attack the division which had crossed over.

"The ground between the stream and the road leading from Sudley's Spring south, and over which Burnside's Brigade marched, was for about a mile from the ford thickly wooded; while on the right of the road, for about the same distance, the country was divided between fields and woods. About a mile from the road the country on both sides of the road is open, and for nearly a mile further large rolling fields extend down to the Warrenton turnpike, which crosses what became the field of battle through the valley of a small watercourse, a tributary of Bull's Run.

"Shortly after the leading regiment of the First Brigade reached this open space, and while others and the Second Brigade were crossing to the front and right, the enemy opened his fire, beginning with artillery, and following it up with infantry. The leading brigade (Burnside's) had to sustain the shock for a short time without support, and did it well. The battalion of regular infantry was sent to sustain it, and shortly afterwards the other corps of Porter's Brigade and a regiment detached from Heintzelman's Division to the left, forced the enemy back far enough to allow Sherman's and Keyes' Brigades, of Tyler's Division, to cross from their position on the Warrenton-road. drove the right of the enemy, understood to have been commanded by Beauregard, from the front of the field, and out of the detached woods, and down to the road and across it up the slopes on the other side.

These

"While this was going on, Heintzelman's Division was moving down the field to the stream and up the road beyond.

"Beyond the Warrenton-road, and to the left of the road down which our troops had marched from Sudley's Spring, is a hill with a farm-house on it. Behind this hill the enemy had, early in the day, some of his most annoying batteries planted. Across the road from this hill was another hill, or rather elevated ridge or table of land. The hottest part of the contest was for the possession of the hill with a house on it. The force engaged here was Heintzelman's Division, Wilcox's and Howard's Brigades on the right, supported by part of Porter's Brigade and the cavalry under Palmer, and Franklin's Brigade of Heintzelman's Division, Sherman's Brigade of Tyler's Division in the centre, and up the road, while Keyes's Brigade of Tyler's Division was on the left, attacking the batteries near the stone bridge. The Rhode Island battery, of Burnside's Brigade, also participated in this attack by its fire from the north of the turnpike. The enemy was understood to have been commanded by J. E. Johnston.

"Ricketts's battery, which did such effective service, and played so brilliant a part in this contest, was, together with Griffin's battery, on the side of the hill, and became the object of the special attention of the enemy, who succeeded our officers mistaking one of his regiments for one of our own, and allowing it to approach without firing upon itin disabling the battery, and then attempted to take it. Three

times was he repulsed by different corps in succession and driven back, and the guns taken by hand; the horses being killed and pulled away. The third time it was supposed by us all that the repulse was final, for he was driven entirely from the hill, and so far beyond it as not to be in sight, and all were certain the day was ours. He had before this been driven nearly a mile and a-half, and was beyond the Warrenton road, which was entirely in our possession from the stone bridge westward, and our engineers were just completing the removal of the abattis across the road, to allow our reinforcement (Schenck's Brigade and Ayers's battery) to join us. The enemy was evidently disheartened and broken.

"But we had been fighting since half-past 10 o'clock in the morning, and it was after 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The men had been up since 2 o'clock in the morning, and had made what to those unused to such things seemed a long march before coming into action, though the longest distance gone over was not more than nine and a-half miles; and though they had three days' provisions served out to them the day before, many, no doubt, either did not eat them, or threw them away on the march or during the battle, and were, therefore, without food. They had done much severe fighting. Some of the regiments which had been driven from the hill in the first two attempts of the enemy to keep possession of it had become shaken, were unsteady, and had many men out of the ranks.

"It was at this time that the

enemy's reinforcements came to his aid from the railroad train, understood to have just arrived from the valley with the residue of Johnston's army. They threw themselves in the woods on our right, and towards the rear of our right, and opened a fire of musketry on our men, which caused them to break and retire down the hill side. This soon degenerated into disorder, for which there was no remedy. Every effort was made to rally them, even beyond the reach of the enemy's fire, but in vain. The battalion of regular infantry alone moved up the hill opposite to the one with the house on it, and there maintained itself until our men could get down to and across the Warrenton turnpike, on the way back to the position we occupied in the morning. The plain was covered with the retreating troops, and they seemed to infect those with whom they came in contact. The retreat soon became a rout, and this soon degenerated still further into a panic.

66

Finding that this state of affairs was beyond the efforts of all those who had assisted so faithfully during the long and hard day's work in gaining almost the object of our wishes, and that nothing remained on the field but to recognize what we could no longer prevent, I gave the necessary orders to protect their withdrawal, begging the men to form in line, and offer the appearance, at least, of organization. They returned by the fords to the Warrenton-road, protected, by my order, by Colonel Porter's force of regulars. Once on the road, and the different corps coming together in small parties,

many without officers, they became intermingled, and all organization was lost.

"The enemy followed us from the ford as far as Cob Run, and, owing to the road becoming blocked up at the crossing, caused us much damage there, for the artillery could not pass, and several pieces and caissons had to be abandoned. In the panic the horses hauling the caissons and ammunition were cut from their places by persons to escape with, and in this way much confusion was caused, the panic aggravated, and the road encumbered. Not only were pieces of artillery lost, but also many of the ambulances carrying the wounded.

