The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-31
CHAPTER |.

The day and date is tho 21st Of July,
1861.
The scene is the battle-ground Of first
Bull Run, field made memorable for
ever.
From daybreak to high noon the Fed
eral army under Mcdowell has been
moving down on the Confederate posi-
tion selected weeks ago by the generals
Id in the strategy Of war. On heilanks
brigades have grappled III the open
fields, regiments have dashed at each
other in tho forests aud thicketS. Here
Il litIle ground has been gained, there IL
little lost. II has been the SkirmiShiug
which prtcedes every battle locating sh-
enemy, testing his readiness, drawing
his strength and uucoyegiug his designs.
The hour is high noon The Confed-
crate front has been pressed back, the
left wing shattered Men looking down
on the battlefield from the hills Of Cen
tsryille have every movement IL plain
view. At II o'clock the battle Is Won
for the Esdsrais. Bee, BagStow and
Evans, VINO have held the Confederate
ceuter, have been beaten back by Burn
side. Sykes and Porter. They give way
slowly and gIudglug,y fighting as they
break back, and rhey are trying to rally,
when there is clatter II CayoAets be
ing fixed 10 muske;s and thousand
men rush forward AZ the double quick.
Il is the New York Tweuty-seytuth, and
Colonel Slocum leads it, the first bayoutt
charge Of the war Forward For
ward" And the wedge drives into the
Confederate center and rolls the trag
ments right and lett,
The cheering is heard a mile away
above the noise Of battle. The Federal
center moves forward to pursue the shat
tered enemy, and CouIisrs ride away
with the news, we have pierced the
Confederate center and won the day.
Behind the flying Confederates is a
plateau Of 500 acres, comprising two or
three farms. There aIe two or three
tarmhouses, orchards, meadows, thick
cts Of pine, barren fields. H-geis Stone
wall Jackson with ), 600 men in reserve.
The fragments Of brigadss, regiments
and companies are hurled back to the
slopes Of this plateau TO he rallied
and reformed behind the reserves. Cou-
riers ride away to Beaursgard to ask for
more artillery, infantry and cavalry,
and while the FsderaIs pause to replen-
ish their cartridge boxes and grid up
their loins for Z last struggle 1000 fresh
Confederates are hurrying forward &c
the plateau.
Noon becomes o'clock. The skir-
mishers are at work all along the front
Of the plateau, but there is no fighting.
Another hour slips away. The Fed
erals have waited too long. 81 tnoon they
could have carried the position with a
rush At o'clock they would have met
with stubborn resistance. but victory
would have perched Oh their banners
Now as the Federals are ready to NOV;
the Confederate 5 1000 have become 10,
600, and their 10 pieces Of artillery
have become 20.
4 majority Of the troops are fresh
and their nerves uushaken, and all are
ready for the grapple.
Thirteen thousand Federals move
against the plateau at different point.
almost as one man, and the battle opens
with a great crash. Under Genera
Jackson's immediate orders are five Of
six regiments. On the right Of his lin,
is a Virginia regiment. On the right O
that regiment is company from tht
Shenandoah valley. They have not beer
in action yet. As the Federal5 NOV,
up to the attack Ricketts, Federal bat
terry, supported By a Minnesota regi