General Samuel P. Heintzelman.
The fight began about ten o'clock. Both sides were soon re-enforced.
After two hours' stubborn fighting the Confederates were driven back
across the pike, beyond Young's Branch of Bull Run, and took up a second
position on a hill each side of the Henry House. The whole Union force
had now crossed Bull Run. Griffin's and Ricketts' powerful batteries
were posted in favorable positions, whence they poured a deadly fire
upon the Confederates. The whole Union line advanced to the turnpike.
About two o'clock the Confederates were forced to abandon their second
position and fall back still farther.
Early in the morning Beauregard and Johnston had given orders for an
attack upon the Union forces across the river, not knowing that McDowell
had assumed the offensive. These orders were now countermanded, and all
available troops hurried up the Sudley road toward the Warrenton pike
front. Till after noon the prospect for the Confederates looked gloomy.
They had been steadily driven back. Some of their regiments had lost
heavily, while all were more or less demoralized. Johnston and
Beauregard gave their personal direction to re-forming the line upon a
second ridge to the south of the Warrenton pike, under cover of a
semicircular piece of woods. Twelve regiments, with twenty-two guns and
two companies of cavalry, concentrated in this favorable position and
awaited the Union advance.
Bull Run-Battle of the Forenoon.
McDowell had fourteen regiments available for the attack. He decided to
hurl them against the Confederate centre and left. About half-past two
Griffin's and Ricketts' batteries took up an advanced position on Henry
Hill. The Confederate guns opened fire, and a short artillery duel took
place. A Confederate regiment now advances to capture the exposed
batteries. They are mistaken for Union re-enforcements and allowed to
come within close range. The muskets are levelled. A terrible volley is
poured into the batteries. The gunners are stricken down. The frantic
horses dash madly down the hill. After a little confusion the Union
troops boldly advance and retake the batteries. The battle surges back
and forth. The guns are three times captured and lost again. The fight
becomes general along the Confederate centre and left. The Union
generals are getting alarmed. So far they have been confident of
victory. Now regiment after regiment is going to pieces in this terrific
melee, and still the "rebels" hold their ground. About half-past four
o'clock General Early arrives by rail with three thousand more of
Johnston's army, and, assisted by a battery and five companies of
cavalry, bursts upon the extreme right flank and rear of McDowell's
line.
Bull Run--Battle of the Afternoon.
This manoeuvre decided the day. The Union ranks waver, break, flee. The
centre and left soon follow, though in better order. Union and
Confederate generals alike were astonished at the sudden change.
McDowell found it impossible to stem the tide once set in, and gave
orders to fall back across Bull Run to Centreville, where his reserves
were stationed. As the retreat went on it turned to a downright rout.
The Confederates made only a feeble pursuit, but fear of pursuit spread
alarm through the flying ranks, demoralized by long marching and hard
fighting. Baggage and ammunition-wagons, ambulances, private vehicles
which had been standing in the rear, joined the sweeping tide, adding to
the confusion and in some places causing temporary blockade. Frightened
teamsters cut traces and galloped recklessly away. Panic and stampede
resulted, soon reaching the soldiers. Flinging away muskets and
knapsacks, they sought safety in flight. The army entered Centreville a
disorganized mass. Fugitives could not be stayed even there, but
streamed through and on toward Washington. McDowell gave the order to
continue the retreat. The reserve brigades, with the one regiment of
regulars, covered the rear in good order. All that night the crazy
hustle to the rear was kept up, and on Monday the hungry and exhausted
stragglers poured into Washington under a drizzling rain, the people
receiving them with heavy hearts but generous hands.
General Joseph E. Johnston.
The Union loss was 481 killed, 1,011 wounded, 1,460 prisoners.
Twenty-five guns were lost, thirteen of them on the retreat. The
Confederate loss was 387 killed, 1,580 wounded. The numbers actively
engaged were about 18,000 on each side. General Sherman pronounced Bull
Run "one of the best planned battles of the war, but one of the worst
fought." The latter fact was but natural. The troops on both sides were
poorly drilled, and most of them had never been under fire before.
Precision of movement, concert of action on any large scale, were
impossible. Neither side needed to be ashamed of this initial trial.
The North was at first much cast down. The faint-hearted considered the
Union hopelessly lost, but pluck and patriotism carried the day. On the
morrow after the battle Congress voted that an army of 500,000 should be
raised, and appropriated $500,000,000 to carry on the war. General
McClellan, whose brilliant campaign in West Virginia had won him easy
fame, was put in command of the Army of the Potomac. The young general
was a West Point graduate and had served with distinction in the Mexican
War. An accomplished military student, a skilful engineer, and a superb
organizer, he threw himself with energy into the task of fortifying
Washington and building up a splendid army. Many of the three-months
volunteers re-enlisted. Thousands of new recruits came flocking to camp,
and before long companies, regiments, and brigades amounting to 150,000
men were drilling daily on the banks of the Potomac, while formidable
works crowned the entire crest of Arlington Heights. In October the aged
General Scott resigned, and McClellan, at the summit of his popularity
with army and people, became commander-in-chief.
General George B. McClellan.
For several weeks after Bull Run it was feared that Beauregard and his
men would descend upon Washington, then in a defenceless condition; but
they were in no state to attack. They too felt the need of preparation
for the coming struggle, whose magnitude both sides now began to
realize.
A disheartening affair occurred in October. On the night of the 20th two
Massachusetts regiments crossed the Potomac at Ball's Bluff, a few miles
above Washington, to surprise a hostile camp which according to rumor
had been established there. A large force concealed in the woods
attacked and forced them to retreat. They were re-enforced by 1,900 men
under Colonel Baker. The enemy were also re-enforced. Baker was killed
and the Union soldiers driven over the bluff into the river. The boats
were totally inadequate in number, and the men had to make their way
across as best they could, exposed to the Confederate fire. The total
Union loss was 1,000.
On the whole, then, the South had reason to be gratified with the
aggregate result of the first year of war. Bull Run gave the
Confederates a sense of invincibility, and the ready recognition by the
foreign powers of their rights as belligerents, offered hope that
England would soon acknowledge their independence itself. And they
thought that the North had been doing its best when it had only been
getting ready.
END OF VOLUME III.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES