The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-06-02
Stedn1ar1, War
Correspondent

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In Harpers for May are printed
some hitherto unpublished letters Of
the late e. c. Stedman. They present
b view Of the poet banker, which shows
that he had also q capacity for deeds OF
heroism and love for doing them.
July Is, 1861, his diary reads: my
first battle. Witnessed the Blackburn's
Ford affair Under fire from beginning
to end. Helped to right the first gun.
patch beat the other papers"
Two days later, while the army en-
camped, and reconnoitred for new at
tack, Stedman wrote to his wife the
following:
THE army moves forward again to-
night-part of 1t. at least, and / am
going to accompany It. AS I sent my
letter to the World this morning, and
have spare half-hour, while my horse
is feeding, I think I will write you
word. have written you several times
this week, and sent a line Thursday
night, after the battle, to say that I
was In 1t throughout, but came out
safe. Hill, Houses assistant, got there
after the fight commenced, had one ball
whiz by his ear, got frightened, gal
loped % miles to Washington and there
reported 500 killed, and that the press
had fled the field. No one left but him.
Mr.. Raymond editor of the New York
Times) was with me In the hottest cam
nonade, and was as cool as a cucum-
Der. My letters to the World tell the
whole story, II they have got safely
through. I sent one dispatch to Wash
ington, to be forwarded from there by
telegraph, the night of the battle. This
was a column and half long, and was
so correct that have not since been
obliged to alter word. / am in great
suspense to know whether it got
through. Yesterday, the 10th, I sent a
letter giving more details. Today I
have written long letter about the
nature Of the enemy's defences. There
is great difficulty in getting anything
to Washington, and you cannot imag-
Inc how worried I am about my dis
patches. When you see Marble, I wish
you would tell him so, and that I am
sure my telegraphic dispatch was a
big thing II 1t ever reached him.
ut will be some time, fear, before
I shall have another such splendid op-
portunity Of witnessing battle. The
ground was peculiarly favorable for my
observation. My horse was very rest
I've, throwing me twice-by the way,
constant saddle-practice has made me
pretty fair horseman-when the
heavy cannonading was going on.
I'VE move forward, as I said, tonight,
but / don't think there will be much
lighting, as we only go little way,
probably with view to a permanently
strong position. General Mcdowell, I
learn privately, is really afraid to put
our raw troops against the enemy's
batteries. He fears they will run. But
l go in for a grand attack from all
quarters at once. If my dispatch got
through, show 1t to George Arnold. I
wish he was out here with me.
THE actual loss in the late engage
ment, no matter what the official re-
port say, is about 25 killed, 30 wounded
and 30 missing. The trees prevented
the carnage from being greater"
From the diary, Sunday, July p, 1861:
Battle of Bull Run. Got up at a.
m. Rode in advance till battle opened
at p. m. Stayed in it all day and wit
messed with great shame and indigna-
ton the rout at the close. Saved col
ors OF Massachusetts, Fifth. Had OFF,
Ger shot on my horse as I tried to
bring him off the field. Got to Wash
ington at a. m. Monday"
II forget" says r. Fl. Stoddard,
whether Stedman's letters excelled
those Of other correspondents for accu-
racy, but they certainly excelled them
In spirit.
HE was at the first battle of Bull
Run, where the North was routed, as
We all remeber. Other correspondents
sent letters to their papers about it,
but none came from him.
Where is he? his friends asked;
but nobody knew.
1.-TWO, or perhaps three, days passed
before he returned to New York. The
next day there appeared In the World
a long and graphic letter about the lost
battle which he had witnessed-a letter
which was the towns talk for days.
Altogether 1t was the best single letter
written during the whole war;"
In the letter which Mr.. Painter sent
to the Philadelphia Inquirer, July %,
1861, he says:
"The enemy appeared in sight, firing
their guns, the balls raining upon us
thick. Emerging from the valley we
saw the reporter Of the World. with the
standard Of the Massachusetts, Fifth,
waving 1t over him and pleading for
the men to rally around him, but 1t
was in vain: they needed him not. An
officer asked the privilege of riding be-
hind him. 1t was granted and before
they had gone hundred yards a shot
from the thicket struck the officer in
the head and he reeled off. Mr. Sted-
man wrapped up the standard and gall
loped about mile ahead, and after
wards succeeded in rallying a large
force