Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 1.

[605] battle near Manassas would result in absolute and crushing victory for the National arms. It was expected to be the finishing blow to the rebellion. The skirmish of the 18th had cast only a passing cloud over the otherwise serene sky of expectation; and it was dispelled in the course of twenty-four hours.

It became known at Washington on Saturday that McDowell was to attack Beauregard on the line of Bull's Run on Sunday, and scores of men, and even women — Congressmen, officials of every grade, and plain citizens — went out to see the grand spectacle, as the Romans went to the Coliseum to see the gladiators fight. They had tickets of admission to the amphitheater of hills near Bull's Run, in the form of passes from the military authorities; and early on Sunday morning Centreville was gay with civilians. The Headquarters of Colonel Miles was crowded with guests, where wine and cigars were used prodigally. The Hights during the day were covered with spectators and the soldiery enjoying the new sensation of the sight of clouds of smoke over the battle-field in the distance, and the roar of heavy guns far and near, whose booming a was heard even at Alexandria and Washington City. As the battle waxed hotter, and the interest became more intense,

Miles's Headquarters at Centreville.

some, more courageous or more curious than others, pushed on toward the Stone Bridge, some distance beyond Cub Run, where they could hear the scream of shells, and see the white puffs of smoke when they exploded in the air. The excitement was delicious whilst danger was distant; but before sunset, cheeks that glowed with exhilaration at noon, were pale with terror. Then the actors and the audience were commingled in wild disorder, in a flight from the scenes of the bloody drama as precipitate as that from a theater on fire.

When the right of the National army gave way, Johnston, hoping to cut off their retreat, ordered Ewell to cross Bull's Run in heavy force, and attack the left at Centreville. Ewell instantly made the attempt, but his columns were so severely smitten by a storm of grape and canister, from the heavy guns of the gallant Colonel Davies, that they recoiled, and fled back in confusion. The enterprise was abandoned, and thereafter the left was unmolested. Davies was the senior of Richardson in rank, and commanded the detachment which all day long had been watching the lower fords, and annoying passing columns of the Confederates beyond Bull's Run with shot and shell from the batteries of Green, Hunt, Benjamin, and Tidball, the latter belonging to Colonel Blenker's brigade.

Whilst the left was standing firmly, the vanquished right was moving from the field of strife, in haste and much disorder, towards the passages of