The times., 1899-07-23

gard and Johnston might unite their armies
and it was thought advisable TO send col
umn to threaten Manassas. Then the North
was impatient for action. The cry in the
press and throughout the North was "On
TO Richmond" The slight Union losses
under General Butler at Great Bethel and
of General Schenck at Vienna station fur-
ther irritated the North
General Scatt's Plans.
The primary object of General Scott in
sending column against Manassas was
not 10 fight a battle but to make dem
onstration against Beauregard which would
aid Patterson in his operations against
Harper's Ferry. 1t was reported that there
were at that time about 5000 Confederates
under Beauregard. Before the execution
of this design General Johnston had eyacu-
ated Harper's Ferry About the middle of
June it was known that heavy re-enforce-
ments were being thrown to Beauregard.
| General Mcdowell. at the request of the
! general in chief submitted a plan for an
attack upon the Confederate position at
Manassas. Mcdowell took it for granted
| that the Confederates would be apprised
! OF the movement and that every enort
would be put forth TO re-enforce Beaure-
| gard. but 1t was determined that Patter-
| son should engage Johnston and that GEN
eral Butler should take care of the Confed-
/ crate troops in the vicinity of Fort Monroe
! His calculation was that Beauregard would
! have about $4,000 men, and that to defeat
| this force he would throw against the
| Confederate position 10000 men and hold
| GOO in reserve.
Mcdowell was positive that he could
| not with his force beat the combined ar
| mics of Johnston and Beauregard, but he
was assured by the Washington authorities
| that should Johnston seek to make juno
| tion with Beauregard he would have Pat
terson on his heels. There was a council
of war at the White House on June 29, and
| the movement was to be begun one week
from that date. Unforeseen delays We're
encountered and the orders TO begin the
march southwark were not issued till the
| afternoon of July 16.
The Federal army was organized as fol-
lows:
First division-Commanded by General
| Tyler with 1886 men divided into four
brigades, commanded by Generals Keyes,
| Schenck, Sherman, and Richardson.
Second division-Commanded by Gener-
al Hunter, with 2,64S men, divided into two
| brigades, commanded by Generals Porter
and Burnside.
Third division-Commanded by General
Heintzelman, with 9.7T7 men, divided into
| three brigades commanded by Generals
| Franklin, Wilcox, and Howard.
| Fourth Division, commanded by General
| Runyon, with 5,752 men.
Fifth Division. commanded by General
Miles. with 6,207 men, divided into two
! brigades, commanded by Generals Blenker
and Davies.
McDowell's actual moving column is
given by Federal records as 2S,56S men,
! Runyon's Division being left in the rear to
guard communications.
McDoweIIs Advance.
McDowell's advance was very Slow be-
cause the men had not learned how to
march. Mcdowell says that they stopped
every moment to pick blackberries or to get
water. They would not keep in the ranks
order as much as you pleased. When they
came where water was fresh. they would
pour the old water out of their canteens
and refill them. They were not used to de-
nying themselves much, and were not used
/ to making journey on foot"
The Confederate outposts retired all
along the line of march. Beauregard's
main army was posted at the various fords
/ along Bull Run and in line about eight
miles alcng and extending from the Ma
nassas Railroad TO the Stone Bridge OH
the Warrenton Turnpike. Ewell's brigade
was posted at Union Mills Ford, Jones
brigade at McLean's Ford, Longstreet's
| brigade at Blackburn's Ford, Bonham's
/ brigade above Mitchell's Ford, Cookies
! brigade at Lewis Ford, Evans demi-bri-
! gade at Stone Bridge. Early's brigade was
posted as reserve to Longstreets and
/ Jones There were seven regiments with
/ Beanregard that were not brigaded.
/ Holmes brigade of two regiments, an
| independent command, was ordered up
from Aqua Creek, reported early, and was
/ posted as q support TO Ewell.
! Johnston's army comprised Jackson's
( brigade of five regiments. and Bees brig
/ ade Of four regiments which brigades were
! posted as supports TO Bonham and Cooke
/ This army arrived on the field in the
morning of the day of battle. The Sixth
I North Carolina Regiment, Hills Virginia
+ Regiment, and Kirby Smiths Brigade ar
rived at Manassas at about noon Accord
: ing to official reports the strength of Beau
regards army was q, s33. Johnston's army
| S.Ss4, Holmes brigade 1855.
McDowells plan was to turn Beaure-
! CARDS position on the South. To create
the impression that he meant to attack
the front he marched to Centreville on the
! Warrenton turnpike. General Tyler
| reached Centreville on July is and found
that it had been evacuated and that all
OF Beauregard's army had taken up its po-
sition behind Bull Run. Tyler determined
! TO make a reconnaissance in the direction
of the retreat and at noon of the 18th
struck the Confederates at Blackburn S
Ford. A battery was set into action and
Richardson's brigade was called on. The
Federals, after the loss OF about sixty men,
retreated and returned to Centreville Nc
Mcdowell receiving reports from his Off
GERS of riflepits and breastworks was con-
WINGED that direct assault could not be
successfully carried out.
On the night OF July is he announced to
his officers that he had abandoned his pur-
pose to turn Beauregard's right owing to
the nature of the country that would have
to be traversed, and had concluded to at
tempt to turn the Confederate left. Rich
ardson's brigade was again sent in the di-
rection of Blackburn's Ford for the pur-
pose of keeping up the impression that a
direct attack was contemplated, and the
engineers were set to work to discover the
weakest ford along the stream toward the
Confederate left. On Saturday night Nc
Dowell announced his plans for the battle
that was TO follow on the next day. He
did not then know that Johnston had ar
rived from the Shenandoah Valley and wa!
with Beauregard. The determination wa
made to cross at Sudleys Ford, about two
miles above the Stone Bridge. Tyler wa!
TO advance to the Stone Bridge engage thu
Confcderates there, while Hunter anC
Heintzelman, by quick night march
should cross above at Sudleys Ford, and
countermarching on the Confederate side
should take the enemy's position at tn,
Stone Bridge in reverse. Tylers division
was then TO cross the bridge. On the nigh
OF the goth Beauregard and Johnston wer,
drawing up a plan to attack the Fedora
position at Centreville. The order for th
movement was written out, but Sunday wa
dawning and Tyler's signal guns wer
booming at sunrise.
The Fighting Berius