Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-21

telhoon, again the long roll was sounded
FROM the number OF mounted officers and
men gailoping furiously off TO every en-
campment II was evident that the
enemy was at CharlestOwn, twenty miles
northeast but nearer TO the passes OF the
Biue Ridge than We were General Beau
regard was known TO be at Manassas Sta
tion' far TO the east. eighty miles by dl-
rect line. with the Blue Ridge and the
Shenandoah river between him and us.
soon the news came: IL was not an order,
out simply message, from General John
sion TO each brigade, regiment. and indi-
Nldnal soldier, that General Bcauregard
! had Just notified him from Manassas
junction that on that morning at day
break he had been attacked by an over
Whelming force of the enemy from Cen
treVille. He was holding his own, but
| needed help. General Johnston had start
ed, and would go day and night, to his
relief; and he expected that every man
who wanted 10 fight the enemy would up
ana follow. Every man sprang 10 his
place, and IN an incredibly short time We
were rapidly moving through the dusty
streets Of old Winchester. there only to
be more inspired and encouraged for there
was not a mother or sister there who
had not in the ranks a son or a brother,
and who. through tears and walls at being
undefended and alone. yet told us ii was
cur duty TO go.
ON TO MANASSAS.
Our "Virginia Brigade" took the lead.
and TO the eastward, making for Ashby's
Gap As we passed through the rich
and fertile Clarke county. the road was
lined with ladies holding all manner Of
food and drink. for General Johnston's
staff had passed in sweeping gallop, and
Of T,Fr.
down We came to the cold, swift Shenan-
doah, and with two and three TO every
horse, the rest, stripped Of trousers, cross
ed, holding aloft muskets and head
clothing and ammunition. This was the
Severest test, for II was a long struggle
against a cold. breast-high current, and
the whole night and the next day wit
messed this fording Of men. guns. ana
horses. Luckily the road beyond vas
hard, dry, and plain i'm the dark night as
We slowly climbed the Blue Ridge. which
rises preciptousiy from the river. and
in a struggling line passed by the big
poplar tree" that crowns the summit,
and is the corner Of four counties
Clarke, Warren. Fauquier, and LOudoun.
Coming down the mountain by the
hamlet Of Paris, and there leaving tho
pike" we took the country road soft
and damp, 10 the railroad station at
Piedmont, whore. sleeping on the ground,
we awaited the arrival of the train 10
carry us 10 Manassas Junction. At sun
rise il came, long train OF freight and
cattle-cars. I'm which we packed ourselves,
like 50 many pins and needles, and as
safety for engine and cars were more es-
sential than speed-for we had only one
engine on that part of the old Manassas
Gap TailrOad-We slowly iolted past the
many country stations, warmly welcomed
by the gathered crowds of women and
girls with food and drink. When, at
sunset, we arrived al Manassas Junction,
we sprang at once into line and swept
into a broken country of pine forests.
-Four miles brought us to the banks Of
Bull Run" where we slept. This was
Friday night, the 18th, and it had taken
twenty-four hours to bring four thou
sand men to the expected field of action.
GETTING INTO ACTION.
Fright and early on Saturday. July
20, 1861. the Virginia Brigade was up
and examining with soldiers interests
the scene Of the conflict Of the 18th. a
lire Of fresh graves was rather de
pressing; the trees were loOped and
mangled by shot and perforated by
minie-balls; the short. dry grass show
ing in very many spots dark chocolate
hue. spreading irregularly like a map.
which the next day became a too familiar
sight.
The whole Of Saturday the goth, we
lay in the pines. resting and surmising,
greeting each new regiment as IT arrived
at all hours Of the day and nigh fresh
eager, and painting for the figh The
general questions asked were: Has the
fighting begun yet?" Are we too late?"
when was it to be?" Let us get good
place. where we can kill every id
nt,lr nd q 1eay, 90 f.v, or
or shot disturbed the quiet of that long
Saturday, and we slept peacefully that
night. AS the next day broke we were
aroused out Of our lairs by the loudest
gun l have ever heard, apparently fred
right at our heads, as we supposed, and
from just over the bank Of Bull Run,
only q hundred yards Distant but It
proved to be the signal gun from Cen
treville four miles away, in the encamp-
ment of General Mcdowell. AT the dou-
ble-quick we were in line along the bank
of the stream, mOmentarily expecting the
enemy TO appear and open on us; and
thus we waited until the sun got over the
tops of the trees when a mounted officer
rode up and after a hurried interview
with Colonel Jackson we were, to our
surprise, wheeled TO the rear" and went
at "double-quicll' over the fields and
through the woods 10 the extreme left
Of our army. 1t then turned out that at
the same day and hour General Nc
DoWoll had decided to attack us on our
left. and General Beauregard had decided
TO attack the Federals on their left so,
had il Got been discovered in time by the
Confedcrates each army would have fol-
lowed the other in concentric circles
BATTLEFIELD SCENES.
For two long. hot hours we moved
towards the rafting of musketry, which
a. first very faint became more and more
audible. At last we halted under Il long
ridge1 covered with small pines. Here
were the wounded Of that corps who had
Eeen first engaged, men limping on gun
or stick: men carried OFF In blankets
bleeding their lives away; men supported
on each side by soldiers; and they gave
little encouragement TO new troops as we
were They had been at il ever since sun
rise The enemy were as thick as wheat
i'm the field. and the long lines Of blue
conld not be counted Up the line our
brigade started, direct to where the mus
kerry seemed the loudest our regiment
the Second. bringing up the rear. Reach
inc the top, a wide clearing was discov-
cred; a broad table land spread out, the
nine thicket ceased. and far away over
The hills in front was the smoke of mus
ketrv: AT the bottom of the long declivity
,,,as the famous turnpike, and on the hills
beyond could be seen clearly Grifiins ana
Dickett's batteries. In their front to the
rear. and on each side, were long lines OF
blue. TO our right about 100 yards off,
WAS small building, the celebrated
Henry House.