On The Battle-Field Near Bull Run,
Sunday, 21, 12.45 p. m.
Our brigade is making a demonstration in the face of the enemy and a fight is going on on the right of the line five or six miles off. The enemy’s batteries do not return our fire. We see immense masses of troops moving, and the supposition is that the enemy is trying to outflank us on the left. We started (from Centreville) at half-past two this morning.
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The following little note, hardly legible now, written in pencil on a scrap of soiled and crumpled paper, made its way to us at Washington and told the rest of the story:
Evening. Half-past seven.
A complete rout. The Sixteenth safe. We are making a final stand. J. H.