The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-05-31
SECOND BULL. RUN
One of Butterfe1d's Brigade Says running
Was the Only Feat He Performed There.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of May 10 I read an article from the pen OF
Comrade Davenport that brought wildly to
mind some of the sceIies Of the second Bull
Run under my notice. I didn't take any
flags or perform any exploits, except in the
line of running 1 was in Co. G, 44th N. Y,
Butterfield's (Third) Brigade, First Division,
Fifth Corps.
We were at Manassas Junction, on the
Orange & Alexandria Railroad, think, on
the 2Sth Of August, 1862, and moved out on
the Manassas branch (west) to the edge of an
open plain about half mile across. The
enemy were well posted in the timber on the
opposite side of the clearing.
1t was said that Pope ordered Porter to
move at once to attack that Porter disobeyed
the order. If such be the case, I want to
thank Gen. Porter for his kindness to me on
that occasion, for if we had ever advanced
across that field / should not be here to tell
about it.
The next morning early we started for Bull
Run battlefield, where we arrived in due
time. We had no commissioned officers in
Co. G. We moved up into piece of woods,
facing west, along the road running south to
Warrenton. Here we were put in with Co.
G, Capt Revere, and told to deploy as skir-
mishers-advance to the front to strengthen
the sharpshooters. We jumped the fence
into the road. Finding lot of long-range
sharpshooters there, we stopped. A Lieuten-
ant-ColOnel (Regular) in command of the
18th n. Y. was at the right behind an old
log house. He gave the order, "Avail your
selves of that low ground and hold it, with
sort of bulldog tone that / never fancied
We threw the fence down in jiffy and
IL
that every square foot of ground was cut with
bullet not to speak of shells from four bat
teries; yet we all reached the low ground
without mishap or hit.
We lay i'll what was once creek but con-
tanned no water Il had about seven inches of
bank to cover my head for a long time,
don't know how long, but think until the
middle of the afternoon, when the brigade
came down, passed by up to the edge of the
timber and began firing into the woods Then
Capt. Revere came down and ordered us up.
l took my course left-oblique till passed the
left of the brigade and was out of line of the
bullets Just on the brow of the hill found
three sharpshooters and an officer behind a
dead horse. About 30 rods away was bat
terry in the clearing with an oblique fire on
our fellows. Well, we four guns got all OF
them but one, who ran into the woods
The men began to break to the rear few
at time, some going straight back and some
south to the Groveton House, where they
turned east into the woods. Then the bri-
gade broke and away they went Nv COM
rades behind the horse went straight back. 1
went southeast. When / got about 40 rods
away came to the road and jumped the fence.
but before [ got there the rebels had charged
up across the slope east aud crossed the road
north of me.
l heard cheer, and looking southwest
away on high piece of ground / saw the
most rebels / ever saw together all drawn up
in line, laughing at our discontinue. threw
up my sights and cut loose. saw the dust fly
and some men dodge
This sight quickened my pace into rum
Coming near the Groveton House / Jumped
the fence to the east. just then an old man
came out of the house and began to hurrah.
l took down my gun to shoot him, but almost
put it on my shoulder and kept on
for the woods, about 20 rods distant When
about half way bullet passed just in front of
me. GlaDcing to the right, on little sidehilI,
in the corn, some 20 rods off, 1 saw about 80
rebel skirmishers. all of whom took a shot at
me, and though the bullets were all about me
my clothes, even, were untouched.
Right here was where the running came in.
If / ever went Is or 20 feet at bound that
was the time, and l kept bounding until |
came up to my tent-mate Jim Damms), who
went into the timber fourth of a mile ahead
of me, and he had not stopped. We soon
came to a skirmish reserve who were very I'M
easy. We struck to the left and came out of
the woods just in rear of Xouave regiment, the
9Th N. Y. think. We ran east down a very
steep hill, crossed the creek and up the other
side. by the time we got above the trees at
the creek the Zouaves were running. rolling
and tumbling down the hill to the north
towards Bull Run Creek and the rebs were out
of the woods shooting them in the back.
Jim and L put in number of good shots
each before we reached the top of the hill, when
q reb sent us his best compliments which first
struck the ground and then hit Jim on the
jaw and knocked him down. He bled freely.
Circling to the north we came into a pine
thicket where the boys were reforming.
took Jim's gun and arm and passed through
Then we ran. So, three times at three differ
emit lines we got out.
think Comrade Davenport is in error about
The WarrentOn pike running east and west, as
Warrenton was due south of us j am quite
sure that we were in Butterfield's Brigade, to
the left of the Regulars and there were no u s.
troops from the left center where were that |
saw, until we came to the ZOuaves a distance
Of over half mile. w. GRIswoLD, Scott
vile, Mich.