Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-30
FIFTY YEARS ago
IN THE STAR

- A0AAAN~
IN THE STAR
After the battle Of Bull Rum the COL
umns OF The Star were dlled with de-
scriptive matter and
bull Kun comments upon that
Aex.-.al great northern reverse
The situation the day
following IL thus summed ND In the issue
Of July q. 1851:
''Our army suffered q heavy reverse,
but by no means such an overthrow a.
panic-stricken civilians and the soldiers
who fed in advance Of the retreat imag-
Inc and aIlege. Tho great body Of our
troops is slowly retreating today In re-
markedly good order. recovering most OF
the munitions. baggage. etc. thrown
away by those stricken with the panic
Heintzelman's brigade is coming in in as
good order as that in which II left Alex
andria. for instance. The army will again
occupy the positions from which 1t start
ed out last week, in and around the en-
trenchments and forts constructed for
this city's security on the other side Of
the Potomac In the belief Of Gen. Scott
they are innpregnable. and this city 10 as
secure as it was a fortnight ago. quite
Notwithstanding yesterdays disasters at
a point twenty-eight or thirty miles DIS
tant from US. We may not inapprope1-
ateiy add that at 4 pm. yesterday the
victory was clearly ours. The retreat
movement is ascertained to have been
caused by an accidental and trifling pane
IN one Of the regiments. to which It
spread from confusion among it's own
teamsters. The fresh troops under Gen.
Mansfield aid those Of Gen. McDowelrs
reserve not in the engagement. together.
make an army quite as large as that
under Gen. MCDOWELL in yesterdays en-
gagement. From sunset last evening up
to this hour they have been steadily get
ting into position, as q matter OF pre-
caution, and we have ascertained that
measures have been taken to concentrate
tered at various points distant less than
twenty-four hours from us by rail They
will doubtless commence pouring into
Washington within q few hours. Accord
ing to the most reliable information re-
ceived at headquarters the enemy mace
no effort whatever to pursue our retreat
ing army
X
Naturally the panic Of the Bull Run
retreat. followed by the efforts Of the
government to insure the
Excitement safety OF the capital.
:, r,+~v caused great excitement in
IL WY Washington. In The Star
Of July %. 1861. Is the following:
''The momentary arrival in Washington
Of squads, companies and battalions of
our retreating men. throughout yester-
day and last evening. kept the excitement
upon Pennsylvania avenue up to the high
est conceivable pitch until midnight, not
withstanding the prevalence Of the SO dis
agreeable rainstorm Gen. Mansfield
caused the many buildings over the citv
in which arriving regiments had been
previously quartered temporarily to be
reopened for their accommodation and
provisions to satisfy their immediate
wants to be provided there for them. It
was with great difficulty. however. that
they could be gathered into Them as the
citizens SO hocked around and held them
in the streets with questions that the
pavements everywhere were constantly
blocked up. Efforts were made to gather
as many as possible Of them into the
Notifications on the other side Of the
river. where they can be soonest prepared
to resume the discharge Of their regi-
mental duties"
Gen. Mcclellan arrived In WASHINGTON
Thursday evening, July %. 1861. to take
command Of the Army Of the
Local Potomac. and a Reorganization
n-a.. Of forces In and about Wash
ington was Immediately start
ed. In the issue Of July g 1881, The Star
called attent'on to certain conditions call
ing for reform. with reference to the
prospet tive assignment Of Gen. Mansfield
to duty in the field:
1T he be sent into the field will II
not be well to consolidate the two mill
tary departments bordering the Potomac
here. under one general-McClellan?
Next. to quarter no troops within the
limits Of the corporations Of Washing
ton and Georgetown. Next. again, to
establish a provost marshaPs guard OF
l 900 men there under the command Of
q general officer charged with a police
duty Of the several camps as well as the
control OF the military in the city ana
Georgetown. A general officer should be
at its head that he may rank every
colonel In the service and thus be able
to enforce obedience on their part. Three
fourths OF all the confusion, riotous con-
Of the mil tary among US grows out Of
a lack Of discipline among the regimentai
officers. Too many Of the regimental
field and staH officers. as well as COM
pany officers. seem to do duty much more
ass duously In the hotels on Pennsylvania
avenue and everywhere else conceivable
but Just where they should be, viz: where
their men are quartered. and nowhere
else. Were the regiments all camped out
of the tity limits and a rule established
that neither reg1mental officer nor man
should leave his amp except on absolute
duty. and were the provost marshal Of suf-
icient rank TO enforce that rule upon every
regimental officer. we should soon have not
only no drunken soldiers or loafing off,
GERS sailing around our streets but the
Initiation Of such regtmental discipline as
will guarantee the cause against the re-
currence on the field Of such a panic az
rarked the action Of Sunday last. Every
ho,-; IS making it palmer that neither the
regiments nor companies were properly
on that day: that the lamen-
table failure Of colonies. lieutenant colo
nels, majors, captains and lieutenants to
be equal to their several responsibilities
was a fruitful cause Of the disaster"
Tho deplorabie conditions indicated in
the extract Just quoted were quickly I'M
proved a. set forth In