By sundown most of our men had gotten behind Centrevilleridge, and it became a question whether we should or not endeavour to make a stand there. The condition of our artillery and its ammunition, and the want of food for the men, who had generally abandoned or thrown away all that had been issued the day before, and the utter disorganization and consequent demoralization of the mass of the army, seemed to all who were near enough to be consulted-division and brigade commanders and Staff-to admit of no alternative but to fall back; the more so as the position at Blackburn's ford was then in the possession of the enemy, and he was already turning our left. On sending the officers of the Staff to the different camps they found, as they reported to me, that our decision had been anticipated by the troops, most of those who had come in from the front being already on the road to the rear, the panic with which they came

in still continuing and hurrying them on."*

General M'Dowell mentioned also a remarkable and discreditable fact, showing the cowardly spirit of some of the Volunteers:—

On the eve of the battle the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Volunteers, and the battery of Volunteer Artillery of the New York 8th Militia, whose term of service expired, insisted on their discharge. I wrote to the regi ment, expressing a request for them to remain a short time, and the Hon. Secretary of War, who was at the time on the ground, tried to induce the battery to remain at least five days. But in vain. They insisted on their discharge that night. It was granted, and the next morning, when the army moved forward into battle, these troops moved to the rear to the sound of the enemy's cannon."

In truth, the whole affair was most humiliating to the arms of the North, and covered them for the time with disgrace. A writer, who was on the spot during the retreat, thus briefly and graphically describes the action:

the enemy fell back they used their artillery also, and there was a good deal of pounding at long ranges with light field guns, and some heavier rifled ordnance, the line on both sides being rarely within 500 yards of each other. On one occasion the regiments on the right were received by a musketry fire from the enemy which induced them to fall back, but they were rallied and led forward towards the front. The Confederates again gave way, and the Federalists advanced once more. Again the line of the enemy appeared in front, and delivered fire. The Zouaves, as they are called, and the 11th New York, which were on the flank, fell into confusion not to be rallied, and eventually retired from the field in disorder, to use the mildest term, with a contagious effect on their comrades and with the loss of the guns which they were supporting. Nothing would, or could, or did stop them."*

In a joint address or order of the day issued by Generals Johnston and Beauregard to the Confederate army, they said :

en

"It is with the profoundest emotions of gratitude to an overruling God, whose hand is manifest in protecting our homes and your liberties, that we, your generals commanding, are abled, in the name of our whole country, to thank you for that patriotic courage, that heroic gallantry, that devoted daring, exhibited by you in the actions of the 18th and 21st of July, by which the host of the enemy was

* See the letter of the Special Correspondent of the Times, in that newspaper, August 10, 1861.

scattered, and a signal and glorious victory was achieved.

"The two affairs of the 18th and 21st were but the sustained and continued efforts of your patriotism against the constantlyrecurring colours of an enemy fully treble our numbers; and this effort was crowned, on the evening of the 21st, with a victory so complete, that the invaders were driven from the field, and made to fly in disorderly rout back to their intrenchments, a distance of over 30 miles.

"They left upon the field nearly every piece of their artillery, a large portion of their arms, equipments, baggage, stores, &c., and almost every one of their wounded and dead, amounting, together with the prisoners, to many thousands; and thus the Northern hosts were driven by you from Virginia."

Mr. President Davis sent the following Message to the Congress at Richmond, announcing the victory of the Confederate army*:—

"Manassas Junction, Sunday night. Night has closed upon a Our forces hard-fought field. were victorious. The enemy was routed, and fled precipitately, abandoning a large amount of arms, ammunitions, knapsacks, and baggage. The ground was strewed for miles with those killed, and the farmhouses and the ground around were filled with wounded. Pursuit was continued along several routes, towards Leesburg and Centreville, until darkness covered the fugi

The official report of the loss on the Confederate side gave a return of only 60 killed and wounded. Five, however, of their superior officers were killed.

tives. We have captured several field batteries, stands of arms, and Union and State flags; many prisoners have been taken. Too high praise cannot be bestowed, whether for the skill of the principal officers or for the gallantry of all our troops. The battle was mainly fought on our left. Our force was 15,000; that of the enemy estimated at 35,000.

"JEFFERSON DAVIS."

In Western Virginia a series of successes was gained by the Federal forces under General M'Clellan, which brought that officer into prominent notice, and soon afterwards led to his appointment as Commander-inChief on the retirement of General Scott.

General M'Clellan had received a military education at West Point, and served in the Mexican war. During the Crimean war he and two other officers were sent as military commissioners from the United States to the lines before Sebastopol, and on his return he left the army, and became one of the officials of the Illinois Central Railway Company. Afterwards he was employed in the service of the Ohio and Mississippi. Railway Company; but when the civil war broke out he re-entered the army, and was appointed a majorgeneral.

On the 10th of August General Lyons, at the head of 8000 Federal troops, attacked the Confederates about nine miles southeast of Springfield, in Missouri, but met with a severe repulse. He himself was killed in the action, and the superior numbers of the enemy forced the Federals to retreat with the loss of a gun.

A Bill was passed about this

time by the Federal Congress, "to confiscate property used for insurrectionary purposes," the fourth section of which was aimed directly at the employment of slaves by their masters in carrying on the war against the United States; and enacted, that in such case all right of property in the slave was forfeited. The section was as follows:

"And be it further enacted, that wherever any person claiming to be entitled to the service or labour of any other person, under the laws of any State, shall employ such person in aiding or promoting any insurrection, or in resisting the laws of the United States, or shall permit him to be so employed, he shall forfeit all right to such service or labour, and the person whose labour or service is thus claimed shall be thenceforth discharged therefrom, any law to the contrary notwithstanding."

With regard to slaves escaping from masters who had not joined the Secessionists, the Secretary of War issued a circular, in which he said :

"A more difficult question is presented in respect to persons escaping from the service of loyal masters. It is quite apparent that the laws of the State, under which only the service of such fugitives can be claimed, must needs be wholly, or almost wholly, suspended. As to the remedies by the insurrection, and the military measures necessitated by it, it is equally apparent that the substitution of military for judicial measures for the enforcement of such claims must be attended by great inconvenience, embarrassments, and injuries. Under these circumstances, it seems