THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
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closure was now utilized by Sherman’s (W. T.) and Keyes’s brigades ofTyler’s division; crossing at this point, they appeared over the high bank ofthe stream and moved into position on the Federal left. There was no choicenow for Bee but to retire — a movement, however, to be accomplished underdifferent circumstances than when urged by him upon Evans. The threeleaders endeavored to preserve the stead-iness of the ranks as they withdrew overthe open fields, aided by the fire of Im-boden’s guns on the plateau and theretiring howitzers ; but the troops werethrown into confusion, and the greaterpart soon fell into rout across Young’sBranch and around the base of theheight in the rear of the Stone Bridge.
Meanwhile, in rear of Mitchell’s Ford,
I had been waiting with General John-ston for the sound of conflict to open inthe quarter of Centreville upon the Fed-eral left flank and rear (making allow-ance, however, for the delays possibleto commands unused to battle), when Iwas chagrined to hear from General D.
R. Jones that, while he had been longready for the movement upon Centre-ville, General Ewell had not come up toform on his right, though he had senthim between 7 and 8 o’clock a copy ofhis own order which recited that Ewellhad been already ordered to begin themovement. I dispatched an immediateorder to Ewell to advance; but within aquarter of an hour, just as I receiveda dispatch from him informing me thathe had received no order to advance inthe morning, the firing on the left began to increase so intensely as to indi-cate a severe attack, whereupon General Johnston said that he would gopersonally to that quarter.
After weighing attentively the firing, which seemed rapidly and heavilyincreasing, it appeared to me that the troops on the right would be unable toget into position before the Federal offensive should have made too muchprogress on our left, and that it would be better to abandon it altogether,maintaining only a strong demonstration so as to detain the enemy in frontof our right and center, and hurry up all available reenforcements — includ-ing the reserves that were to have moved upon Centreville — to our left andfight the battle out in that quarter. Communicating this view to GeneralJohnston, who approved it (giving his advice, as he said, for what it was
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