Evening star., 1895-06-01


seemed to feel the Disgrace of defeat: but
the strangest thing was the general indif-
ference with which the event seemed to be
regarded by those who collected their
senses as soon as they got out of fire, and
who said they were just going far as
Centerville. and would have a big fight
tomorrow.
by this time 1 was unwillingly approa oh
ing Centerville in the midst of heat, dust,
confusion, imprecations inconceivable. On
arriving at place where small rivulet
crossed the road, the throng increased still
more. The ground ever which had pass
ed going out was now covered with arms.
clothing of all kinds. accouterments
thrown of and left to be trampled in the
dust under the hoofs Of horses and men.
The runaways ran alongside the wagons
striving 20 force themselves in among the
occupants, who resisted tooth and nail.
The drivers spurred. and whipped. and
urged the horses to the utmost of their
bent. l felt an inclination to laugh which
was overcome by disgust, and by that
vague sense of something extraordinary
taking place, which is experienced when
man sees number of people acting IS
if driven by some unknown terror. As 1
rode in the crowd, with men clinging to
the stirrup feathers or holding on by any
thing they could lay their hands on, so
that had some apprehension of being pull
ed off, spoke to the men, and asked them
over and over again not to be in such
hurry. There's no enemy to pursue you.
All the cavalry in the world could not get
at you. But l might as well have talked
to the stones.
"For my own part l wanted to get out of
the ruck as fast as 1 could, for the heat
and dust were very distressing, particularly
TO half-Starved man. Most Of the fugi-
tives were in the last stages of exhaustion
and some actually sank down by the fences
at the risk of being trampied to death.
Above the roar of the fight, which was like
the rush of a great river, the guns burst
forth from time to time.
Scattered Along the ROad.
'"The road at last became somewhat clear
er; fer had got ahead of some OF the am
munition trains and wagons, and the oth-
ers wsre dashng up the hill toward Cen
tervile. The mems great coats and blank
cts had been stored in the trains, but the
fugitives had apparently thrown them out
on the road, to make room for themselves
Just beyond the stream l saw a heap OF
clothing tumbied out Of large covered
cart, and cried out after the driver: stop:
stop, All the things are tumbing out OF
the cart But my zeal was checked by
scolndrel putting his head out and shout
ing with a curse If you try to stop the
team, I'll blow your - brains out Ny
brains advised me to adopt the principle OF
non-intervention-
"I was trotting quietly down the hill road
beyond Centervills, when suddenly the
guns on the other side, or from battery
very near, opened fire, and fresh out
woods. In an instant the mass Of vehicles
and retreating soldiers, teamsters and civil
iar g, as if agonized by an electric shock,
quivered throughout the tortuous line.
With dreadful shouts and curSnss, the
drivers Iashed their maddened horses, ana,
leaping from the carts. left them to their
fate and ran on foot Artillerymen ana
foot soldiers, and negroes mounted on gun
horses, with the chain traces and loose
trappings trailing in the dust, spurr>d and
ffogged their steeds down the road or 10y
the side path. The firing continued and
seemed to appreae the nia' ana al every cry
wagons were seized, as 1t were, with
fresh convulsion.
"One more the dreaded cry. The cavalry!
Cavalry are conaingr rang through the
crowd, and, looking back to Centerville, I
perceived coming down the hill between me
and the sky a number OF mounted men,
who might at a hasty glance be taken for
horsemen in the act of Sabering the fugi-
tives In reality they were soldiers and
civilians, with, I regret to say, some Off
GERS among them. who were whipping and
striking their horses with sticks. or what
ever else they could lay hands on. 1 called
out to the men who were frantic with ter
ror beside me, They are not cavalry at
ALL they're your own men, but they did
not heed me.
Russells Narrow Escape.
"a fellow who was shouting out
Run! Rum as loud as he could be-
side me seemed to take delight in creating
alarm; aud, as he was perfectly collected,
as far as could judge, said, What IN
earth are you running for? What are you
afraid Off He was in the roadside below
me, and at once turning on me and ex-
claiming, I'm not afraid of you, pre-
sented his piece and pulled the trigger So
instantaneously that, had 1t gone OF, 1
could not have swerved from the ball. As
ha taf IN pY
anime the nipple, ! judged 1t best not to
give him another chance, and spurred on
through the crowd, where any man could
have shot as many as he pleased without
interruption. The only conclusion I came
to was that he was mad or drunken. When
was passing by the line Of the bivouacs
a, battalion of men came tumbling down
the bank from the field into the road, with
fixed bayonets, and some fell in the road
and others tumbled on top of them, there
must nave been few ingloriously wounded.
Il galloped on for a short distance to head
the ruck, for l could not tell whether this
body of infantry intended moving back to-
ward Centerville or were coming down the
road; but the mounted men, galloping fu-
riously past me, with a cry Of Cavalry!
cavalry! on their lips. swept faster than
did, augmenting the alarm and excitement
I came up with two officers who were rid
ing more leisurely, and, touching my hat,
said: I venture TO suggest that these men
should be stopped, sir. If not, they will
elarm the whole of the post and pckets on
to Washington They will fly next, and the
consequence will be most DISASTROUS One
of the two. looking at me for moment,
nodded his head without saying a word
spurred his horse to full speed, and dashed
ON in front along the road
A Storm of Criticism.
AS soon as copies of the Times contain
ing the Bull Run story reached the United
States there was tremendous excitement,
in the course Of which a great many peo-
pie did their utmost 70 make existence
burdensome to the man who did nothing
as competent eye-witnesses and partici-
pants have since admitted-but tell the pre-
else truth in such a fashion as a first-class
writer would. In his own defense in his
published diary, Mr.. Russell, said: whilst
on this subject, let me remark that some
time afterward i was in Mr.. Brady's pho
tographic studio Oh Pennsylvania avenue,
Washington, when the very intelligent and
oblising manager introduced himself to
me and said that he wished to have an op-
portunity of repeating to me personally
what he had frequently .old persons in the
place, that ne could bear The fullest testi-
1nony to the complete accuracy IF my ac-
count Of the panic from Centerville down
the road at the time left, and thar he and
his assistants VINO were or the spot try
ing to get away their Photographic van