Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/435

 BULL RUN 429 quarters; and 1,000 cavalry and artillery ; 35,000 in all. Johnston, apprised of the federal ad- vance, set out from Winchester to join Beaure- gard at Manassas, with 11,000 men, leaving the remainder of. his force, as a blind for Pat- terson. He reached Manassas on the 20th with 6,000 men, all that the railroad could transport at one time ; the other 5,000 were to come up the next day. Meanwhile McDowell on the morning of the 18th reached Centreville, a hamlet three or four miles from Bull Run, hav- ing left behind Gen. Runyon with 5,000 men to guard his communications with Washington. During the day a reconnoissance was made down the stream, and a skirmish took place at Blackburn's Ford, each side losing about 60 men. McDowell on the 19th learned that the enemy had fallen back to the other side of the run, and were posted for some 8 m. upon its opposite bank. There were fording places at intervals of two or three miles, but for 10 miles there was only a single bridge, over which the turnpike from Centreville rau westward. This bridge, defended by an abatis, was at the ex- treme left of the confederate line, their main force being posted below. McDowell proposed to cross the run with a part of his force, by fords above the confederate left, and then, marching down the western bank, to clear the bridge, by which the remainder of his force should cross. This movement was begun be- fore daybreak on the morning of the 21st. On the preceding evening McDowell had about 31,000 men at Centreville ; but the term of the 4th Pennsylvania regiment, and of a battery attached to the New York 8th, expired that evening, and they insisted upon being dis- charged. Deducting these and the sick, Mc- Dowell had about 28,000 men. The confed- erates had 27,833; in the course of the battle they received about 3,000 more, being a part of those left behind by Johnston. By half-past 9 Bnrnside, who had the-advance of one turn- ing column, was discovered moving down the west bank of the run toward the bridge. John- ston then ordered that his own right should cross the run in force and fall upon the weak federal flank and rear ; but the order miscar- ried, and the battle assumed an aspect not contemplated by either commander. Burnside had been checked for a short time at a plateau, around which Young's branch, a brook falling into Bull Run, curves in a sickle form ; but with the aid of Sykes's regulars, Sherman's brigade of Tyler's division, which had crossed the run by a ford just above the bridge, and Por- ter's brigade, which came upon the field by a wide detour, he drove the confederates in con- fusion almost to the edge of the plateau. Here they were met by Jackson, who was bringing up his five regiments. Behind these the con- federates rallied. It was now past noon. Burn- side's brigade, having exhausted its ammuni- tion, was withdrawn to replenish, and took no further part in the battle. Hunter, Heintzel- man, and Sherman had gained the upper edge of the plateau, outflanking Jackson. Keyes's brigade of Tyler's division had crossed directly after Sherman, and was menacing the lower edge, while Howard's brigade had secured the now undefended bridge ; it needed only to re- move the abatis to enable the remainder of Tyler's division, under Schenck, to be brought up. In all 18,000 men had passed the run, arid were on or near the plateau, whereon were barely 7,000 confederates, the remainder of their force being stretched for miles down the bank of the stream. Johnston and Beauregard now came up, only, as it seemed, to find a lost battle. But the serious attack by the Union force was delayed a half hour too long ; by that time the confederates had been able to concen- trate 9,500 men, with 22 guns, on the imme- diate field ; against them were directly moving 13,000 with 18 guns. The strongest position of the confederates was a slight swell, which was commanded by one a little higher near by. The batteries of Ricketts and Griffin were or- dered to this, having as support the New York regiment of zouaves. The zouaves, coming in sight of a confederate regiment half hidden by a clump of pines, and of two companies of cavalry riding toward them, broke into confusion, and the cavalry rode straight through their ranks. The batteries, now supported by a Minnesota regiment, moved on, and almost gained the commanding position; but the enemy were there at the same moment. The horses of the batteries were shot down, and a hand-to-hand fight took place for the possession of the guns, which were three times captured and recap- tured, and finally remained in the hands of the Unionists, but could not be brought into use. Meanwhile Keyes's brigade, on the right, had moved up the northern slope of the plateau, and for a moment the leading companies gained its crest, from which they were driven by the fire of a light battery ; they skirted the base of the hill, but always found themselves confronted by the battery. This movement, lasting an hour, carried the brigade two miles from the scene of action. At 4 o'clock the advantage seemed clearly on the Union side, and McDowell ordered an attack upon the centre, which he hoped would decide the day. But at the very moment his whole right came rushing down in confusion. The confederates had struck a blow from an unexpected quarter. Ever since noon Beauregard had commanded on the plateau, while Johnston took a post in the rear from which he could overlook the whole field, and direct the reenforceinents as they came up. At 2 o'clock Kirby Smith's brigade, which had been left behind the pre- vious day, came in sight. Johnston hurried up every regiment ; some were sent to strengthen Beauregard's line, which began to advance ; others, with Smith's brigade, were hurled upon the flank and rear of the Union right, which was driven in upon the centre, now moving to attack. In a quarter of an hour all was over. The plateau was swept clear, and the whole