camp Jackson, Manassas Junction July 23, 1861.Dear mother and friends:--I am safe yet, and have nothing of any consequence to complain of, which is more than many a fellow-soldier can say. I suppose you have heard what an awful battle we had down here last Sunday. I was not in it — as it so happened I could not get with my regiment, and glad I am I was not. This morning I went out on the battle-field, and, hard-hearted as you term me, I was horror-struck at the sight. Men (Yankees) lying around in every direction, dead and wounded. I suppose I must have seen at least 500 men and 200 horses — some places as many as six horses lying side by side. It is supposed their loss is over 5,000 men killed and wounded, and they took somewhere near 1,000 live Yankees prisoners. Oh, they were whipped decently. They chased old Scott so close, he had to leave his coach, and lost his epaulettes; and if reports are true, he lost one of his cowardly legs. Our regiment took the famous Sherman's Battery. Well, we have taken near 50 pieces of rifled cannon, and run them clean off the field. Beauregard, of South Carolina, led our regiment. They (I mean the regiment) whipped the Ellsworth Zouaves, that much-dreaded band of ruffians. Yes, I have seen them myself — yes, more than a hundred of them, as high as six in a bunch, dead as a door nail. They had 75,000 men against us, and so sure was Scott of success, it is reported he brought up one hundred ladies from Washington to see him conquer Southerners;--(but some one got hurt.) Jeff. Davis came up here on Sunday, and was on the field himself. Gen. Jackson was wounded, two fingers shot off; Gen. Bee killed. I do not know our loss--250 killed, not more, and it may be less, but 200 men lost will cover all. It commenced about 6 in the morning, and lasted all day. They had a fight here on Thursday too, but it was nothing to this. I suppose the next you hear of us will be at Washington. We are determined to have it.
--Boston Journal, Aug. 16.
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A rebel's letter.--The following letter was taken by one of the pickets of Col. Gordon's Regiment, (the Massachusetts Second.) It shows that the privates as well as the Generals of the rebel army can tell big stories:
--Boston Journal, Aug. 16.
Van Nostrand. New York, New York. 1862.
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