Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-09-23
Tho First Battle of Manassas by a
Yankee Reporter.

The First Battle of Manassas by {
/ Yankee Reporter.
For the New York World, July 23rd. 1861.
The central line appeared to offer thu
the best chances for survey OF thf
impending action. and in default ol
my certain pre-knowledge. WAS accom-
Irenied by all non participators whom
interest or duty had drawn to the
movement of the day. In order to OBJ
tain full review of it's moonlight
march to the most momentOus effort
# the campaign. l started at the ex
treme rear and rapidly passed along to
lovertake the van of the column. For
some way the central and right divi
.ions were united, the latter forming
off, as | have explained, about mile
beyond Centerville. So, leaving camp
a mile below the village. enjoyed the
first spectacle of the day-a scene new.
er to pass from the memory of those
who saw it. Here were thousands of
comrades in arms going forward to lay
l down their lives in a common cause.
Here was all and more than one had
raadsof the solemn paraphernalia of
| war. These were not the armies of
the aliens to us. but, with the dress,
rhe colOrs, the officers, of every regi-
ment, we were so familiar that those
Of each had for us their own interest
and different charm. We knew the
men, their discipline. their respective
heroes; what corps were most relied on;
whose voice was to be that of Hector
or Agamemnon in the coming fray.
How another day would change all
this. How some long -vaunted batta-
lions would perhaps lose their, as yet,
unearned prestige, while accident or
herOism should gild the standards of
many before undistlnguished. Then,
as followed along that procession of
rambling cannon.carriages and cais-
sons, standards and banners, the gleam.
ing infantry with their thousands of
cleaning bayonets. and the mounted
officers of every staff, what fine excite
ment was added to the occasion by the
salutations and last assurances of the
many comrades dearer than the rest.
The spirit of the soldiery was magnifi-
cent. They were all smartlng under
the reproach of Thursday. and longing
for the opportunity to wipe it out.
There was glowing rivalry between the
men of different States. 'Old Massa-
chusetts will not be ashamed of us to-
night" "Wait till the Ohio boys get
at them" "We'll fight for New York
today" and hundred similar utter
ances were shouted from the different
ranks. The officers were as glad OF
the task assigned them as their men.
[ rode few moments with Lieut.. Col.
Haggerty, of the Sixty ninth. He men
TONED the newspaper statement that
he was killed at the former battle, and
laughingly said that he felt very war
like for dead man and good for at
least one battle more. This brave Off
Ger was olmOst the first victim of the
day. The cherry voice of Meagher,
late the Irish, now the American pa
triot, rang out more heartily than ever.
Then there were Corcoran and Burn
side, and Keyes, and Speidel, and many
another skilled and gallant officer all
pushing forward to the first fruitiOn
of their three months patience prep.
I aration. In the ranks of the Connecti-
cut and other regiments were old class
it was privilege to .xchange a word
on this so different occasion from any
anticipated in those days when all the
States were loyal and the word "dis
union" was portion of an unknown
tongue.
Gen. McDowell's carriage halted at
the junction of the two roads, a place
most favorable for the quick reception
of dispatches from all portions of the
field. The column assigned to Colonel
| Hunter here divided from the main
body and went on its unknown, peril
GUS journey around the enemy's flank
A mile along-and by this time the
white morning twilight gave US clear
I er prospect than the fading radiance
which had thus far illumined the march
I've could look across an open coun-
try on the left te the farm house, where
we knew Col. Richardson was static :
led, and to the blood. stained valley be-
lyond, whose upper reaches were now
to be the arena of a larger conflict.
But it was after sunrise when the van
of Gen. Tyler's column came to the
edge of the wooded hill overlooking
those reaches. The sun had risen az
! splendid as the sun of Austerlitz. Was
J it an auspicious omen for us or for the
foe? Who could foretell? The scenery
was too beautiful and full of nature'l
own peace for one to believe in the
possibility of the tumult and carnage
green just at hand, or that among thos'
green oak forests lurked every engin'
of destruction which human contriv
} ance has produced, with hosts of ar
: enemy more dangerous and subtle thai
1 the wild beasts which had once her
J made their hiding places. Then. too
it was Sunday morning. Even in th
wilderness, the sacred day seems pure
and more hushed than any other. l
was ours to first jar upon the stilInes
of the morning and becloud the cleaI
ness of that sarene atmosphere with tn
? rude clangOr of the avant messenge