The times., 1899-07-23

up, began the retreat which finally assumed
the aspect of a rout. sdl
Union historian says: 4e
unfortunate the Union army had lost
its morale. The mere disorder OF the fl
nal repuIse was slight; but the demprali-
zation and loss of discipline had been
growing during the whole afternoon. until
suddenly the whole army was half dis
solved. The impulse of retreat once start
ed, there was nc checking or controlling
it. Despite the efforts and appeals of Nc
Dowell and his officers, the various de-
tachments began moving from the field.
The commander yielded to necessity, made
the best dispositions he could to cover the
retreat and passed the word to reassem-
BILE in the old camps at Centreville, not
doubling that he could here make rally.
The Disorderly Retreat.
"The distance to Centreville by the War
renton Pike is four and one-half miles.
But through the perversity of fate, each
detachment now retreated by the same
road over which it had advanced. Thus
the bulk fthe army brigades of Porter,
Burnside, Franklin, Wilcox, and Howard
went back over the long detour of ten
miles by Sudley Ford
Stuart and Radford with cavalry pur-
sued the retreating Federals, but accom-
/ plished little beyond picking up squads of
stragglers. The Federal army at this time
had not become thoroughly demoralized.
Bonham's and Longstreet's brigades were
ordered to move against Centreville. 1t
is said, though, that they did not make a
| very serious assault.
| 1t is said that the first real panic oc-
| CURED among the great crowd of camp fol-
! lowers that held protected position on an
| elevation about mile and half from the
| Stone Bridge. When the first fugitives
brought unfavorable news, these camp fol-
| lowers began to move toward 0entreville
and this produced confusion and block
ade. The stories of disaster coming fas-
ter and faster produced stampede among
| these persons.
| Soon after began the wild scramble to
reach places of safety, and this panic spread
nearly throughout the whole of Mcdowell s
army, which it must be remembered was
| composed of three months volunteers, who
had been subjected to very little discipline
and had never before been exposed to gun
fire. Arms and clothing were thrown away;
wagons were abandoned ambulances con-
! tanning wounded soldiers were left stand
| ing in the roads, and frightened teamsters
unhitched their horses and rode away at
breakneck speed. Down near Sudley Ford,
Confederate light battery had obtained a
position and opened fire on the disordered
bodies of men, adding TO the confusion.
| The road became blocked and many guns
and wagons were wrecked
| The Confederate commanders did not
know that the Federal rout was as dire as
it was. Jefferson Davis, in a letter to Beau
regard said: You will not fail to remem-
ber that so far from knowing the enemy
was routed, large part of our forces was
moved by you, on the night of the 21st to
repel a supposed attack upon our right,
and the next days operations did not fully
reveal what has since been reported OF the
enemy's panic"
When Mcdowell reached Centreville
| from the battlefield he thought to rally the
army, but the panic had grown by what
| it had fed on, and it was impossible.
! Thus the army maintained its disorderly
! retreat all the way to Washington. Rich
ardson's and Blenker's brigades, which had
| not been stricken with confusion, made a
deliberate retreat from Centreyille, acting
as an effective rear guard till the Potomac
| camps We're reached.
The battlefield is about seven miles
northwest from the village of Manassas,
which is on the Southern Railway, thirty
miles from Washington. The fields are
very quiet there now, and peaceful plow-
men continually unearth rusty musket bar
| rels swords, shells, and bones. On the
| highest part of the field is the Henry
/ House Confederate headquarters was be-
| hind this and around it stood Jackson S
brigade. 1t was the point of farthest pene-
tration of the Federal troops. In the yard
| of the house was a grove of big locust
trees. Their stumps still stand, the trees
| having been cut away by shot and shell. A
/ cannon ball passed through the house, kill
ing Mrs. Henry, an aged woman, who was
! in bed. Her son, now an old man, saw the
| fighting and still occupies the home He
! likes to tell visitors the story of the tat-
| tie.
The fighting during the second battle Of
Manassas in August. 1862, was nearly on
! the same ground. and much of it was with
| in view of the old Henry House.