weapons, in loud voices com.
handed the iugitives to halt and turn
back. Their bold and determined man.
uer brought the iugltives TO standstill at
that point. Many on horseback who at.
tempted TO dash by had their horses
sliced by the bits. Some Of the iugitives
who we're armed meneCed these gentle.
men. None, however, were permitted to
pses until the arrival OF the Second New
Jersey regiment, on Its way to the battle.
field turned back tho flying soldiers and
teamsteIs."
In behalf OF Ben Wade, Mr.. Riddle
mOdCgtly onitH all mention OF his own
part In the affair, and the other evening
called upon him TO obtain his recollection
gift
"Do remember itP" be exclaimed with
emile, II should think did, for q letter
wrote to my wife giving an account OF
my experience on that day got into the
newspapers through the CaIelessness OF q
gentleman 10 whom it was given to read,
and cauRed my deisst for Congress at the
next election. The people Of Cleveland,
whom represented in Congress at the
time, burned me and beat me and drowned
me in efigy, and my friends wrote mo not
to come home for fear OF personal violence
all because my comments on the COWsrdiCe
Of the Union soldiers were considered the
worst sort OF treason,
~ was in OOnPrets at thu time" Contln.
ued Mr.. Riddle, and the reason / went 10
the battle wFR thi8: Tho Cleveland GTays,
commanded by Gen. Alex Mcdowell Nc.
Cook, were al the front, aud were the
inest company In the Finest regiment Of
the entire army. l had promised to 20 to
the front and Join them IN their fpt bat.
lie, and In pursuance Of this promise, Two
carriage loads Of uR, knowing that there
was to be q fight on that memorable Sun.
day, loft Washington about three o'clock
in the morning to see it."
"There were Senators Chandler and
Wade, OorgrGssmen Blake, Morris and
myself, Sll from Ohio, MI. Brown, the
seIgeRnt-at-Rrms OF the Senate, Major
Eaton, Of Michigan, a friend Of Mr.. Chan.
ier's, and Tom Brown, Of tho Treasury
Department, a friend Of Mr.. WaJo'V. Wo
got breakfast OF Fairfsx Court House, and
reached the Headquarters OF tho Army at
CGnterville about daylight, provided with
passes from General Scott that would take
ls everywhere. AT Centerviilo found
that the Grays wero In The advance, Oh
he skirmlsh line, and OF course could not
bin them as l had hoped and expected,
However, We left our teams 90 q tempo.
rary hospital near CepterYlle, and went
on, walking Into the Hue 81 battle. Alter
a while when We supposed the battle wac
over, we went back to the hospital, where
| We bad left the teams, thinking that the
Union troops had been victorious, and
there found several hundred soldiers,
s,ra9g!ers, gathered around. There were
q number Of congressman and citizens In
tho crowd, and among them Congressman
Ely, Of New York, who you remember
was taken prisoner and cent to Richmond.
swell, as / said, we supposed that the
battle was over, and cur troops successful,
and were doing what We could TO assist the
wounded, when to our great surprise o
splendid column Of tho famous bic Ok
horse cavalry, Of which you have read so
much, came charging down upon US. At
hrst We supposed they were our troops,
but soon saw they were rebels, and made
a rush for big, stout siK.rall Virginia
fence near by. A good many who had
guns and revolverg whipped them out, and
as the cavalry stopped and poured 9 vol,
ley, we could see several rldbTlgEs horsea
Young MGCoOs, u brother oil the general,
who wss doing o privats's duty, was killed
by their fro among others on our side,
Well, although tho Black Horse cavalry
disappeared aa suddenly ps they came,
every man around the hospital who could
i move his lega became paniC.stricken in.
stantly, and slampeded. In o minute tho
place was deserted by all except our party +,
aud then we got into our carriages and
started toward Washington.
"As We moved along the woods
on each eide OF THO road ap.
peared 10 empty themselves Of col.
diers, who were all running as fast as
they could, and pretty soon tho road be.
came bloCkaded by teams, army wagons,
riderleBs horses, wounded men, cannon,
and everything that had the power Of mo.
ton, all pulling and hauling and ehout-
ing, andClinblng over one another In the
greatest excitement and confusion. Sol.
diers were throwing away their guns, their
knSpsScks, and unloading themselves for
flight, Army teanBteru werc cutting their
horses loose from the wagons, artillery
men were doing the same, and you never
saw and no one can imagine wilder or
more hewlldering spectacle. Everybody
seemed to have gone crazy.
n saw q little drummer boy who had
got under the feet Of some horses, and
alter much difficulty extriCated him, and
put him on tho box Of our carriage, which
by that time was loaded down With
Heightened soldiers, trying to get away
from the battle. We turned them all
%, and tho newspapers afterwards VBid
that we refused 10 assist wounded men.
That was one Of the charges they made
agsinst me.