Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-09-30
The First Battle of Manassas by
Yankee Reporter.

/ Internal earthworks at the point of th
bayonet. Every regiment, yesterday
was at times "forlorn hope.'
A few dead and wounded began t
be brought 10. and the battle of Mar
,ssas had commenced. Carlisle's 8 howl
tiers and the great rifled gun wer'
! opened in the direction of the battery
which answered promptly, and brief
but terrible cannonading ensued. Ir
less than half an hour the enemy's gun
were silenced, two of Carlisle's howl
zers advancing through the woods tt
gain closer position. But fata
error was here made, as l thought, by
General Tyler, in not ordering in di
vision to drive out the four rebel regi
ments stationed behind the battery
ind to seize its eight guns. Through
lsome inexplicable fatuity he seemed to
assume that when battery was silenc-
ed it was convinced, and there it re-
mained, with it's defenders, unheard
from and unthought of until the latter
portion of the day, when it formed one
cause of our final defeat. 1t is actual
| ly fact, that while our whole forces
were pushed along the right to a CO.
| operation with Hunters flanKing COL
| umn, and q distance of miles in ad-
vance, this position on the left, close to
the scene of the commencement of the
fight, and just in front of all our trains
and ammunition wagons-a position
chosen by all spectators as the most se-
cure-was, through the day. within
five minutes reach of q concealed force
of infantry, and battery which had
only been ''siIenced." No force was
stationed to guard the rear of our left
flank. 1t was near this very point and
with the assistance of this very in
fantry that the enemy's final charge
was made which created such irretriev-
able confusion and dismay. And after
the first few hours no officer could be
found in this vicinity to pay any at.
tention to its security. All had gone
forward to follow the line of the con.
test.
Meantime, Richardson, on the ex-
treme left, could not content himself
with maintaining his position" for |
we heard occasional discharges from !:
two of his guns. However, be took no /.
other part in the action than by she'll |
ing the forces of the enemy which were
sent rapidly from his vicinity to the !!
immediate point of contest. From the
hill behind we could see long columns |
advancing and at first thought they |
We're Richardson's men moving on |
Bull Run, but soon discovered their |
true character. Indeed. from every |
southwark point the enemy g reinforce
ments began to pour in by thousands.
Great clouds of dust arose from the
distant roads. A person who ascend
ed lofty tree could see the continual
arrival of cars at the nearest point on
the Manassas railroad with hosts of |
soldiers who formed in solid squares
and moved swiftly forward to JOIN in
the contest. The whistle of the loco
motive was plainly audible to those in
our advance. 1t is believed that at
least fifty thousand were added during
the day to the thirty Thousand rebels
opposed to us at the outset. It was
hard for our noble fellows to withstand
these incessant reinforcements, but
some OF our regiments whipped several
corps opposed to them in quick sue
cession and whenever our forces, fresh
or tired, met the enemy in open field,
they made short work of bis opposi-
tion.
At 1890 a. m. Hunter was heard from
on the extreme right. He had pre-
sent courier to Gen. Mcdowell,
reporting that he had safely crossed
the run. The general was lying Oh the
ground having been ill during the night.
but at once mounted his horse and
rode on to join the column on which so
much depended. In the neighborhood
of Sudley Church, he saw the enemy's
left in battle array and at once ad-
vanced upon them with the Fourteenth
New Y ork and battalion of regular
infantry-Col Hunter ordering up the
stalWart Rhode Island regiments Zone
led by that model of the American
volunteer, Burnside) the Second New
Hampshire and our own finely -discip.
lined Seventy-first. Gov. Sprague1
himself directed the movements of the
Rhode Island brigade and was conspic
uous through the day for gallantry.
The enemy We're found in heavy mum.
bers opposite this unexcelled division
of our army. and greeted it with shell
and long volleys of battalion firing as
it advanced. But on it went and a
fierce conflict ensued in the northern
battle ground. AS soon as Hunter was
thus discovered to be making his way
on the flank, General Tyler sent for
ward the right wing of his col umn to
cooperate, and grand force was thus
brought to bear most effectualIy on the |
enemy's left and center.
The famous Irish regiment, 1000
strong, who have had so much of the |
hard digging to perform claimed the |
honor of share in the hard fighting |
and led the van of Tulor,o ottook fol
lowed by the Seventy-ninth (Highland-
ers) and Thirteenth New York and |
Second Wisconsin.
1t was a brave sight-that rush of |
the Sixty-ninth into the death strug-
gle. With such cheers as those which |
won the battles in the Peninsula, with |
quick step at first and then double |
quick and at last run they dashed |