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Show Where They Won a aBattle Battle , and Lost awad a War By ELMO SCOTT SCOTr WATSONkN WATSON N A blazing July JuIy day 75 75years 75years 75year years * ago this month two two'armies twoarmies twoarmies armies of Americans , , ones onecomposed one onefc , ! s . of ot of the the'IJ theNorth composed fc UilJ UOCLL UA men AiA li w * w wNorth kN 'IJ IJ ' 'armies armies ' North and the other , , menJ menof menW menot men W \ J of ot the South met in desperate desperate dcs- dcs des- des dcsperate - " perate encounter on thebanks thebanks the banks of a Lttle 11ltle little stream inVIrginIa InVirginia in inVirginia Virginia When it v.as vas was v.asover wasover . wasover over , the men from the North were were1m werein werein in full retreat . . The men from theSouth the theSouth thoSouth 1m South had won the battle but , as it itIIQter itlater itlater later turned out out . , they had lost thewar the thewar thewar IIQter war because they would wouId not , , , or orcould orcould orcould could not not , , , follow up their advan advan- advantage advantage advantage - - tagei tage tageLate Late in the afternoon one of theircommanders their theircommanders theircommanders i commanders , seeing the route of ofIhls ofthis ofibis Ihls this adversaries , exclaimed , "GIve GIve "GIveIme "Giveme "Giveme Giveme " Ime me 10,000 10000 , men and I will be m in mWashington inWashington mWashington ! Washington tonight . . " Per Perhaps Perhapsspeculating Perhapsspeculating hap s sIspeculalmg Ispeculalmg speculating ( ( on hlstorIcaluJfs historical hlstorIcal "its its uJfs "ifs ifs " " is isthe Istthe isthe /the the tthe ( / idlest iellest of all occupations But Butlone Butone Butone [ one cannot help wondering what whatmight whatmight whatmight lone ( might have happened it 1 if ! those these 10- 10 10000 10000 10-000 10 000 , - . 000 men bad been given to "Stonewall " "Stone Stone 'Stone- 'Stone 'StonewaU ' - . wall waU " Jackson . . Knowing him , as aslwe asIwe aswe lwe Iwe ; do in the light Ught of his hls later ca- ca career career ca career - reer , , . we can readily believe beUeve that thathe thathe thathe he would have made good hIS hISpronuse hispromise hispromise pronuse promise . If II he be had , . the Confed Confed- Confederacy Confederacy Confederacy - eracy might have won the war thenand then thenand thenand and there . At least , , the course of ofevents ofevents ofevents events during durmg the next four years yearsW1doubtedly yearsundoubtedly yearsundoubtedly W1doubtedly undoubtedly would have been very verydlfferent verydifferent verydifferent dlfferent different from what it was . . . . The story of the battle fought tought on onJuly onJuly onJuly July 21 , . 1861 , . the first major en- en engagement engagement en engagement - gagement of the Civil war , . is a fa- fa faImIlar familiar fa familiar - miliar ImIlar one , . in m its general outlmes outlines outlinesto , to most Americans But there are aremany aremany aremany many aspects of it , not given in theschoolbook the theschoolbook theschoolbook schoolbook IDS histories torIes , which make makeit makeit makeit it one of the most interesting en- en engagements engagements en engagements - gagements in our history . First of all , there is 18 the matter matterof matterof matterof of its name Southerners prefer to tocall tocall tocall call it the Battle of Manassas be- be because because be because - cause the Confederate base was at atManassas atManassas atManassas Manassas Junction Junctionhere Junction . , \ where \\here here the Ma- Ma Manassas Manassas Ma Manassas - nassas Gap railroad joined jomed the theOrange theOrange theOrange Orange and Alexandria AIexandrla rallroad railroad rallroadBut railroadBut railroadBut But Northerners prefer to call 1t it 1tI 1tthe itthe itthe I the Battle of Bull Run . , from thename the thename thename name of the little l1ttle stream WhICh WhIChruns whichruns whichruns runs through the battlefield , even