The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-04-21
1.-THE AMERICAN :
/ CONFLICT"
Leading Incidents and Episodes
of the War IF the Rebellion.
By HORACE GREELEY.
BATTLE OF BULL RUN.

TROOPS MOVED INTO Virginia.
TRAGIC DEATH OF COL. ELLSWORTH.
SURPRISE OF SCHENCK'S FORCE-GEN.
PATTERSON'S CONDUCT-ENCOUNTE
AT BLACKBURN FORD-THE EVE OF
THE COMBAT.
Reports of contemplated rebel inva-
sion ofthe North, through Maryland, we're
current throughout the month of May,
1861, countenanced by the fact that
Maryland flights, opposite Harper's
Ferry, were held by Johnston through
the most of that month, while consid-
cradle force appeared opposite Williams
port on the 18th, and seemed to medi-
tate crossing.
A rising in Baltimore, and even a
dash on Philadelphia, were among their
rumored purposes. Surveys and re-
connoissances had been made by them
of Arlington Nights and other emf
nences on tie Virginia side of the Poto-
mac, as if with intent to plant batteries
for the shelling of Washington.
But the Union forces, in that State
and Maryland, increased SO rapidly,
that any offensive movement in that
quarter ON the part of the rebels would
have been foolhardy in the extreme.
Finally, on the night of the 23d Gen.
Scott gave the order for an advance !;
and. before morning, 10000 Unionists
were planted on the "sacred soil"
Gen. Mansfield superintended the
crossing of the Long Bridge; while
Gen. Mcdowell conducted that over the
Chain Bridge at Georgetown; whence
the Goth N. Y, Col. Corcoran, was
pushed forward to seize the crossing of
the Orange q Manassas Gap Railway,
some miles westward.
The New York Fire Zouaves, Col.
Ellsworth, moved by steamers directly
on Alexandria; but the rebels in that
city had either been warned by treachery
or were alarmed by the menacing APP
pearance of the gunboat Pawnee, and
had very generally escaped when the
Zouaves landed. Some 800 of them,
mainly civilians, we're captured by the
Goth n. Y, in their fight on the rail-
road aforesaid.
KILLING OF COL. ELLSWORTH.
No resistance was met at any point.
But Col. Ellsworth, seeing Secession
flag flying from the Marshall House at
Alexandria, stepped in, with four fol-
lowers, and took it down. Passing
down the stairs, he was met by one
jackson, the hotel keeper, who, raising
a double barreled gun, shot Ellsworth
dead on the spot. ags
He was himselfFmstanay shot in turn
by Francis +. Brownell, one of Col.
Ellsworth's followers and the two who,
at one moment, confronted each other
as strangers but as mortal foes, the next
lay side by side in death.
Jackson's deed, which, at the North,
was shudderingly regarded as assassina-
ton, at the South was exulted over as
an exhibition of patriotic heroism; and
a subscription was at once set on foot for
the benefit of his family.
This incident was rightly regarded by
many as indicative Of the terrible earn
estness of the contest upon which the
American people were now entering.
Gen. Mcdowell, having firmly estab-
lished himself on the right bank of the
Potomac for several miles opposite to
and below Washington, proceeded to
fortify his position, but made no further
offensive demonstrations for several
weeks; whose quiet was broken only by
brisk dash into and through the village
of Fairfax Courthouse by Lieut.. c. II.
Tompkins, of the I'd Regular Cav
resulting in loss of six on either side
and by an ambuscade at Vienna.
GEN. sCHENCK's MIsHAP
Late on Monday, June II, Gen.
Robert C. Schenck, under orders from
Gen. Mcdowell, left camp near Alex
andria, with 700 of Col. McCook's 1st
Ohio on railroad train, and proceeded
slowly up the track toward Leesburg,
detaching and stationing two companies
each at Falls Church and at two road
crossings as he proceeded.
He was nearing Vienna, 10 miles
from Alexandria, with four remaining
companies, numbering 275 men, utterly |
unsuspicious Of danger, when, on emery.
ing from cut and turning curve, 80 |
rods from the village. his train was
raked by masked battery of two guns,
hastily planted by Col. Gregg, latter
ward Gen. Maxcy Gregg, Governor elect
of South Carolina; killed at Fredericks-
burg who had been ffor two or three
days scouting along our front with about
800 rebels. mainly South Carolinians,
and who, starting that morning from
Dranesville, had been tearing up the
track at Vienna, and ihad started to re-
turn to Dranesville when they heard the
whistle of Gen. Schenck's locomotive.
Several rounds of grape were fired
point-blank into the midst of the Ohio
boys, who speedily sprang from the cars
and formed under the protection of
clurnp of trees on the.side of the track.
The engineer, who was backing the train,
and, of course, in the rear of it, instantly
detached his locomotive, and started at
his best speed for Alexandria, leaving