Capt. Weston. This gentleman, captain of the Peterborough company, writes in regard to the retreat at Bull’s Run :
“Could we but have had an officer to ride along the lines and order a halt in some good position, we should have been all right, The rebels never would have shown themselves in open fight against.us tor every rebel we saw during the day we killed or routed. I rushed among the flying columns and shouted and prayed in tears and agony asking for some officer to command us, but they were only Majors, or Colonels or something of the sort. I strove to reason with them; but they would hear nothing.—My own regiment was ready to stop, and did form in very good order on the field before we left but they could not stop alone, and I must confess that the panic was upon them, and away we rushed, and the rout became general, and such a rout—why if one thousand men had come upon us with a will, they could have cut us all to pieces; but we retreated with none to molest until near Centreville a band of cavalry came upon our rear and scattered us some, and a battery opened upon a bridge and took some baggage and killed a few men, but they did not advance to Centreville.”
The Daily Manchester American, Manchester, NH
Captain Weston & the 2nd New Hampshire
Capt. Ephraim Weston was commander of Company G of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry Regiment.
Wow – what a fascinating bit of writing. You come up with some gems.
Soon after Bull Run, a Captain Edmund Weston raised a company of Vermont sharpshooters for Berdan’s regiment. Maybe this was the same Capt. Weston.