seeing a regiment of Virginians near, said, I until 7 o'clock, when the firing of cannon and pointing to them, "Take me to your Colonel." musketry became very hot and the action was His captors ignorantly did as he suggested, and fairly opened. Here an unfortunate mistake for actually carried him into the midst of the Vir- a time threw our lines into confusion. The ginians before they saw their mistake. In a few Yankees, infamous in their tricks of war as moments he was rid of them, and again at the well as trade, advanced a large column headed head of his battery, hurling destruction into by the Confederate flag, and when within fifty the ranks of the foe. Kershaw and Kemper yards opened a deadly fire upon the Fourth both deserve to be made Brigadier-Generals, as Alabama regiment. This caused a retreat, this great victory is undoubtedly due to their which the South Carolinians observing, they commands. opened upon the Alabamians, thinking them enHampton's Legion and Sloan's regiment dis-emies, and nearly decimating their ranks. played the utmost gallantry, but, in the face of superior artillery and great odds, were not sufficiently sustained. We hear that our troops succeeded in capturing cannon from the enemy's left wing, also, to the amount of ten or twelve pieces. If that be so, we have captured forty odd pieces, amongst which is Sherman's celebrated battery. The Palmetto Guard have taken a flag and one or two drums. The Brooks Guard have captured a flag-staff and two kettle drums. The other companies have various articles. I have written the above in great haste, but the facts are correctly stated. I will give you some other incidents at another time. -Charleston Mercury, July 29.

LOUISVILLE "COURIER" ACCOUNT.

About the same time, Gen. Beauregard heard heavy firing several miles to the right, and immediately went with our main body to the scene of supposed conflict. But this was another decoy. The Yankees had sent a large quantity of ordnance with only men sufficient to man the guns, so as to distract the attention of our forces from the main point of attack. Quickly discovering the ruse, Beauregard double-quicked his troops to the former battlefield from which we had been driven back some two miles. Now came the tug of war.

The fortunes of the day were evidently against us. Some of our best officers had been slain and the flower of our army lay strewn upon the field, ghastly in death or gaping with wounds. At noon the cannonading is described MANASSAS, VA., Monday, July 22. as terrific. It was an incessant roar for more Sunday, July 21, will ever be a memorable than two hours, the havoc and devastation at day in the annals of America. Next to the sa- this time being fearful. McDowell, with the cred Sabbath of our Independence, it will be aid of Patterson's division of twenty thousand the eventful era in the history of Republican men, had nearly outflanked us, and were just in Governments. The military despotism of the the act of possessing themselves of the railway to North, proud, arrogant, and confident, has been Richmond. Then all would have been lost. But met in the open field, and the true chivalry of most opportunely, I may say providentially, at the South, relying upon the justness of their this juncture, Gen. Johnston, with the remnant cause, though comparatively weak in numbers, of his division-our army as we fondly call it, have gained a victory that in completeness has for we have been friends and brothers in camp never been paralleled in history since the Amer- and field for three months-reappeared and ican continent first dawned from its ocean-girt made one other desperate struggle to obtain the womb upon the eye of the longing discoverer. cantage ground. Elsey's brigade of MarylandBut the victory has been dearly won-purchas-ers and Virginians led the charge, and right ed, indeed, with the hearts' blood of thousands manfully did they execute the work. Gen. of the bravest and truest men of the Confed- Johnston himself led the advance, and wild erate States. But this blood will not only cry with delirium, his ten thousand advanced in aloud to the heavens for vengeance, but so fruc- hot haste upon three times their number. Twice tify the soil of the South that here more than was Sherman's battery, that all day long had elsewhere will ever bloom and blossom the glo- proven so destructive, charged and taken, and rious tree of liberty. our men driven back. The third time, VirginIt was not the good fortune of your corre-ians, Carolinians, Mississippians, and Louisianispondent to be in the engagement, that portion ans, captured the great guns and maintained of Gen. Johnston's army to which the Ken- their position. tucky battalion is attached having been detained at Piedmont by a railroad accident. We reached the field of battle just as the victory had been gained, and only had the mingled satisfaction and sorrow of joining in the huzzas and uniting in the sad lamentations.

