The National tribune., 1896-08-20


For names, rank, etc, of the above, refer to
the lists herewith.
Lieuts. Piper and McQnesten, Of my personal
staff were under fire all day and carried orders
to and fro with as much coolness as on parade.
Lieut.. Bagey. of the 69th N. Y, volunteer
Aid, asked leave to serve with his company
during the action, and is among those reported
missing. have intelligence that he is pris-
oner, and slightly wounded.
Col. Coon, of Wisconsin, volunteer Aid, also
rendered good service during the day.
w. r. SHERMAN,
Colonel Commanding Brigade.
This report, which I had not read
since its date till now,
SCENE
of the affair at Blackburn's Ford, when,
for the first time in my life, saw
cannon-balls strike men and crash
through the trees and saplings above
and around us, and realized the al
ways-sickening confusion as one ap-
proaches a fight from the rear; then
the night march from Centerville,
on the Warrenton road, standing for
hours wondering what was meant !;
the deployment along the edge of
the field that sloped down to Bull Run,
and waiting for Hunters approach on
the other side from the direction of
Sudley Springs, away off to our
right the terrible scare Of a poor
negro who was caught between our
lines; the crossing of Bull Run, and
the fear lest we should be fired on
by our own men; the killing of Lieut.
Col. Haggerty, which occurred in plain
sight; and the first scenes of a field
strewed with dead men and horses.
Yet, at that period of the battle,
we were the victors and felt jubi-
liant. At that moment, also, my bri-
gade passed Hunters Division; but
Heintzelman's was still ahead Of us,
and we followed its lead along the road
toward Manassas Junction, crossing a
small stream and ascending long hill,
at the summit of which the battle was
going on. Here my regiments came into
action well, but successively, and were
driven back, each in its turn. For two
hours we continued to dash at the woods
on our left front, which were full of
rebels; but | was convinced their organ
ization was broken, and that they had
simply halted there and taken advan-
tage Of these woods as cover, to reach
which we had to pass over the inter
vening fields about the Henry House,
which were clear, open, and gave them
a decided advantage. After l had put
in each of my regiments, and had them
driven back to the cover of the road, l had
no idea that we we're beaten, but reformed
the regiments in line in their proper
order, and only wanted little rest,
when / fourd that my brigade was almost
alone, except Sykes's Regulars, who
had formed square against cavalry and
were coming back. | then realized
that the whole army was Sin retreat"
and that my own men were individually
making back for the Stone Bridge. Cor
coran and formed the brigade into an
irregular square, but it fell to pieces;
and, along with crowd, disorganized
but not much scared, the brigade got
back to Centerville, to our former camps.
Corcoran was captured and held
prisoner for some time, but got safe to
Centerville. / saw Gen. Mcdowell in
Centervile, and understood that several
of his divisions had not been engaged at
all; that he would reorganize them at
Centerville, and there await the enemy.
| got my four regiments in parallel lines
in field, the same in which we had
camped before the battle, and had lain
down to sleep under tree, when | heard
someone asking for me. | called out
where was, when Gen. Tyler in person
gave me orders to march back to our
camps at Fort Corcoran. | aroused
my Aids, gave them orders to call up
the sleeping men, have each regiment
to leave the field by flank and to take
the same road back by which we had come.
1t was near midnight, and the road was
full of troops, wagons and batteries.
We tried to keep our regiments separate,
but all became inextricably mixed.
Toward morning we reached Vienna,
where I slept some hours, and the next
day, about noon, we reached Fort Cor
cOran.
THE NIGHT RETREAT
A slow, mizzling rain had set in, and
probably more gloomy day never pre-
sented itself. ALI organization seemed
to be at an end but l and my staff
]abored hard to collect our men into
their proper companies, and into their
former camps, and, on the 23d Of July,