Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[93] fields of battle their dead was literally piled up in horrid masses, while their wounded, moaning with agony, were scattered through the forests in every direction. But our own casualty list is formidable.

Our friend, Col. E. E. Cross, well known in the West a few years ago as editor, correspondent, etc., and later as an emigrant to Arizona, where he was a conspicuous citizen, raged like a lion through battle, and they say that when his long body fell he went down like a pine tree. Finding it impossible to stand, he shouted: “Charge 'em like h — l, boys; show 'em that you are Yankees; d — d sorry to say I caan't go with you.” Previous to the misfortune, while he was posting a company, a rebel officer rode up inquiring for Gen. Anderson. Cross reached for his collar and brought him down on the run, answering the astonished officer, that: “You're just the chap I was looking for.” Those who know the Colonel best can appreciate his Yankee mannerism. But he acquitted himself gallantly in the fight.

After surveying the field deliberately, I concluded that our commanders felt that the army had a narrow escape. Nothing but the splendid conduct of our disciplined troops saved us from general disaster. You must bear in mind that his whole best disciplined force, under the eye of Jeff Davis himself, and commanded by Generals Joe Johnston, Huger, Magruder, G. W. Smith Whiting, Anderson, and other educated generals, was massed on our left, and that our right was utterly unable to render any assistance. They could not possibly cross the river and attack on the right, and it would have been folly to have left the right open. Gen. McClellan was where his duty called him. I saw him in the field during the Sunday fight, and afterward he rode along the entire battle-front. During his progress he was greeted with great enthusiasm. It was a splendid ovation.

I neglected to mention that we lost no general officer, but had two wounded. But our loss in regimental, field and line officers, was very severe. Among our captives we have Gen. Pettigrew and Col. Champ Davis, of South-Carolina, Col. Long, formerly of the regular army, and several other distinguished Southerners.

Sunday night our troops again slept on the battle-field, and will continue to do so until we advance into Richmond. It is a grand satisfaction, permit me to say in conclusion, that Sedgwick's splendid division fought and gloriously thrashed the famous Hampton legion. More than a hundred of them are buried on this field. But they fought long, and learned how firm the Yankees stand fire.

sir: Feeling assured that you will not refuse to a divsion of the Army of the Potomac, that has been grossly misrepresented, an opportunity of setting itself right with the public, I beg to offer you the following statement of facts, and correction of other statements which have appeared in the public press and been accepted as unquestionable. The great error of all is the assertion made in the despatch of Gen. McClellan, that in the battle of Saturday last (May thirty-first) the division of Gen. Casey, “which was in the first line,” broke up, “unaccountably and disunitedly,” and that all the men did splendidly, “with the exception of Casey's division.” In this statement, made public in an official despatch, there is a severity of censure which has not been bestowed upon any troops in the service since the commencement of this rebellion. The men who broke and ran from the battle-field of Bull Run with such headlong speed and undisguised terror, and the men who refused to go into that fight and marched from the field to the music of the enemy's cannon, received no such censure, and were not publicly disgraced in any such manner as Casey's division has been by Gen. McClellan. And yet the severity is not more marked than the injustice of it is manifest to any and every one who knows the facts. Indeed, many who do know them say without hesitation that the entire credit of that battle is due to the very men who are expressly cut off from any share in it, and that the Commanding General would have shown himself more just or better informed if he had written, “with few exceptions the regiments engaged did splendidly, but Casey's division, or at least the First brigade thereof, excelled them all.” But to this topic I will return presently. I proceed to correct the erroneous statements made by various newspaper correspondents and others in connection with the said battle and its continuation on Sunday, June first.

First. One journal states that after the overthrow of Casey's men, “Gen. Couch, with his veterans, saved the day.” Gen. Couch did nothong of the sort, and Gen. Couch has no “veterans” in his command. One brigade of his division came up tardily to the support of Gen. Casey, but went back very rapidly. In the disaster of that afternoon and evening his command bore its full part. Its camp, as well as Casey's, fell into the hands of the rebels, and was occupied by them on the night after the battle.

Second. It is stated (and Gen. McClellan's despatch implies it) that the fight of Saturday was a Union victory; that Sumner and Heintzelman's corps came up and drove back the enemy who had defeated Casey. They did nothing of the sort. They simply prevented his going on further and using the victory he had gained. They, with thousands of fresh men, simply came in when the fighting was nearly all over, and held in check the rebel army, which, for nearly five hours, Casey's division had resisted alone.

Third. It is stated that Gen. McClellan came up on Saturday evening and took command, and that he slept on the battle-field. If he did come up on Saturday, it is strange that no one of those who were engaged in the front saw him or his staff, or body-guard, or received any orders from him. That he slept on the battle-field is simply untrue, a claptrap newspaper item without foundation in fact. The rebel Generals, at least