The battle opened on Sunday morning, about 5 o'clock, near Bull Run, some four miles from Manassas Junction, the Nationals advancing with an immense column 54,000 strong, under Gen. McDowell. The engagement was not general, the artillery only playing at intervals,

About the pieces the dead and wounded lay five deep, so protracted and deadly had been the struggle. Now hope again dawned upon us, and just as the tide seemed turning in our favor, another good omen illuminated the fortunes of the day that at times seemed so illstarred. Riding in a half column along our lines was a single horseman with hat in hand, waving to the men and speaking brief words of encouragement. By intuition all knew it was President Davis, and such a shout as made the welkin ring arose-a shout of joy and de

fiance. The President had just arrived by spe- | own conclusions, and solve the terrible political cial train from Richmond, and Providence problem it presents to the American people. seemed to be with us again. The contest was no longer doubtful. As I heard one of the officers say, our men could have whipped legions of devils. The word "Onward!" was given, Davis bareheaded in the van. No more lingering or dallying. It was a grand and sublime onset of a few determined sons of liberty against the legions of despotism. The lines of the enemy were broken, their columns put to flight, and until after dark the pursuit was continued. The rout was complete. Off scampered the Yankees, throwing away guns, knapsacks, clothing, and every thing that could retard their progress. Thus was the day won, and the long bright Sabbath closed, a lovely full moon looking down calmly and peacefully upon the bloodiest field that the continent of America | ever witnessed.

It was impossible for me, in the heat of a terrible engagement, exactly to locate the position of our forces during the battle; but I find my conjecture of yesterday verified, that it was not at Bull Run, but at Manassas Gap. In other words, that General McDowell, with an army which, including the reserves at Centreville, did not number more than forty thousand, actually attacked the rebel forces at Manassas Gap, where Beauregard has been for months preparing his fortifications, and where he had lined the hills with elaborate and carefullyconstructed intrenchments, behind which were rifled cannon of large calibre, properly manned and supported by an army which subsequent information leads me to estimate at nearly a hundred thousand men. Behind these batteries the Southern troops fought. They were conOur loss is fully two thousand killed and structed in a manner calculated to deceive the wounded. Among the killed are Gen. Bee, of most experienced eye. The breastworks were South Carolina; Gen. E. K. Smith, Gen. Bar- in the shape of a gently sloping hill, neatly tow, of Georgia; Col. Moore and all the Ala- | sodded, with here and there a tree left growbama field officers; Col. Fisher and the Northing, to more thoroughly deceive our troops as Carolina field officers; Adjutant Branch of to their existence. Their line of batteries covGeorgia, and a host of other leading men. ered two or three miles. The whole region seemed literally to be one masked battery. What appeared to be a natural declivity, would in a moment bellow forth a most fearful charge of grape-shot, shell, and cannister; and from every clump of bushes or shrubbery, the terrible messengers of death would come at the most unexpected moment.

Thomas G. Duncan, of Nelson County, Ky., was in the fight, and shot through the left shoulder. His wound is not dangerous.

Col. Barbour, of Louisville; Capt. Menifee and Shelby Coffee, of Kentucky, were in the hottest of the fight.

We took thirteen hundred prisoners, sixty pieces of artillery, ten thousand stand of arms, and an immense amount of baggage.

This is a sad day, The rain is pouring in torrents. The killed and wounded are being brought in by hundreds, and a gloom pervades all hearts, that even the sense of our great victory cannot relieve. SE DE KAY.

I mention this in order that you may more properly understand the details of this great battle, and more properly appreciate the gal lantry of our men. Notwithstanding they had slept on their arms, and had marched ten miles to the place of engagement, they rushed into the contest weary, wanting food and water; they drove the enemy from battery and battery; slowly and slowly pushing them from their position. From nine o'clock till three, the battle was a victory, and if at three o'clock there had been ten thousand fresh men to assist them; if General Patterson had only come from Martinsburg, or McClellan over the Blue Ridge from Western Virginia-or if even Miles' divis

THE RETREAT FROM CENTREVILLE. WASHINGTON, July 22, 1861. There is no use of concealing the fact, however terrible it may be to realize, that the army of the Union, under command of General McDowell, has been completely routed. I endeavored to intimate the sad intelligence in my letter of yesterday; I had hoped, however, that sub-ion of reserves could have been marched from sequent advices would have enabled me to say that the gallant, the superhuman conduct of our troops had met the rewards of bravery. Every account that comes, comes filled with disaster. Every eye is sad, and the exultation of yesterday has given place to the gloom and apprehension of to-day. The present is one of sorrow, the future has but few gleams of hope. We have sent into Virginia the best appointed division of our grand army, we have fought the greatest battle ever fought on the continent, and we have been not only beaten, but our army has been routed, and many of its best regiments wholly demoralized. The narrative of this disaster will be my duty; you may make your

Centreville, we could have driven them from the field and won the day. Our men were weary, and in many cases inefficiently com manded, The enemy was being constantly reinforced. So rapidly did they arrive, that many of their regiments rushed into the field with their knapsacks on their shoulders, and I could distinctly see with a strong spy-glass, even from the hills beyond Centreville, regiment after regiment of the rebels coming from the neighboring districts, and passing over the roads to Ma nassas. In many cases the colors of their flags could be easily distinguished.

