The Conflict Deepens—The Captain is made Colonel of the
Thirteenth New York Volunteers—The Battle of Bull Run—The
unterrified Commander of the Thirteenth and his Troops—The
Brave Stand.
INSTEAD of “blowing over,” the storm of rebellion grew darker, and
extended toward every point of the horizon. The appointment of Captain
Sherman to an important command was discussed and urged by those who
knew him. And what do you think he said? You recollect our
Lieutenant-General, when he asked the privilege of serving his country,
declined a generalship because too modest to aspire to its honors. The
lamented Major-General Mitchel desired any place, however humble, where
he might defend the Stars and Stripes. And said the gallant Sherman: “I
do not wish a prominent place; this is to be a long and bloody war.”
Real _ability_ to achieve, and moral worth, are never boastful and
impatient to astonish the people. Even the great rebel General Lee, in a
letter recently published, urges the same unassuming, calm performance
of present duty upon his son: quoting as an illustration the “old
Puritan,” who in the early period of our legislation, when the day
suddenly became outwardly dark, as if the sun had disappeared from the
heavens, causing a pause of alarm, some fearing the judgment-day was at
hand, called for a light, saying he wished to proceed to business, and
be found at his post of duty when the final catastrophe came. This is
good counsel for us all, though from a _rebel’s_ pen.
General McDowell, who was then one of our most popular commanders, seems
to have had a just appreciation of Sherman. He wanted his services; and
on the 13th of June, 1861, offered him the colonelcy of the Thirteenth
Infantry in the regular army, the command dating May 14th of that year.
A month of preparation for the field passed, and the first great meeting
of the opposing armies summoned him to the war-path. July 16th, General
McDowell, with thirty-two thousand five hundred men, moved in four
divisions upon Manassas, through which lay the route to Richmond, the
capital of Virginia and of the Confederacy. From Arlington Heights, Long
Bridge, and Alexandria, the troops marched proudly forward, anticipating
an early victory.
Never before, my young reader, did a large army go to the plain of
carnage with hearts so light and gay—“as if on a pic-nic excursion.” It
was a splendid, and to most of the troops a novel spectacle, that march
upon the “sacred soil” of the “Old Dominion,” to the animating notes of
“The Star Spangled Banner” and other national airs. July 21st, the
Sabbath day, the signals of battle were seen in our lines, regardless of
the hallowed time, and confident of an almost bloodless conquest.
Colonel Bowman, one of General Sherman’s officers since, and a faithful
friend, has given a clear and unvarnished story of his part in the
affray:
“The enemy had planted a battery on Warrenton turnpike, to command the
passage of Bull Run, and seized the stone bridge which crossed it,
erecting a heavy abatis to prevent our advance in that direction. The
object of the battle was to force this position, with a view to
subsequent operations beyond. The army engaged was commanded by
Brigadier-General McDowell. The fourth division was left in the rear.
The first, second, third, and fifth were commanded respectively by
Brigadier-General Tyler, and Colonels Hunter, Heintzelman, and Miles. In
the plan of battle, Miles was to be in reserve on the Centreville Ridge;
Tyler was to advance directly in front of Stone Bridge, on the Warrenton
road, and cannonade the enemy’s batteries; Hunter and Heintzelman were
to move to the right and cross the run above, and get to the enemy’s
rear. Colonel Sherman commanded the third brigade in Tyler’s (first)
division, consisting of troops since renowned for gallantry—Captain
Ayres’ Regular Battery, the Thirteenth, Sixty-ninth, and Seventy-ninth
New York, and Second Wisconsin infantry.
“The advance was commenced on the morning of the 21st, and a part of
Hunter’s and Heintzelman’s divisions, according to McDowell’s official
report, ‘forced the enemy back far enough to allow Sherman’s and Keyes’s
brigades of Tyler’s division to cross from their position on the
Warrenton road. These drove the right of the enemy, understood to have
been commanded by Beauregard, from the front of the field, and out of
the detached woods, and down the road, and across it, up the slopes, on
the other side.’ Pressing on, these two brigades, with the two divisions
on the right, came upon an elevated ridge or table of land. Here was the
severest fighting of the famous battle. Sherman led his brigade directly
up the Warrenton road, and held his ground till the general order came
to retreat. It will be the verdict of history that the fighting at Bull
Run was no more disgraceful to us than the unsuccessful fighting of the
French at Waterloo. It was the disorganized _rout_ after the day was
done that showed that our army was as yet but an undisciplined rabble.
The day was lost partly by the delay in attack, but chiefly by the
arrival of reënforcements under Johnston, when victory was already in
our hands. General Patterson was the Grouchy of our Waterloo.
“One fact in the battle has hitherto escaped comment. The orders of
Tyler’s division were to cross Bull Run, when possible, and join Hunter
on the right. This was done, Sherman leading off, with the Sixty-ninth
New York in advance, and encountering a party of the enemy retreating
along a cluster of pines. Lieutenant-Colonel Haggerty, of the
Sixty-ninth, without orders, rode over to intercept their retreat, and
was shot dead by the enemy. Furious at his loss, the Sixty-ninth sprang
forward and opened fire, which was returned. ‘But,’ says Sherman,
‘determined to effect our junction with Hunter’s division, I ordered the
fire to cease, and we proceeded with caution toward the field, where we
then plainly saw our forces engaged.’ Turning to Colonel Burnside’s
official report, we shall find that he was at this time overwhelmingly
pressed by the enemy. It was a critical juncture. At length Major
Sykes’s battalion of regulars came up, and staggered the enemy, and at
the same moment Sherman came marching over the hill. ‘It was Sherman’s
brigade,’ says Burnside, ‘that arrived at about twelve and a half
o’clock, and by a most deadly fire assisted in breaking the enemy’s
lines.’ So much for soldierly promptness and strict obedience to orders.
From the vigor with which Sherman fought his brigade, the loss in his
four regiments was one hundred and five killed, two hundred and two
wounded, two hundred and ninety-three wounded or missing, with six
killed and three wounded in the battery, making a total of six hundred
and nine, the whole division losing eight hundred and fifty-nine. The
loss of the army, excluding prisoners and stragglers, was computed thus:
killed, four hundred and seventy-nine; wounded, eleven hundred and
eleven; total killed and wounded, fifteen hundred and ninety. When the
conduct of Sherman had become known, the Ohio delegation in Congress
unanimously urged his immediate promotion. This was easily effected, and
on the 3d of August, 1861, he was confirmed a brigadier-general of
volunteers.”
Colonel Sherman’s brigade was the only one which retired from the field
in order, making a stand at the bridge on the track to Washington, to
dispute bravely “the right of way,” should the enemy pursue our
panic-stricken forces toward the capital.