eventhough eventhough eventhough though the ) jesters esters have Implanted implantedin in the public publ1c consciousness thesuggestion the thesuggestIon thesuggestion suggestIon tha that t there was some someconnechon someconnection someconnection connechon connection between the name of ofthat ofthat ofthat that stream and the panic pamc flight flighthlch flightwhich flightwhich \\hlch hlch which \ came after the battle But Butin Butin Butin in suggesting suggestmg that they do a gra\ gra gran grae grainJustIce graveinjustice \ e eInjustice inJustIce to brave bra\e bra e brae \ , though inexperi ine'Cperl- ine'Cperl ineCperl Inexperi- ine'Cperlenced Inexperienced inexperienced ' - - enced , soldiers For the fact is , as asGlenn asGlenn asGlenn Glenn I Tucker , writing wrItlOg in m the theWashlOgton theWashington theWashington WashlOgton Washington Post on this thls battle battlepomted , pomted pointed out . ' . duringthe The Union army did not run during the battle at aU all allThere allThere aUThere There3S There \ was \\3S 3S running , , to be sure There Therewas Therewas Therewas was runnlne running In copious profusion prolusion There Therewas Therewas Therewas , , ' was runnmc runnmg running by soldiers , horses mules.Infantry mules . . .infantry infantry inIantry . artillery , cavalry and andtrains andtrains andtrains trains . , . and by terrorized terronzed spec tators spectalors spectators out for lor a gala g3la occasionho occasion \\ho ho Cho Chowith \ whowith \ howith I with their rich carriaecs c3rriages carriages were giving givingan givingan civingan an opera boufle boutIe bouffe touch to the gre3test greatest greatestspectacle greatestspectacle pectacle spectacle that bad had . } iet yet et occurred in in"North inNorth in'North inNorth ' "North North ' " runningthat America , and there was running that Fairfaac Fairfax did not end at Centrevllle Centreville , Fair x fax Cour COUL " House HDuse , Washington or Phlla Phlladelpl Phlladelphia Phlladelphia delpl delphia a , but \ which hlch extended e'Ctended eCtended ' In come some instances instances in inlances lances stances to New York , . New England Englandand Englandand Englandand and the fastness of the Maine forests forestsBut forestsBut forestsBut But it Jt really did not start on the bat battlefield battlefield batUelield batUelieldIt tlefield tlefieldIt It started slarted when the fact \ was as flnal1y finally flnal1yimpressed finallyimpressed finallyImpressed impressed upon the Union regiments regimentsthat regimentsthat regimentsthat that had marched out from lrom Washing Washington Washington Washington ton that they had irretrievably lost theengagement the theengagement theengagement engagement It gained strength through througha a recognition recogniUon that the line of retreat of ofthe ofthe ofthe the disorganized disorgamzed Union column along alongthe alongthe alongthe the Centrevllle Centrev1lle Centreville and Sudlcy Sudley Springs Springsr03ds Springsroads Springsroads r03ds roads exhibited an exposed e'Cposed eCposed ' lank nank flank ( to the theVIctonous thevictorious thevictorious VIctonous victorious enemy army , . , which might mighteven mighteven mighteven even ba\ ba have bae base \ e quicker qwckcr Ingress toSashing to \ cashing \Sashing Sashing cashingGEN Sashing.t \ a shin , , .t t . \ 4 2 2A 2w 2e : I A w e k khi - hi 4 k r r.r .r r . ' 1icep 1icepyJ ' * yJ t , < sa sat1 t1 'q q 'qrF4 ' , ti i iea rF4 ea " ' GEN GCN . IRVIN MCDOWELL MCDOWELLton ton particularly parUcularly since the Cu Cub Run Runbridge Runbridge Runbridge bridge wae was jammed with wrecked wrccltcd Fed Federa Federal rederal era eral } wagons and caissons c3Issons caissonsIt c3IssonsIt It broke roke all restraints when a small smallmounted , mounted party of that th3t enemy threw a afew afew afew few roundt rounds of r1 rifle fire into the retir reUr- reUr reUring retiring - ing fag column la in which whicb the different dlfrerent or organizations . ganizations ganlzaUons ganizauons were so