The causes of our defeat appear to be these: A premature advance on the enemy without a

sufficient force, which may be attributed to the | sylvania regiment any way concerned in the clamors of politicians, and newspapers like the action. This body had been intended as a part New York Tribune; the negligence of General of the advance, and with that impression its Patterson in not intercepting General Johnston soldiers had left their quarters at the early at Winchester, and preventing him from join- hour of the morning when the movement coming Beauregard at Manassas; the want of an menced. There was a change in the programme, efficient force of artillery to answer their mask- however, and they were instructed to remain ed batteries; the inefficiency of many of the at Centreville as a reserve regiment. They officers; the want of proper discipline among were stationed in a large field on the north of the volunteers, and the general panic which the town, and below the hill which commanded seized upon our forces in the latter part of the a view of the distant field of battle. I had the action. opportunity of paying them a few moments' visit. There was the greatest dissatisfaction among the men because of their inaction. The cannonading and musketry could be distinctly heard, couriers were constantly going to and from the field, the various reports of victory were constantly being repeated, but the day passed on into the afternoon, and no signal of advance was given. Some of the men were sleeping under the shade of the trees, a few were cleaning and preparing their muskets, others were writing letters home, and some, anxious and mortified, were actually weeping at the want of an opportunity to join in the fight. Col. Einstein was galloping hither and thither, anxiously awaiting the orders to march, and every minute scanning the horizon with his opera glass, in the hope of seeing the courier, which would signal him to victory. During the time of my brief stay, an aide arrived with an order to prepare for action. The command was given, and received with the most intense enthusiasm on the part of the men, who rent the air with repeated shouts. In less time than it takes to write these ten lines, they were in line, every man at his position, expecting the order to march. As I witnessed this spectacle, and recollected that in this regiment alone Pennsylvania was represented, I could not but feel proud of my State, and regret that her soldiers could not have taken part in the great events of this momentous day.

I have heard many stories of the bravery of some regiments and the inefficiency of others. But if we can make any such distinction, it is with the officers who commanded, and not with the men who obeyed. The material of our army is of an extraordinary character, and this disastrous battle has shown it; for the men who could fight double their numbers behind masked batteries for ten hours, in a country where water could not be found, under the torrid rays of a Southern summer sun, and make that fight a victory until their endurance had been overtasked, and the ranks of the enemy had been filled up by fresh men, are capable of any thing which may be demanded of the soldier. And this is the story of the battle of Manassas; this is the substance of every rumor-the logical result from every fact the contest furnishes. The general panic took place about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. There are a number of stories told as to the apparent reason for the precipitate flight of our troops; but, without stopping to relate them, or even to consider their manifest absurdity, I would simply say that it was caused by their utter exhaustion, and the terrible fire of masked batteries, which were taken by them, again and again, at the point of the bayonet, only to find, when taken, that others would open upon them. The reinforcements vastly strengthened the enemy, their fire was increased, and, before that fire, our men retreated. If they had been properly commanded, they might have retreated in good order, like the regulars under Major Sykes; but this, and the want of experience, gave rise to a panic, which soon swept every thing before it, and carried our army, like a tumultuous mob, from Manassas to Washington.

As I have said, it was necessary that I should reach Fairfax at an early hour in the evening. Fairfax is about eight miles from Centreville, and is approached by a devious and rugged road running through a woody country, and traversing a succession of hills. It is a small sleepy town of the old Virginia style, and will The day was so closely contested, that when be remembered as the scene of Lieut. TompI arrived at Centreville from the field of battle, kins' brilliant cavalry charge in the early part at five o'clock in the evening, it was with the of this campaign. It is situated in a valley, or impression that the conflict had either resulted rather on the brow of a gradually sloping hill, in a drawn battle or in a dearly-bought victory. surrounded by a scenery which is somewhat It was important that I should go to Fairfax monotonous, but certainly romantic and beauin order to forward you my despatches, no com- tiful. The houses are small, and built like munication existing between Washington city Virginia houses generally, with a view to comand Centreville. I had taken rooms in the only fort and aristocratic display. It was intended hotel of the place, and intended to have return- as the advanced post of governmental commued the same evening in order to complete my nication with Washington, wires having been observations of the battle and follow the army extended that far to a telegraph station, which in its further progress. At that time there were was operated by an officer of the Government. five regiments of volunteers as a reserve, and The tone of the people was certainly not one among them Colonel Max Einstein's Pennsyl- of friendship to the Union, although the presvania volunteers, the only distinctively Penn-ence of a fine regiment of Western volunteers

