FORT CORCORAN, July 28,
Sunday.
I have
already written to you since my return from the unfortunate defeat at Bull Run.
I had previously conveyed to you the doubts that oppressed my mind on the score
of discipline.
Four large columns of poorly disciplined militia left this
place, the Long bridge and Alexandria, all concentrating at a place called
Centreville, twenty-seven miles from Washington. We were the first column to
reach Centreville, the enemy abandoning all defences en route.
The first day of our arrival our commander, General Tyler,
advanced on Bull Run, about two and a half miles distant, and against orders
engaged the batteries. He sent back to Centreville and I advanced with our
Brigade, when we lay for half an hour, amidst descending shots, killing a few
of our men. The batteries were full a mile distant, and I confess I, nor any
person in my Brigade, saw an enemy.
Towards evening we returned to Centreville.
That occurred on Thursday. We lay in camp till Saturday
night by which the whole army was assembled in and about Centreville. We got
orders for march at 2½ Sunday morning, — our column of three brigades —
Schenck, Sherman and Keyes — to move straight along a road to Bull Run; another
of about 10,000 men to make a circuit by the right (Hunter’s), and come upon
the enemy in front of us; Heintzelman's column of about similar strength also
to make a wide circuit to sustain Hunter. We took the road first, and about 6 A.M.
came in sight of Bull Run. We saw in the grey light of morning men moving
about, but no signs of batteries. I rode well down to the stone bridge which
crosses the stream, saw plenty of trees cut down, some bush huts, such as
soldiers use on picket guard, but none of the evidences of strong
fortifications we had been led to believe.
Our business was simply to threaten, and give time for
Hunter and Heintzelman to make their circuit. We arranged our troops to this
end, Schenck to the left of the road, and I to the right, Keyes behind in
reserve. We had with us two six gun batteries, and a 30 lb. gun. This was fired
several times, but no answer. We shifted positions several times, firing
whenever we had reason to suppose there were any troops. About ten or eleven o’clock,
we saw the cloud of dust in the direction of Hunter's approach, saw one or more
regiments of the enemy leave their line and move in that direction, soon the
firing of musketry and guns showing the engagement had commenced. Early in the
morning I saw a flag flying behind some trees. Some of the soldiers seeing it
called out, “Colonel, there's a flag, a flag of truce.” A man in the field with
his dog and gun, called out, “No, it is no flag of truce, but a flag of
defiance.” I was at the time studying
the ground and paid no attention to him. About nine o’clock I was well down to
the Run with some skirmishers, and observed two men on horseback ride along a
hill, descend, cross the stream, and ride out towards us. He had a gun in his
hand which he waved over his head, and called out to us, “You d----d black
abolitionists, come on,” etc. I permitted some of the men to fire on him, but
no damage was done. We remained some time thus awaiting the action which had
begun on the other side of Bull Run. We could see nothing, but heard the firing
and could judge that Hunter's column steadily advanced. About 2 P. M. they came
to a stand, the firing was severe and stationary. General Tyler rode up to me
and remarked that he might have to send the N. Y. 69th to the relief of Hunter.
A short while after, he came up and ordered me with my whole Brigade, some
3,400 men, to cross over to Hunter. I ordered the movement, led off, found a
place where the men could cross, but the battery could not follow.
We crossed the stream, and ascended the bluff bank, moving
slowly to permit the ranks to close up. When about half a mile back from the
stream, I saw the parties in the fight, and the first danger was that we might
be mistaken for secessionists and fired on. One of my regiments had on the grey
uniform of the Virginia troops. We first fired on some retreating
secessionists, our Lieutenant Colonel Haggerty was killed, and my bugler by my
side had his horse shot dead. I moved on and joined Hunter’s column. They had a
pretty severe fight. Hunter was wounded, and the unexpected arrival of my
Brigade seemed a great relief to all. I joined them on a high field with a
house, and as we effected the junction the secessionists took to the woods and
were seemingly retreating, and General McDowell who had accompanied Hunter’s
column ordered me to join in the pursuit. I will not attempt to describe you
the scene. Their batteries were on all the high hills overlooking the ground
which we had to cross, and they fired with great vigor. Our horse batteries
pursued from point to point returning the fire, whilst we moved on, with shot,
shell and cannister over and all round us. I kept to my horse and head of the
Brigade, and moving slowly, came upon their heavy masses of men, behind all
kinds of obstacles.