confused and inter inter- intermingled intermingled - . mingled that the officers , out of con con- control control control - trol , merely added to the pandemonium by pandemoniumby useless shouts and orderswith orders ordersWith With raw troop troops * there is a bllrfine hairline hairlineline bllrfineline halrfineline : line between a forced retreat a n rout routnnd routand routand nnd and a . panic After ALter Bull Run the tran Iran transiUon Iransitton transitlon transitlonas siUon sitton siUonas \ \\as as was \ \ accomplished1U1 accomplished \ with \\1U1 1U1 \ electrify electr1fy- electr1fy electrify- - ing electrifying electr1fyIng suddenness by those Ulose few rounds of ofrUle ofrifle ofrifle rUle rifle fire and one or t0 ti t\ t tv \ o 0 pieces of artU artll artU1ery artlllery artlllery 1ery lery Irvin McDowell had led a for for- - form1dnble formidable formidable - midable m1dnble array out from the nationll national nationllcapitaL nationalcapitaL nationalcapital : capitaL . An unarmed mob returned returnedfilling returnedfilling returnedfilling filling the streets , looking 100kJng for slceplDt sleeping sleepingspace sleepingspace ; : space and living on handouts bandouts . . . So much for the losers of the theBattle theBattle theBattle Battle of Bull Run . . As tor for the win wm- wm win- wmners winners winners - ners of the Battle of Manassas Manass&s Manasss & . , the thesame thesame thesame same historian IDstorlan has pomted pointed out . It35 It \ was \\35 35 \ not a battle that reuectcd refiected reflected the thegreatest thegreatest thegreatest greatest credit upon the victors E\en E en Even Eenthough Eventhough Eventhough \ though on the U1e verge verse of defeat they pas pos passessed possessed possessed sessed the ttamlna stamln3 stamina to stay stlY : through un tin untll tintit untU tll tit the opposition crumbled , and for for- fortuitously fortuitously - . tuitously tultously found reinforcements arriving arrivingat at exactly the right moment . . . With Wltb the president of the Confederacy Confederacyon on excellentlyfitted the battlefield deemed c1.ccllently c1ccllently excellently . fitted tor for his post because of hisVest his \ West \Vest Vest 4 4l l ' S S.ry .ry ry . err . r rk * k r ' + tl , { . s x - J ' t tv v , - 4k2 s ' , y yw w i ir : r . , t c ct cs + 't t 'ti ' i _ , p-- p pf prb - - } ; . \ . , ai rbai aif aih ti ti"I f rb f . + . , h . t tN N } "I I "IN " N I It Irte t rte rter r V , J J f fi ft , J P P t , i t tjt jt jtl l / r rr4 r4 , # , * f r f r rSyr Syr Syrr ? r l lw w , yj IJ ' f 4 4r 4C C y yr Lr r # % r/ r r1 I ? r J ' r L Ln j / , 'r r ' i ti < n 1 frid rid ridl 3 3t t f l , r rJr Jl rJJl t trJ ! 11i i in it n t h rJ . ( , ' r V ' it Iti t ; i t 1 1RALLYING RALLYING THE TROOPS OF BEr BEC : , BARTOW AND EVANS AT THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN I I ' , : I Point training , with witb Johcph Joheph E John Johnson Johnson Johnton son , soldier of high renown In fn both botharmies botharmies botharmies armies , in full command , and with withPierre withPierre withPlerre Pierre Beauregard Beauregnrd . , sometimes sometunes called calledthe calledthe calledthe the ' Beau Sabreur of the Coned Confed Conederacy Confederacy Confederacy ! eracy , , " ' in active charge chnrge of the battle battleline battleline battleline line , it remained for a l hitherto therto rnther rather rntherobscure ratherobscure ratherobscure obscure brigade commander , . a profes professor professor professor sor of artillery tactics bcbcs and natural naturalphlJosophy naturalphilosophy naturalphilosophy phlJosophy philosophy , . to perceive that the l high highway highway gh ghway way to Washington , to the capture of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Union capital caplbl , and possibly recog recogrutlon recogration recogmtlon rutlon ration of the new Confederacy Conlederacy by anx anx- anxiously anx- anx anxiously anxiously - - iously waiting wafting foreign powers and the thetermination