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[[start page]] July 21st Sunday, 4 P.M. ^The Southerners [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[\strikethrough]] morning as I went into church Mr.----- told me that our troops were still fighting at Bull Run. Gen. Scott was in church he said he pitied our ladies who sat in front of him as their husbands were engaged in battle probably at that very time. I have come home with Fanny as she is troubled about Mr. Elderkin who is at Bull Run. Nelly has just come in to tell us our troops have been fighting since early in the morning. 10 P.M. Mrs Gurley drew me aside just before we came up stairs to tell me Col Heintzelman was wounded & the battery in which Mr. Elderkin ^is was supposed to be cut to [[pieces?]]. Fanny has fallen asleep tired of watching poor little one she little knows what cause she has for anxiety. 22 ^Still at Dr Gurleys This has been a very weary day. I am glad night has come at last so that I can forget its sad realities in sleep. Asleep would I were [[so now?]] would I might awake from what seems like a hideous dream. All last night ambulances were passing the house & we expected every moment one would stop at our door. As we were seated at the breakfast table this morning a violent [[pull?]] at the door bell made us all start to our feet. Two soldiers entered blood stained & dusty. Poor little Fanny threw herself on the floor at my feet covering her ears [[end page]] [[start page]] fearing to hear the terrible news they might bring. They were messengers of good tidings for her however E. was safe but a sad sad tale they had to tell. The Northern Army [[strikeout]] has [[\strikeout]] was ingloriously defeated driven back before the rebel forces. [[100 000?]] were said to have been engaged on one side & [[80 000?]] on the other The loss of life on both sides was very great but they could ^of course not tell us ^exactly how many were killed & wounded. Three times our narrator a strong man burst into tears & cried like a child. About 12 o'clock Mr. E arrived he had not tasted food for twenty four hours He said the batteries of the confederate forces were arranged in the form of a [[triangle - image]] one of them had been taken early in the day & [[strikethrough]] [[??]]for [[\strikethrough]] seemed to be in the hands of the [[strikethrough]] con [[strikethrough]]federate ^army until the [[strikethrough]] [[troo?]] [[\strikethrough]] confederates were reenforced by a body of troops from Manassas. [[strikethrough]] In my humble opinion [[\strikethrough]] I have been able to learn during the day however [[strikethrough]] it seemed [[\strikethrough]] I should think this battery had been yielded [[strikethrough] [[and?]] [[\strikethough]] in order to entrap the federal army in the [[inverted V - image] [[?]] [[strikethrough]] then by cutting off [?] [[retreat?]] [[shortly?]] an [[attack?] of [[every?]] ^it was evedently the plan for the [[?]] [[strikethrough]] in the rear. [[\strikethrough]] while an attack of [calvary?] in the rear [[strikethrough]] cut off [[\strikethrough]] prevented a retreat. The plan did not quite succeed however the calvary "The black Horsemen", were repulsed by Ellsworth's [[end page]]