They knew the ground perfectly, and at every turn we found
new ground, over which they poured their fire. At last we came to a stand, and
with my regiments in succession we crossed a ridge and were exposed to a very
heavy fire. First one regiment and then another and another were forced back,
not by the bayonet but by a musketry and rifle fire, which it seemed impossible
to push our men through. After an hour of close contest our men began to fall
into confusion. One hundred and eleven had been killed, some two hundred and
fifty wounded and the soldiers began to fall back in disorder. My horse was
shot through the fore leg. My knee was cut round by a ball, and another had hit
my coat collar and did not penetrate; an aide, Lt. Bagley, was missing, and
spite of all exertions the confusion increased, and the men would not re-form.
Similar confusion had already occurred among other regiments, and I saw we were
gone. Had they kept their ranks we were the gainers up to that point, only our
field batteries, exposed, had been severely cut up by theirs, partially
covered. Then for the first time I saw the carnage of battle, men lying in
every conceivable shape, and mangled in a horrible way; but this did not make a
particle of impression on me, but horses running about riderless with blood
streaming from their nostrils, lying on the ground hitched to guns, gnawing
their sides in death. I sat on my horse on the ground where Ricketts’ Battery
had been shattered to fragments, and saw the havoc done. I kept my regiments
under cover as much as possible, till the last moment, when it became necessary
to cross boldly a ridge and attack the enemy, by that time gathered in great
strength behind all sorts of cover.
The volunteers up to that time had done well, but they were
repulsed regiment by regiment, and I do think it was impossible to stand long
in that fire. I did not find fault with them, but they fell into disorder — an
incessant clamor of tongues, one saying they were not properly supported,
another that they could not tell friend from foe; but I observed the gradual
retreat going on and did all I could to stop it. At last it became manifest we
were falling back, and as soon as I perceived it, I gave it direction by the
way we came, and thus we fell back to Centreville, some four miles. We had with
our Brigade no wagons, they had not crossed the river. At Centreville came
pouring in the confused masses of men, without order or system. Here I supposed
we should assemble in some order the confused masses and try to stem the tide.
Indeed I saw but little evidence of being pursued, though once or twice their
cavalry interposed themselves between us and our rear. I had read of retreats
before, have seen the noise and confusion of crowds of men at fires and
shipwrecks, but nothing like this. It was as disgraceful as words can portray,
but I doubt if volunteers from any quarter could do better. Each private thinks
for himself. If he wants to go for water, he asks leave of no one. If he thinks
right, he takes the oats and corn, and even burns the house of his enemy. As we
could not prevent these disorders on the way out, I always feared the result,
for everywhere we found the people against us. No curse could be greater than
invasion by a volunteer army. No Goths or Vandals ever had less respect for the
lives and property of friends and foes, and henceforth we ought never to hope
for any friends in Virginia. McDowell and all the generals tried their best to
stop these disorders, but for us to say we commanded that army is no such
thing. They did as they pleased. Democracy has worked out one result, and the
next step is to be seen. Beauregard and Johnston were enabled to effect a
junction by the failure of Patterson to press the latter, and they had such
accurate accounts of our numbers and movements that they had all the men they
wanted. We had never more than 18,000 engaged, though some ten or twelve
thousand were within a few miles. After our retreat here I did my best to stop
the flying masses, and partially succeeded, so that we once more present a
front: but Beauregard has committed a sad mistake in not pursuing us promptly.
Had he done so, he could have stampeded us again, and gone into Washington.
As it is, I suppose their plan is to produce riot in
Baltimore, cross over above Leesburg, and come upon Washington through
Maryland. Our rulers think more of who shall get office, than who can save the
country. Nobody, no man, can save the country. The difficulty is with the
masses. Our men are not good soldiers. They brag, but don't perform, complain
sadly if they don't get everything they want, and a march of a few miles uses
them up. It will take a long time to overcome these things, and what is in
store for us in the future I know not. I purpose trying to defend this place if
Beauregard approaches Washington by this route, but he has now deferred it some
days and I rather think he will give it up.
The newspapers will tell ten thousand things, none of which
are true. I have had no time to read them, but I know no one now has the moral
courage to tell the truth. . . .
SOURCE: M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Editor, Home Letters of
General Sherman, p. 204-10. A full copy of this
letter can be found in the William T Sherman Family
papers (SHR), University of Notre Dame Archives (UNDA), Notre Dame, IN
46556, Folder CSHR 1/138.
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