The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-08-04
PANICS IN WAR
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.


rushcrs. The panic in the ranks of the |
union army at Bull Run has been writ
ten of a thousand times, a"d yet no
writer has hit the real beginning Of it.
1t would have to be traced back TO 4
single man, and he perhaps was among
the killed. Standing on the hills 20 the
south of Centerville, a mile and a half
from the battle Lines at the stone
bridge, whole regiment of us wit
messed the first phases of that memor
able spectacle.
All along that front the smoke-clouG
was hanging over the treetops, leaving
the ground fairly clear. With the naked
eve we could see the field guns moving
and the troops changing position.
There seemed to be general forward
movement, with every indication that
the battle was goinA favorably. when
afar down the Highway there was sud
den confusion 1t as like the gather
ing of q mob. W; aw men running
towards commnS center from the
fields. The mob k,pearel to circle
round aud round a. i. grew. bu; at the
end of five minutes ii was moving rap
idly toward us. A. il advanced it was
swelled from ri S'ht to left, but we had
not yet made ont what was happening
when bareheaded officer, riding
ahead of the mob, dashed up to our
colonel and shouted:
Form your reg giment across the road
and drive EN- back! The damn COW
ards are breaking for the rear!'
There was not a coward in that mob
Every man had been fighting for three
or four hours, and fighting well. We
moved down to the highway on the
doube-quick aud formed six ranks
deep across It. As soon as we were III
line we got the orders to fix baNonets
and a solid wall of steel met the frs:
of the fugitives. The first thing | no.
liced was the pale faces and wild looks
of the fleeing men. Many of them We're
hatless and coatlesS. and all had thrown
away knapsacks and hayersacks, and
some were crying. OF the first dozen
who led one was a lieutenant, and he
was crying out tina, they would all he
cut down by the rebel cavalry. The
first 200 of the fugitives divided and
rushed into the fields to pass us. We
meDaced them with our bayonets, bu:
it was Eo use. Inside of two minutes
we were run over and swept aside. AS
a regiment we were cool and under Or
ders so far from feeling any trepida
ton we were laughing and joking a:
the appearance and antics of the fugi
tives. We were goodnaturedly bu:
firmly barring he way, even as we We're
forced to give back. when one Of The
fugitives, who was yet ten rods away
called out in stentorian tones:
For the love OF God, let us pass
Our whole army has been licked, ant
the Black Horse caval"y are cutting
everybody down."
We were Thousand cool and steady
men, The voice of the soldier roarec
out ike a fog horn, and vas reentorcet
by hundred other voices, and before
you could snap your finger three time:
the panic had spread to every man o
the thousand If The officers tried T.
stop it. | did lot see nor hear. We be
came a mob in the wink of an eye
Muskets were flung down, knapsack!
tossed aside. and every man stripped
himself for a race. There were ambu
lances and wagons in the road, anc
their drivers ran them into bitches an'
joined the mob. \ quarter OF mil
in the rear of where we had fOrme'
across the highway was regiment i'll
field. The colonel started 70 maTcl
them to the highway to intercept us
but before they had taken 90 steps tn
men began breaking, and N 60 sec
onds the whole regiment WAS flying
As we reached Centerville we took il
the troops in reserve there, togethe
with teamstcrs, ambulance men, sur
geons, hospital nurses and camp-fol
lowers. and from thence to point fiv
miles nearer Washington it was spec
tacle no man can ever forget. Every
body tried to run Men even kicked OF
their shoes to get along faster. Som
laughed hystericall y-some sobbed lik
children. Now and then we heard tn
voice of an officer cursing or appealing
but his words were unheeded. The fea
Of something greater than death wa
upon that mass of fugitives, and ha
the sea been in their course they woul
have flung themselves into it soone
than come to halt. 1t was silly
senseless thing. and a thing to jok
about and feel ashamed of forever afte
but it mad to run its course. Five G
six miles north of Centerville the pam
began to subside, but the mob contlr
ued its retreat until the spires of Nast
ington were in sight. The enemy di
not follow. He had no: planned to TO
low. He did not know of the panic III
til hours too late to take advantage {
1t. beginning with one single man,
grew and spread until it took in 1906
or more. For five miles the road wa
full of wagons, ambulances, suffer
outfits and hospital stores. Ii wa
further burdened with muskets, knal
sacks, haversacks and clothing. II too