The National tribune., 1892-05-19

things to remind me Of the days that tried
mems souls. great many things happened
then that were hard to understand; some
that seemed to be mysterious have been ex-
planned, and it is ardently hoped that others
may yet be. The conduct of some OF our great
Generals, as well as of officers of lesser rank,
was past all comprehension. In reading the
article by Comrade Harry Hunterson i'll a re-
cent issue, which refers to Gen. Mcdowell,
caused me to remember that /, too, have an in-
cident of the same nature to LAY at his door. !"
1t may be easy to explain; but must say that
Them and ever since, l have been prejudiced,
and not in his favor. In turning to the diary
which / kept all through the service, l find
that which caused this feeling. 1t says, under
date of August 80:
Late in the afternoon of the last day Of the
second battle of Bull Rum when the enemy
was about making their last assault upon our
left my company +. 9Th n. Y. Cav being at
Gen. Pope's Headquarters. acting as his escort,
On Van Pelt's Hill, west Of the house, We were
ordered to deploy in skirmish-line to stop
stragglers. Our line reached from the turnpike
To Just south OF the house. My position was
about the center. We had succeeded i'll hating
about a thousand, whom the officers raj
lied around the coiors of Rhode Island regi-
ment-the number l do not remember, when
Gen. Mcdowell rode up in their rear. and di-
rectly in front of NE, and halted, mounted
wearing a hat Of the same order" My diary
says q tri-cornered brown felt but this does
not agree with the description given by Com
rade Huuterson. | may be at fault as to this
hat but not as to what he did, he stopped
in front OF me, facing his horse to the front
and looking in the direction where the
enemy were to be seen coming out of the
woods three lines deep, and where his d.
vision were stubhornly fighting and be-
ing slowly driven back by overwhelming num-
bers, watched them q moment, then raising
himself in his stirrups, took OF his hat, swung
it around his head and away he went toward
Centervile
On that instant I qneried, What does that
mean but az quickly made up my mind from
passing events that it was to tell the enemy
It's all right, just as You want it; come on"
For in less time than it takes to tell it they
were their final charge, and we upon our
shameful retreat and stampede-Bull Run the
first over again, nearly SO, which need not
have been had there been fewer traitors to the
cause in our own ranks.
As has been said before, have always been
unfavorably prejudiced, and it is now an open
| question in my mind whether he was or was
| not traitor, with strong leaning to the for
| mer. hope this impression may be wrong, for
| ] do not like to think i'll of any man who wore
| the blue. be he General or high private in tho
| rear rank.
| There certainly was something radically
wrong at this BATTLE when so many men could
| be found waiting for the call that never came,
and those that l passed through the ranks of
after the final rout. within less than two miles
of the battlefield. who had not smelled powder
that day, but had been resting on their arms
east Of the Stone Bridge from o'clock in the
afternoon, and l was told were 80 0G9 strong.
There must have been pretty big screw loose,
| and somebody must have concluded it was
Popes fight; let him fight it out"
| These men We're part OF Gen. McCleian's
army,so they told me- We had passed the
| Bull Run about a mile above the Stone Bridge,
after dark and in dense wood, and becoming
| separated, struck for the pike, and In coming
| out ran into this vast host; halted q little /;
answered their questions and asked many N.Y.
self; threaded my way through their ranks.
| beginning to think never would get through.