The National tribune., 1907-07-25
"REMINISCENCES OF BULL RUN.

"REMINISCENCES OF BULL RUN.
The Men Wanted a Chance TO Try 1t Over
the Next Day.
Editor National Tribune: I receive
weekly much qualification on reading
The National Tribune, and oftimes find
myself wondering if we old fellows do
not sometimes compel our memories to
sustain as facts many events that we
have imagined. The impossibility of
our placing our squadron, battery or
company just where it was renders the
effort to do so by another simply alb
surd. There is something to be remem-
bered in Gen. Grant dedicating his Me-
moirs to the soldiers and sailors, be-
cause none knew them better or had
more faith in them than he; yet, the
Memoirs are often contradicted by
those who must confess that no pen
has done all more justice than his who
led them to final victory. When spO-
ken of by veterans. commanding ar
mics, as the greatest living soldier"
he never forgot those who enabled him
to prove himself the man who could be
thus spoken of with truth. / am not
going to contradict anything that has
been said by another l am going to
state what my mishaps and seeings
were in my first battle. The regiment
was moving to the front by a wood
road in column of fours' when first
subjected to artillery fire, several prof.
ing along the flank of the regimental
column, knocking up a dust. l then
heard a command of caution. 1.-The first
movement will be by the left flank"
and sure enough by left face we
were in line and forward brot us out
of the wood and to a ridge where a
fence had been and beyond a ravine
Then we were facing the enemy. 1t
was good line, that fired by volley and
then lat will" l have never seen Il
better. One man l must find fault
with; a Sergeant got thru the ranks,
advanced about three yards and must
have masked the fire of four men at
least. Fighting as mob is crime.
/ saw no running away. l have had
occasion a number of times to tell
some that have my doubts of veterans
who have never seen any soldiers but
| those who were running away"
was thrown forward on my toes by
what appeared to me an awfulIy loud
report of a gun at the back of my head,
which caused a ringing in my ears, but
no damage. The firing ceased and i
heard the clear. ringing voice of Col.
Henry P. Martin: 1T has been re-
ported that we are firing on friendsi
Advance the colors!" Out went the
Stars and Stripes. and the volley that
Old Glory got, too high for most of
us. settled the question of friends We
advanced to the colors and began again.
| This time a battalion in gray was COM
ing up the slope led by a field officer
with red sash and on bay horse. He
was bringing up his regiment in good
style. was quite near and was, i think,
about riding around his right flank to
the rear, that all might have chance
to fire. when his horse gave a pitch
forward and both horse and man went
down. / have never known what regi-
f..Il,
it was fOrcibly put out of the fight. The
Rhode Island boys were busy to the
left of us, and one man in fence cor
ner, in advance of the general line, was
doing remarkably we'll The New
Hampshire men were near our regi-
ment, and when seen by me were doing
well and in good order. / did my level
best to fire as fast and often as possible
for we all know it does disconcert ones
aim to be under a direct fire of cannon
land musketry. ! believe / thought
more of that than of killing any one
My only mishap was the dropping of a
percussion cap when pulling it thru the
lining of lambs-wool of my cap pouch,
my finger and thumb being unused to
articles so small. Some one at the left
and rear said: Il can't get those -----
= men out of that ditch"
/ did not turn to see who II was, neith-
Ter did ] see ditch nor men in one.
The firing ceased, and most of the men
were sitting, when i strayed over to
where one of our howitZers was being
worked for dear life, and passed a man
Lying on his face, dead, j suppose. uni
formed with white felt hat, red shirt
and white pants. / know not his regi-
ment. He was on our line near our
howitZer and little to the rear of
where the Rhode Island boys were
but did not do it under fire: besides, 1
was in plain view and would be taken
for a battery support. The Newburg
boys of the HOwitzer. Co. j, ceased
firing. and I had view of the field
that was grand. In front. in the hol-
How, was a squadron of cavalry as i'm
movable as statues. To its left the
marnes-I judged 1t was they, from
their white belts-were depioyed and
lgoing for the timber up the slope on
the opposite side of the hollow. There
was nothing in front of us in sight and
no firing. Away to the right of the
New Hampshire men caisson team
at gallop was coming obliquely to-
wards our line. Just then comrade
accompanied by Zouave called to me
to come and j went with them.
] can never forget my modification
and disappointment that night. A be-
grimed, dirty private. my blouse first
wet with perspiration and then covered
with dust, the dust making il look like
T imudarmor. Food in my haversack and
have another chance, j did then and
5 while life doth last will sympathize with
, Gen. Mcdowell, my General. for what
t must have been his feelings, in COM
: parison, from others not realizing a,
: the proper time where victory was for
7 the taking of it. / was near to COM
} mitting suicide when in some troops
D near Fairfax Court House a soldier
i bawled Coward I did not know the
troops. They were closed en- masse
resting There was a quick facing tC
/ the left, Springfield brought to g
! ready" the silence that reigned for g
e second can be imagined, and the poor
defeated ones passed on-the Zouave
D my comrade, and myself.
, The presumption that the Enemy
, could have marched into Washington
! that night was brilliant. but void of eX.
ecution on account of its impractica.
l bility" The men who fought that day
] would have fought better next day
= They would have dropped well enough
: and pressed every advantage gained, aid
e ed by fresh troops. Johnston realized i