INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST BULL RUN.

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When we regained the crest of the Henry plateau, the enemy had beenswept from it, and the retreat had begun all along the line. We gazed uponthe scene for a time, and, hearing firing between the Lewis house and theStone Bridge, we rode back to see what it meant. Captain Lindsay Walkerhad arrived from Fredericksburg with his six-Parrott-gun battery, and froma high hill was shelling the fugitives beyond Bull Bun as they were fleeing inwild disorder to the shelter of the nearest woods. Colonel J. E. B. Stuart,at the head of a body of yelling cavalry with drawn sabers, was sweepinground the base of the hill we were on, to cross the Bun and fall uponthe enemy.

When Stuart disappeared in the distance, Shumate and I rode slowly backtoward the battery. Nearing the Lewis house, we saw General Johnston andhis staff coming toward us slowly, preceded a little by a gentleman on horse-back, who was lifting his hat to every one he met. From the likeness I hadseen of President Jefferson Davis , I instantly recognized him and told Shumatewho it was. With the impulsiveness of his nature, Shumate dashed up to thePresident, seized his hand, and huzzaed at the top of his voice. I could seethat Mr. Davis was greatly amused, and I was convulsed with laughter. Whenthey came within twenty steps of me, where I had halted to let the grouppass, Shumate exclaimed, to the great amusement of all who heard him: “ Mr.President, there’s my captain, and I want to introduce you to him.” The Presi-dent eyed me for a moment, as if he thought I was an odd-looking captain.I had on a battered slouch hat, a red flannel shirt with only one sleeve, cordu-roy trousers, and heavy cavalry boots, and was begrimed with burnt powder,dust, and the blood from my ear and arm, and must have been about ashard-looking a specimen of a captain as was ever seen. Nevertheless, thePresident grasped my hand with a cordial salutation, and after a few wordspassed on.

We found our battery refreshing themselves on fat bacon and bread.After a hasty meal, I threw myself on a bag of oats, and slept till broaddaylight next morning, notwithstanding a drenching rain which beat uponme during the night.

In fact, I was aroused in the morning by a messenger from ex-GovernorAlston, of South Carolina , summoning me to the side of my gallant com-mander, Brigadier-General Bee, who had been mortally wounded near theHenry house, where Bartow had been instantly killed almost at the samemoment. When I reached General Bee, who had been carried back to thecabin where I had joined him the night before, he was unconscious; in a fewminutes, while I was holding his hand, he died. Some one during the nighthad told him that I had reflected on him for leaving our battery so longexposed to capture; and, at his request, messengers had been for hourshunting me in the darkness, to bring me to him, that I might learn from hisown lips that he had sent Major Howard to order me to withdraw, when hewas driven back across Young’s Branch and the turnpike. I was grieveddeeply not to have seen him sooner. Possibly the failure of his order toreach me was providential. For full three-quarters of an hour we had kept up