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MCDOWELL’S ADVANCE TO BULL RUN.

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THE CONTEST FOR THE HENRY HILL.

Colonel William T. Sherman , -who commanded theThird Brigade of Tyler's division, describes as followssome of the efforts to regain the Henry Hill after thecapture of Griffin’s and Ricketts’s batteries: “Beforereaching the crest of this [Henry] hill, the roadway [seepicture, page 186] was worn deep enough to afford shelter,and I kept the several regiments in it as long as possible;but when the Wisconsin 2d was abreast of the enemy, byorder of Major Wadsworth, of General McDowell’s staff,I ordered it to leave the roadway by the left flank, andto attack the enemy. This regiment ascended to thebrow of the hill steadily, received the severe fire of theenemy, returned it with spirit, and advanced deliveringits fire. This regiment is uniformed in gray cloth,almost identical with that of the great bulk of the seces-sion army, and when the regiment fell into confusionand retreated toward the road, there was an universalcry that they were being fired on by our own men. Theregiment rallied again, passed the brow of the hill asecond time, but was again repulsed in disorder. Bythis time the New York 79tli had closed up, and in like

manner it was ordered to cross the brow of the hill anddrive the enemy from cover. It was impossible to get agood view of this ground. In it there was one batteryof artillery, which poured an incessant fire upon ouradvancing columns, and the ground was very irregular,with small clusters of pines, affording shelter, of whichthe enemy took good advantage. The fire of rifles andmusketry was very severe. The 79th, headed by itscolonel (Cameron), charged across the hill, and for ashort time the contest was severe. They rallied severaltimes under fire, but finally broke and gained the coverof the hill. This left the field open to the New York 69th, Colonel Corcoran, who in his turn led his regimentover the crest, and had in full open view the ground soseverely contested. The firing was very severe, and theroar of cannon, muskets, and rifles incessant. It wasmanifest the enemy was here in great force, far supe-rior to us at that point. The 69th held the ground forsome time, but finally fell back in disorder. . . .

Here, about 3:30 p. m., began the scene of confusion anddisorder that characterized the remainder of the day.”

I rode back to where I knew Burnside’s brigade was at rest, and stated toBurnside the condition of affairs, with the suggestion that he form and movehis brigade to the front. Returning, I again met Barnard , and as the battleseemed to him and me to be going against ns, and not knowing whereMcDowell was, with the concurrence of Barnard , as stated in his officialreport, I immediately sent a note to Miles, telling him to move two brigadesof his reserve up to the Stone Bridge and telegraph to Washington to sendforward all the troops that could he spared.

After the arrival of Howard’s brigade, McDowell for the last time pressedup the slope to the plateau, forced hack the Confederate line, and regainedpossession of the Henry and Robinson houses and of the lost batteries. Butthere were no longer cannoneers to man or horses to move these guns thathad done so much. By the arrival upon this part of the field of his ownreserves and Kirby Smith’s brigade of Johnston’s army about half-past 3,