Year: 1862

The Battle Of fChantilIy--Wky it was fought


Incidents of stevens Deatho-His last
Words.


Correspondence Of the New York TTibune.l
WASHINGTON, Sept ..


The same hour that General Stevens


was killed in battle number ofprOminent


gentlemen filing prominent positions were


in consultation in this city and in other


parts Of the country, with view of having


him assigned to the command of the Army


Of Virginia. Successive manifestations


Of ineapaeity during year of war have


caused thinking men to cast about for


leader. These gentlemen had fixed upon


General Isaac L Stevens as the man. His


splendid conduct in the battles Of Friday


and Saturday had just directed attention


to him-it was remembered that in pure


capacity he had always been first, having


taken the honors at West Point with


scarcely an effort, and though old political


enemies, these men resolved to ask that he


be given a leading communicable they


were consulting ne led on his men and
fell.


The Importance of the engagement of
Monday night, which lost to the country
Kearney and Stevens, has not been gener-
ally understood. The truth is, il was not
a mere episode made noteworthy by the
death Of two such leaders, but a crisis
where nothing but decision and sacrifice
on the part of those leaders availed to pre-
vent disaster.


The army was retreating from Centre
vile. The battle was fought against a
rebel force that had penetrated FIVE miles
nearer Washington than our rear and was
moving to strike upon the flank General
Stevens division, the advance of Reno's
corps, was on the left Of the road taken
by the trains, and intercepted the enemy.
He saw that the enemy must be beaten back
at once, or during the night they would
stampede the wagons, and probably so dis
concert our retreat that the last divisions
would fall prey to their main force. He
decided to attack Immediately, at the same
time sending back for support. Having
made his dispositions, he led the attack on
foot at the head Of the 18th (Highlanders).
Soon meeting q whitening fire, and the col
or sergeant, Sandy Campbell, a griz-
zled old Seotchman, being wounded
they faltered. One Of the color
guard took up the flag, when the General
5natched it from him. The wounded
at his feet cried, 'For Gods
sake, General, don't you take the colors
they'll shoot you if you do" The answer
was, "Give me the colors If they don't
follow now, they never viii; and he sprang
forward, crying, We are all Highlanders
forward my Highlanders - The Highland
ers did follow their Scottish chief, but while
sweeping forward a ball struck him on his
right temple He died instantly. An hour
afterward, when taken up, his hand was
still elenched around the flagstaff


A moment after seizing the colors, his
son, Captain Hazard Stevens, fell wound
ed, and cried to his father that he was
hurt With but glance back, that Roman
father said: ~ can't attend to you now,
Hazard. Corporal Thompson, sec to my
boy"


The language I have given as General
Stevens was taken down upon the field
by a member of his Staff He had often
that if it was his fate to fall in bat
lie, he hoped he would be shot through the
temple and die instantly"