The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
THE BLUES TASTE
THEDUST OF DEFEAT
Bell Executes a Brilliant
Vancouver.
AND He REAPS GLORY
Grant Won the First Engagement and
Bell the Second. In Each Case
Victory Was With the Attack
ing Force. The Umpire
Speaks.
(By the Associated Press


Va, Sept. 1S.EThe second manoeuv-
err problem ceased at o'clock today
when General Bell, commanding the
Brown army, demolishing General
Grant, commanding the Blue army,
east of Bull Run. This result awards
victory to the attacking force in each
of the two problems and makes Gem
eraI Grant the first victor and Cen
eral Bell the second so Tar as results
can be estimated without bullets.
The manoeuvering and fighting to-
day was far the most spectacular ana
exciting of the campaign. The first
day OF the second problem had de-
f. Veloped nothing but rear guard ac-
ton on the part of General Grant,
when General Bell had spent his time
endeavoring to made demonstration
on the left wing of the Blue line.
During the night the situation was
tchanged. General Grants main posi-
ton remained the same, behind or to
the east of Bull Run. He withdrew
his first brigade under General Whit
fought the rear guard action the day
before to the famous Stone bridge
across Rull Run, along whose eastern
shores the trenches dug by the Federal
troops still remain, and in which Cen
eral Grant posted General Wints line
after it had driven across the bridge
with the loss of one brigade. General
Bell executed a magnificent march
with the force which the day before
were on the left wing Of his enemy.
He threw them during the small hours
of the night from, the left to the right
Of Grants position. When daylight
came they We're put across Bull Run at
Sudley, or to the extreme north Of the
monoeuVer scene.
same and fought a brigade action at
Stone Bridge. 1t was at this point that
the fighting of the day began. The
Brown forces charged up to the
bridge, which was constructively
blown up, but We're repuised and or
dered back. A second charge like
wise did not meet the approval of the
umpires. but the third was accom-
plished by most brilliant action.
A part of the Brown force, a sec
ton of the Ninth infantry, had de-
ployed in the woods, good down stream
and waded across. They crep up on
the east bank and got i'm position not
twenty yards behind the Blue defend
ers. when the Eighth Massachusetts
and Twelfth New York, who were
making the charge on the west side,
came up the third time. 1t did not
take the umpires a second to rule the
entire Blue force at this point and
I'm the meantime the force which
had crossed to the north of Sudley,
crossed down toward the pike. They
struck Grants line in the rear and
the Vancouver ended when this force
appeared in a thanking movement on
Il blue line which was facing a. brown
line that had crossed at the stone
bridge. In summing UP the situa-
ton tonight Colonel Wagner. chief
umpire, gave the precise movement of
each brigade during the night after
which he commented on the man
oeuvre as follows
"The blue cavalry accomplished
nothing during the day. General Bell
having taken the precaution to
change his base. Among the blue
regiments that lost most heavily in
constructive killed or captured were
the First South Carolina. the Ala
bama and the Florida regiments, all
in the blue army. The withdrawal of
General Grant to n defensive position
at Bull Run was effected very skill
fully. The handling of the rear
guard of General Whit. being espe-
cially fine.
General Bells plan of action was
an able one. .Menacing the left flank
of the blue he made n long prompt
night march by (which he placed
himself on the enemy's right flank in
a Way InaC PROMISED DI1llld0L results.
What the result would have been in
actual warfare it is impossible to say
The blue right was badly shattered
but Prices brigade was still intact
and Immediately available for sup
port Reinforcements could have
been drawn from the brigade of
Frost. Whether the frontal attack
across Bull Run would have been
sufficient to hold these two brigades
in check. or whether the brigades in
question would themselves have been
carried away in the general rush, it
is idle to speculate
In relinquishing command of the
vancouver force General Corbin is
sued general order tonight express
ing his approval of the work done by
each commander and the force under
him. The militia will be paid to-
morrow after the review. and this
will approximate 100000. The bal
ance of the loss falls upon the brok-
erage firm and small store-keepers.