The National tribune., 1894-02-15
ON BULL RUNS FIELD.
Experience of the 2d r. 1. in that Disastrous
Action.

Action.
Continued from last sOeekl
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: We started
down he hill with sad heaIt~-thdt hlli We
had in the forenoon so Eaiy assembled.
Some few minutes before ] was aware thai
We had lost the battle Saw dense column
of infantry issue from the en-, my's earth
works, and with slow and steady step ad-
vance toward u.s. This was d"ubtless the
reInfarcements under Gen. Johnston, which
we supposed had been held IN check hy
Patterson. Then, they were fresh In the
field, and outnnmbering our iaLgueh, fam
fishing and wtrnnut column, and from that
moment the convection that we were beaten
penetrated every heart.
Abnut this time The ranks of nearly every
regiment were broken; men were running
in wild confusion, and hardly an officer en-
d,ayOrIBg to check their speed, or even to
get men in line so as 10 retreat in good order.
Away they went, throwing away their mus
kets, haversacks, and indeed everything
which might impede their progress. The
two Rhude Is aud regiments aud the list
n. Y. were retreatng in good order, cheered
Oh by Gov. Sprague aud the gallant Burn
side.
Soon came the baggage wagons, which, in
my opinion, had improperly pressed too
near, rumbling along aud making our re-
treating and wornout soldiers break their
ranks TO allow them to pass. Frightened
teamsters were driving impetuously onward
al the same time communicating the false
intelligence that the enemy's cavalry were
about to charge upon our retIeating col
umBs, and causing groups OF soldiers 10
scatter tbems elves through The woods, panic
OBJ IN afPf y
alone.
Oar brave young Governor, God bless him,
rode along our lines and told us not to fear
the charge of cavalry, but TO stand 10 it like
men, and We should be able TO repel ii. At
the same time he informed us how TO m. ct
and drive them back. In this manner we
marched through the woods, the ranks Of the
Rhode Island regiments and The 71sJ n. Y.
keeping in good order, and maintaining it
until our arrival at Bull Kun bridge, on the
Gainesville road.
Here new terrors arose, but not entirely
unexpected, as the batteries of the enemy
were now throwing shell into Us with the
greatest accuracy, while the bridge was
rendered nearly impossible by overturned
caissons and ambulances. Rank after rank
broke and fed in wild confusion, many a
weary soldier wadiug through the creek,
which in some places was waist deep, and
then hurrying on through the woods, road
and field on the opposite side of the creek. ]
soon came upon a regiment of our own
troops, which had not been in the field,
drawn up in line-of-battle to cover our re-
treat.
During all this time we had drunk moth
ing but filthy muddy water which here
would not wash my shoes in, much less my
hands and face. We soon passed these
troops, and a few miles further on
brought our Rhode Island regiments to the
camp which they had left at half-past two
in the morning with beamIng countenances
and brave hearts; but now our hearts were
sad, our limbs weary, and all of Us greatly
in need Of rest and reireshment
But it was not so to be. Hardly had we
lighted our campfres to dry our clothing
ere the order was given, Fall in, men; we
march to Washington tonight"
How far is it2" was the eager inquiry
from nearly every lip.
About 80 miles," was the reply.
Whatl were men who had been civilians
al their lives to get up at half-past two in
the morning, walk ~ or Is miles, fight and
nearly conquer force intrenched and su-
periOr in numbers, drinking nothing but
ing but few hard biscuits to eat, retreating
the same distance, and march On 80 miles
furtberf Such was the fact, and away we
started for Washington.
On that march / saw oficers-Captains
and Lieutenants, who should have been by
the side Of their men 10 cheer them on--go
to the baggage-wagons, cut away the horses,
mount them, and ride on as fast as they pos
sibly could, making the soldiers, who were
foot-sore and weary, stand aside to let them
pass. Your humble servant would not
stand aside, but threatened at one time to
put his bayonet through an officer who " as
mounted, If he did not turn out, at the same
time telling him that the horse was better
able to turn out than / was.
Many lay down by the roadside, exhausted,
nature refusing to fulfill its wonted func-
tiOns, for she had been already sadly over
taxed. On, however, kept the great ma
1Ority Of our troops, until at length we
reached Long Bridge, opposite Washington,
sometime after daylight; perhaps 9 o'clock
or so. Here We were detained for an hour
or more, as the order was peremptory that
We should not cross the bridge until our
troops were in some sort OF order. We re-
eeived refreshments there, and then re-
NAMED in a drizzling rain, until we could
cross the bridge.
At length the order came, and Col. Burn
sides clear voice rang out the welcome
words: Fall in, Rhode Island"
We did so in good order, soon passed the
bridge, and marched through Washington
directly TO our camps which We were all
happy TO reach.-EBEN GORDON, ID X. l.
The foregoing graphic deception ID
Comrade Gord0n's story verbatim, as told
IN his diary. The cOmrade is, we regret to
say, row deceased.-EDIToR NATIONAL
TRIBUEE.l