thetermination thetermination termination of the'war the \ ' war \'war 'war tar by a single singlestroke singlestroke singlestroke stroke , . was as wide open as if 1f It had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been strewn withelcomIng with \ welcoming \\elcomIng elcomIng garlands garlandsby garlandsby garlandsby by McDowell s * . flying ying lying zouavesBut zouavesBut zouaves zouavesBut But Stonewall Jackson's Jacksons Jnckson's Jncksons ' need for for10 10 000 fresh men-and men and men - and there was ample ampleallowance ampleallowance ampleallowance allowance among those still unengagedfound unengagedfound unengaged unengagedfound -found found - found President Davis DavJs arranging con conferen.ces conferenccs conterences feren.ces ferences ferenccs . in the rear of the scene of oftriumph oftriumph triumph Johnson satisfied s3Usfied with the al already already already ready gathered fruits of victory , and andBeauregard andBeauregard andBeauregard Beauregard concernedfth concerned \ with \\fth fth \ rumors of ofadvances ofadvances ofadvances advances on his rearThese rearThese rear rearThese These rumors had phantom Union Unionarmies Unionarmies Unionarmies armies coming from all directions , and andseemed andseemed andseemed seemed to cloud the tact fact that the flesh fleshand fleshand fleshand and blood Union Armi Army Arm ) was fleeing dou double double double ble quick toward the tbe Potomac Potlmac ' ) , followed followedno no longer by even a squadron of caval cavalry cavalry cavalry ry There were questions of supplies suppliesbehind suppliesbehind suppliesbehind behind while whUe flour was rotting In the thefreIght thefreight thefreight freIght cars and a rich rieh country lay layahead layahead layahead ahead But the elements clements of victory victoryhich victorywhich victorywhich \\hich hich which \ \ fired Jackson s intuitive mind mindwith mindwith mindwith with the zest for further lurther action spake spoke spakecaution spokecaution spokecaution caution and satisfaction to his supe supe- super superiors superriors superiors - riors and the precious , . wasted hours hoursS hourssw hoursswept S\\ S sw Sept \ \ ept by . And the Confederate Conleder3te army settled settleddown settleddown settleddown down for nine months almost on the thespot thespot thespot spot , and the defenses of Washington Washingtontcre Washingtonwere tcre \ ere strengthened and a new Federal Federalarmy Federalarmy Federalarmy army assembled The eagle cagle of VIctory VIctoryperched victoryperched victoryperched perched often thereafter on the ban banners banners banners ners of the South but the Northern vol volunteers volunteers voluntcers unteers unteersho \ who \\ho ho \ tho had raced from Bull Run Runhardened Runhardened Runhardened hardened Into some of the stanchest stanchestfighters stanchestfighters stanchcstfighters fighters the world has ! known mown And the theattntIon theattrition theattrition attntIon attrition set in and the war ro rolled > l1ed on ontoard ontoward ontoward to\\ard to ard toward \ \ Gettysburg and nnd Appomattox Appomattox.with Appomattoxwith . , Iwith with never another rout for the North Northso Northso Northso so utter and complete nor l highway ghway so soclear soclear soclear clear , nor the cause of the South so so'near sonear sonear 'near near triumphant tnumphant triumphantAnd . . And Jackson never had opportunity opportunityto to prove to history that with 10000 10000fresh 10 000 000fresh 000fresh fresh men on the night mght of July 21 , 1861 1861he , he \ would Could \ ould be m 1D in Washington on the morrow morrow mor- mor morThis - - row . . . This battle was noteworthy for forthe forthe forthe the number of officers m 1lJ ui . it who whowere whowere whowere were marked for ater .ater * . fame By Byone Byone Byone one of those strange quirks of fate fatethe , the commanders of ot the opposmg opposing opposmgarmlesIrvm opposingarmiesIrvin opposingarmies armles-Irvm armles Irvm armies-Irvin armies Irvin - |