Once or twice a well was reached, and it was five miles from Washington, who stood on the instantly surrounded by bodies of thirsty sol- roadside and furnished the troops with water. diers, clamoring for the merest drop of the re- At about six o'clock in the morning we freshing beverage. Men were constantly fall- came in view of Washington city and Georgeing from sheer exhaustion. In one case a lieu- town; of Fort Corcoran, with its frowning tenant came along on horseback, carrying be- | black guns, and patrolled by solitary sentinels; hind him a wounded soldier. The horse had and of the long rows of white tents where the been cut from a battery, and it still had on its New Jersey brigade was encamped. And above military harness. The animal could go no the hills of Arlington, in the gray hour of that farther, the men were almost fainting, and gloomy dawn, and amid a shower of quicklycould not dismount. A soldier of the same falling rain, we saw our dear old flag-God regiment came along and tenderly lifted his bless it still streaming to the breeze-the commander from the weary animal, placed him type of liberty, and law, and constitutional on the roadside, and, in answer to the appeal freedom; the emblem of a glorious past; the of a comrade to continue his journey, replied harbinger of a more glorious future; and, that he could not go, for his place of duty was though covered to-day with temporary disby the side of his officer. And by his side, aster, soon to float again over rebellion carefully bathing his brow, anxiously binding crushed, a Constitution defended, a Union reup a severe wound upon his shoulder, we left stored, and the majesty of a mighty and inhin, and passed on. vincible Republic.

J. R. Y.

P. S.-I attach to this letter a copy of a letter addressed by an officer of the regular army to a friend, who has kindly consented that I may use it. It is graphically written, and will tell you many things which only an officer can

We passed on, and in silence. Few words were spoken, for there was a deep grief in every heart, and the few sentences which occasionally fell upon my car, expressed not so much the mere mortification of defeat, as the deep and bitter determination to cover that defeat by a future of glorious victory and fear-tell: ful retribution. About six miles from Fairfax The march from our bivouac, near Centrea body of regular cavalry came up to us and ville, was taken up at 21 A. M. on Sunday. passed on, having retreated in good order. Among officers and men the impression preFrom them we learned that our army was invailed that the action would occur at Bull Run, full retreat, even from Centreville, and that the retreat was being covered by the Third Infantry, under Major Sykes, of whose bravery I inay have occasion to speak, and that a detachment of the enemy were in pursuit, harassing them with shell. With the Third Infantry were the reserve regiments, including that of Col. Einstein, whose men were ordered to fall in with the retreating troops without having fired a musket. Trains of baggage wagons were constantly passing us, many of them being filled with wounded men. There were numerous horses which passed, nearly every animal having two riders. On arriving at the road leading to Alexandria, a great part of the retreating column proceeded to that town. We took the road which leads to Arlington, and continued our march.

the scene of Gen. Tyler's repulse a day or two previously. In this they were disappointed. Tyler's brigade posted themselves at the bridge over Bull Run, where they were ordered to feign an attack as soon as Col. Hunter's division was known to be in position. This order was partially obeyed. Hunter's division, composed of Burnside's brigade and Porter's brigade, after proceeding a mile beyond Centreville, made a detour to the right, and proceeded over a wood road, well covered from observation, to the left flank of the enemy, at Manassas, a distance of about eight miles. At six o'clock firing was heard on the heights at Bull Run, from a battery in Tyler's brigade, which was promptly answered by the enemy's batteries. Their position thus revealed, the advance division (Hunter's) ascended a hill at double quick, and almost immediately the Rhode Island battery and Griffin's West Point battery were in brisk action. The former was supported by the First regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, who maintained their ground no

The morning came, but it was very gloomy -the sky was a mass of heaving and rolling clouds, and the sun arose in all his purple golden, and, as it seemed to us, bloody splendor. Our path was a small, narrow one, leading from the main turnpike, and approaching Washing-bly for a half hour. At this moment Porter's ton by a more direct road than that generally travelled. The country was even more hilly and densely wooded than that we had just traversed. The ambulances, wagons, and horsemen having gone forward, we were left behind, and to the number of about a thousand, in mere straggling groups, and covering some three or four miles of ground, we continued our march. The only evidence of hospitality we received was at the house of a farmer, about

brigade, composed of the Fourteenth, Seventh, and Twenty-seventh New York, with a battalion of U. S. Marines, under Major Reynolds, and a battalion of U. S. Third, Second, and Eighth Infantry, under Major Sykes, took their position in line of battle upon a hill, within range of the enemy's fire. Burnside's battery being sorely pressed, the enemy having charged closely upon it, the gallant Colonel galloped to Major Sykes and implored him to come to his