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seeing a regiment of Virginians near, said, pointing to them, “Take me to your Colonel.”
His captors ignorantly did as he suggested, and actually carried him into the midst of the Virginians before they saw their mistake.
In a few moments he was rid of them, and again at the head of his battery, hurling destruction into the ranks of the foe. Kershaw and Kemper both deserve to be made Brigadier-Generals, as this great victory is undoubtedly due to their commands.
Hampton's Legion and Sloan's regiment displayed 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.
Manassas, Va., Monday, July 22.
Sunday, July 21, will ever be a memorable day in the annals of America.
Next to the sacred Sabbath of our Independence, it will be the eventful era in the history of Republican Governments.
The military despotism of the North, proud, arrogant, and confident, has been met in the open field, and the true chivalry of the South, relying upon the justness of their cause, though comparatively weak in numbers, have gained a victory that in completeness has never been paralleled in history since the American continent first dawned from its ocean-girt womb upon the eye of the longing discoverer.
But the victory has been dearly won — purchased, indeed, with the hearts' blood of thousands of the bravest and truest men of the Confederate States.
But this blood will not only cry aloud to the heavens for vengeance, but so fructify the soil of the South that here more than elsewhere will ever bloom and blossom the glorious tree of liberty.
It was not the good fortune of your correspondent to be in the engagement, that portion of Gen. Johnston's army to which the Kentucky 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, until 7 o'clock, when the firing of cannon and musketry became very hot and the action was fairly opened.
Here an unfortunate mistake for a time threw our lines into confusion.
The Yankees, infamous in their tricks of war as well as trade, advanced a large column headed by the Confederate flag, and when within fifty yards opened a deadly fire upon the Fourth Alabama regiment. This caused a retreat, which the South Carolinians observing, they opened upon the Alabamians, thinking them enemies, and nearly decimating their ranks.
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 as terrific.
It was an incessant roar for more than two hours, the havoc and devastation at this time being fearful.
McDowell, with the aid of Patterson's division of twenty thousand men, had nearly outflanked us, and were just in the act of possessing themselves of the railway to Richmond.
Then all would have been lost.
But most opportunely, I may say providentially, at this juncture, Gen. Johnston, with the remnant of his division-our army as we fondly call it, for we have been friends and brothers in camp and field for three months--reappeared and made one other desperate struggle to obtain the vantage ground. Elsey's brigade of Marylanders and Virginians led the charge, and right manfully did they execute the work.
Gen. Johnston himself led the advance, and wild with delirium, his ten thousand advanced in hot haste upon three times their number.
Twice was Sherman's battery, that all day long had proven so destructive, charged and taken, and our men driven back.
The third time, Virginians, Carolinians, Mississippians, and Louisianians, captured the great guns and maintained their position.
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 defiance.
