John G. Nicolay, The Outbreak of Rebellion

“ [204] field. Our forces have won a glorious victory.” He forbore to add, what the official reports and correspondence afterward developed, namely: that not only was the field “hard-fought” and the victory “dear-bought,” but they were by no means confident it was final. On the contrary, the rebel headquarters was in serious apprehension lest McDowell should turn from Centreville and once more assail the Confederate light flank at or below Blackburn's Ford. To meet this reported danger, Ewell and Holmes were that night ordered post-haste back to Union Mills. “You will not fail to remember,” afterward wrote Jefferson Davis to Beauregard, “that, so far from knowing the enemy was routed, a large part of our forces was moved by you, in the night of the 21st, to repel a supposed attack upon our right, and the next day's operations did not fully reveal what has since been reported of the enemy's panic.”

When McDowell left the battle-field his intention and orders were to rally at Centreville. But, arriving there, he found the conditions less favorable than he anticipated. It had been designed that Blenker's brigade should, during the day, throw up intrenchments; this was not done, because the necessary tools did not get forward as expected. Next he found that Davies and Richardson had left their stations at Blackburn's Ford and were falling back. “Great God! Richardson,” exclaimed McDowell, on meeting that officer, “why didn't you hold on to the position at Blackburn's Ford?” “Colonel Miles ordered me to retreat to Centreville, and I obeyed the order; Colonel Miles is continually interfering with me, and he is drunk, and is not fit to corn mand,” was the reply. The officer stood justified, for Mc-Dowell had already suspended Miles from command. The retrograde movement was stopped, the brigades were faced about and put in the best possible line of defence, with