Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-10-03
AN ECHO OF THE WAR.
Oecription OF the Battle of Bull Run by DR..
Andrews-The South and the War.

Mr.. J. w. McCleary, of Baltimore,
recently found among some old papers
the following letter written by the late
Rev. DR.. C. w. Andrews the beloved
and well-remembered rector Of Trinity
Episcopal Church, Shepherdstown, to
Bishop McIlvaine Of Ohio. 1t describes
the battle of Bull Run and gives DR..
Andrews opinion Of the great strug-
Gle there inaugurated between the
North and South. At this date the
letter will be read with renewed inter-
est by the people of this section:
JEFFERSON COUNTY, VA,
August I, 1861.
My DEAR BISHOP MCILVAINE-I write
to YOU because-though as I suppose
approving the war or at least thinking il
necessity-your correspondence has
breathed nothing but kindness aud SYM
pathy, and am sure you would not spare
yourself the pain of hearing what others
are compelled personally to suffer, your
own friends as we'll as mine.
As soon as heard Of the battle set
off to learn the fate of eight members of
my church and many dear friends. Be
fore reaching the field I learned that Mr..
Conard's two sons were struck at the
same instant and fell into each other 5
arms. Peyton X. Harrison standing by
their side had hardly time to say 'let
them die together" when he was pierced
by two balls and fell upon them. With
these three il was but sudden transition
to better world, for they were truly re-
ligious. Inoue ofthc numerous hospitals
I found Capt Nelson, of Millwood, shot
through the lungs, and a grandson OF
Bishop Meade lying upon the same floor
with his arm shot off. In another / found
acting Lieut. Col. Lee with a mortal
wound in the breast-his young and
beautiful wife lying by his side almost
as much prostrated as himself. He was
communicant of my church. In the
room above was a cousin ofmy wife dying
in great agony from a wound Ill the
bowels. In the hall lay several more,
one a venerable Georgian 65 years OF
age pierced with many wounds, but cheer
ful and full Of heart for his cause. An
other noble looking man from the same
State was 50 exhausted from a shot
through the lungs that he could notspeak
above whisper. As stood looking at
him he said, "arc you not minister
Upon my reply he said talk to me -
have depended too much upon my NOR
alitv, but 1 find now that it cannot save
me-" l haveno space or time for what
followed. These are but specimens.
The battle was opened so carly on
Sunday morning and at one point where
it was so little expected that it was not
possible to remove a sick lady and she
was literally torn to pieces i'll her bed by
cannon balls. There were 81 dead and
100 wounded, total IIoI.
With the enemy the scene was im-
mcasurably worse. In the battle OF
Thursday, when we had thcaid ofmasked
batteries which did about half the eXecu-
ton. we lost IS killed and 10 wounded.
The enemy buried on the field the next
dav by permission $50. So reported.
Number Of wounded unknown for they
were borne off.
Ofthe battle Of Sunday give the chief
military facts, only for the bearing they
have on my main purpose, as indicating
shall I say, the probable issue Of future
contests. so faras the human instruments
are concerned.
The Southern line extended almost oIz
miles, with batteries at different points.
a feint was make of an attack upon the
right of this line, by a heavy cannonading
at daylight, while the larger body Of the
Northern army was being marched round
our extreme left, giving a length of ~
or miles to their entire line. BY we'll
conceived and well-executed man9uvre
behind the covert of woods they brought
this part OF their army with fighting
front ofover one mile against the end OF
our left. This end of our line was OF
course compelled to fall back Though
firing with fatal effect as it receded),
while forces from the center and from
the reserves were coming up to extend
our line and make it equal i'll length to
that of the enemy. While this process
was going on the enemy seemed to be
victorious and hence the report that we
were at one time beaten, whereas at uo
time was the Southern army either beaten
or in danger of being beaten, as am
assured every military man on both sides
must know. Itwas there after the South
ern line was completed under such dis
advantages in an open field of the enc
my's choosing, which deprived US Of all
our posted batteries, or of spadefnl OF
earth thrown up, that the battle was
fought and the issues of that eventful day
decided.
How could the Northern Generals
have planned their work better? And
what soldiers in any future contest car
be expected to fight better than by gen
eral consent the northern soldiers die
fight?
asked some OF the captured officers
how they accounted for the defeat Ihey
could give no satisfactory answer. L
YOU ask me how accounted for it. re
ply, l. BY the goodness and mercy o
God, to whom such acknowledgements