I rose early this morning in order to prepare for
contingencies and to see off Captain Johnson, who was about to start with
despatches for New York, containing, no doubt, the intelligence that the
Federal troops had advanced against the enemy. Yesterday was so hot that
officers and men on the field suffered from something like sun-stroke. To
unaccustomed frames to-day the heat felt unsupportable. A troop of regular
cavalry, riding through the street at an early hour, were so exhausted, horse
and man, that a runaway cab could have bowled them over like ninepins.
I hastened to General Scott's quarters, which were besieged
by civilians outside and full of orderlies and officers within. Mr. Cobden
would be delighted withthe republican simplicity of the Commander-in-Chief's
establishment, though it did not strike me as being very cheap at the money on
such an occasion. It consists, in fact, of a small three-storied brick house,
the parlors on the ground floor being occupied by subordinates, the small front
room on the first floor being appropriated to General Scott himself, the
smaller back-room being devoted to his staff, and two rooms up-stairs most
probably being in possession of waste papers and the guardians of the mansion.
The walls are covered with maps of the coarsest description, and with rough
plans and drawings, which afford information and amusement to the orderlies and
the stray aide-de-camps. "Did you ever hear anything so disgraceful in
your life as the stories which are going about of the affair, yesterday?"
said Colonel Cullum. “I assure you it was the smallest affair possible,
although the story goes that we have lost thousands of men. Our total loss is
under ninety — killed, wounded, and missing; and I regret to say nearly one
third of the whole are under the latter head.” “However that may be, Colonel,”
said I, “it will be difficult to believe your statement after the columns of
type which appear in the papers here.” “Oh! Who minds what they say?” “You will
admit, at any rate, that the retreat of these undisciplined troops from an
encounter with the enemy will have a bad effect.” “Well, I suppose that's
likely enough, but it will soon be swept away in the excitement of a general
advance. General Scott, having determined to attack the enemy, will not halt
now, and I am going over to Brigadier McDowell to examine the ground and see
what is best to be done,” On leaving the room two officers came out of General
Scott's apartment; one of them said, “Why, Colonel, he's not half the man I
thought him. Well, any way he'll be better there than McDowell. If old Scott
had legs he's good for a big thing yet.”
For hours I went horse-hunting; but Rothschild himself, even
the hunting Baron, could not have got a steed. In Pennsylvania Avenue the
people were standing in the shade under the ӕlanthus trees, speculating on the news brought by
dusty orderlies, or on the ideas of passing congressmen. A party of captured
Confederates, on their march to General Mansfield's quarters, created intense
interest, and I followed them to the house, and went up to see the General,
whilst the prisoners sat down on the pavement and steps outside.
Notwithstanding his affectation of calm, and self-possession, General
Mansfield, who was charged with the defence of the town, was visibly perturbed.
“These things, sir,” said he, “happen in Europe, too. If the capital should
fall into the hands of the rebels, the United States will be no more destroyed
than they were when you burned it.” From an expression he let fall, I inferred
he did not very well know what to do with his prisoners. “Rebels taken in arms
in Europe are generally hung or blown away from guns, I believe; but we are
more merciful.” General Mansfield evidently wished to be spared the
embarrassment of dealing with prisoners.
I dined at a restaurant kept by one Boulanger, a Frenchman,
who utilized the swarms of flies infesting his premises by combining masses of
them with his soup and made dishes. At an adjoining table were a lanky boy in a
lieutenant's uniform, a private soldier, and a man in plain clothes; and for
the edification of the two latter the warrior youth was detailing the most
remarkable stories in the Munchausen style, ear ever heard. “Well, sir, I tell
you, when his head fell off on the ground, his eyes shut and opened twice, and
his tongue came out with an expression as if he wanted to say something.” “There
were seven balls through my coat, and it was all so spiled with blood and
powder, I took it off and threw it in the road. When the boys were burying the
dead, I saw this coat on a chap who had been just smothered by the weight of
the killed and wounded on the top of him, and I says, ‘Boys, give me that coat;
it will just do for me with the same rank; and there is no use in putting good
cloth on a dead body.’” “And how many do you suppose was killed, Lieutenant?” “Well,
sir, it's my honest belief, I tell you, that there was not less than 5000 of
our boys, and it may be twice as many of the enemy, or more; they were all shot
down just like pigeons; you might walk for five rods by the side of the Run,
and not be able to put your foot on the ground.” “The dead was that thick?” “No,
but the dead and the wounded together.” No incredulity in the hearers — all
swallowed: possibly disgorged into the note-book of a Washington contributor.
After dinner I walked over with Lieutenant H. Wise,
inspected a model of Stevens's ram, which appears to me an utter impossibility
in face of the iron-clad embrasured fleet now coming up to view, though it is
spoken of highly by some naval officers and by many politicians. For years
their papers have been indulging in mysterious volcanic puffs from the great
centre of nothingness as to this secret and tremendous war-engine, which was
surrounded by walls of all kinds, and only to be let out on the world when the
Great Republic in its might had resolved to sweep everything off the seas. And
lo! it is an abortive ram! Los Gringos went home, and I paid a visit to a
family whose daughters — bright-eyed, pretty, and clever — were seated out on the
door-steps amid the lightning flashes, one of them, at least, dreaming with
open eyes of a young artillery-officer then sleeping among his guns, probably,
in front of Fairfax Court House.
SOURCE: William Howard Russell, My Diary North and
South, Vol. 1, p. 431-3
No comments:
Post a Comment