Bull Runnings
A Journal of the Digitization of a Civil War Battle
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Harry SmeltzerDulce bellum inexpertis
“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”
About
Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.
The Project
This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!
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- Photography Focus: Rare Images of an Irish American Family at War – Irish in the American Civil War on Pvt. Thomas D. Norris, Co. A, 69th NYSM, On the Battle
- Harry Smeltzer on Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable, 4/10/2024
- Savas Beatie on Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable, 4/10/2024
- Rare Images of an Irish American Family at War – Irish in the American Civil War - National Partisan on Pvt. Thomas D. Norris, Co. A, 69th NYSM, On the Battle
- Harry Smeltzer on The 69th New York, Not the 69th New York
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Bull Runnings 
My forebear, Captain Winston Radford, died in battle at First Bull Run. I hope I can find some details here.
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Give me a little more info, like his regiment, and we’ll see what we can do.
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Capt E.(mund) Winston Radford (age 41), formerly Capt of the 1st VA Cav Regt, VA Militia, was Capt commanding Co G, “The Radford (or Bedford) Rangers” of the 30th Virginia Mounted Infantry, soon to become the 2nd Virginia Cav. His older brother was Col Richard Carlton Walker Radford (39), graduate of West Point and the regimental commander. Both brothers attended VMI. Capt Radford was mortally wounded in the late afternoon fighting, as part of the cavalry charge on the retreating Union forces, particularly on Carlisle’s Btry, U.S Art and the 69th New York Inf. (many prisoners and all the battery guns were captured) The charge continued on and proved costly, attacking between the gap of retreating union columns, and headless of other Bluecoats posted on the woods on either side and of Ayres US Reg Art. Btry now blocking the way. Cannon fire killed and wounded several men and horses and left Radford mortally wounded on the ground close to the Spindle House, where he was later found by Col Joseph B. Kershaw of the 2nd South Carolina Inf. He died soon afterward. There is come confusion as to the company name. It was raised in Bedford County, VA, so this may have been the original designation, though most listings have the company named after Radford who raised it. The similarity of names can be confusing, and if not named for Radford originally it was certainly applied immediately after his death as an honorific..Radford’s death is one of several deaths of sons and brothers lost in the presence of their family, sad anecdotes to the fight..
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MY GREAT,5 GRANDFATHER WAS JOHN FIZHUGH LAY, ADJ GEN FOR GEN BEAREGUARD, DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT HIM??THANK YOU
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I don’t have much on him yet. Do you have any other info on him?
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Captain John Fitzhugh Lay commanded an independent company of Virginia Cavalry at Manassas known as The Powhatan Troop. Raised in Powhatan County in 1860 by Phiip St. George Cocke, its first captain. It later became Co E, 4th VA CAV. Lay would have become captain after Cocke was promoted to Col of the 19th Regt VA Vol. Inf, circa 16 Apr, 1861. Lay was active in the battle and is mentioned in several reports found in the Manassas volume of the Official Records. As part of the 4th VA Cav, the company was soon detached and assigned to Gen Beauregard’s headquarters some time after the regiment’s formation on 4 Sept 1861, but returned to the regiment in Jan or Feb, 1862..On 25 Apr, 1862 Lay was succeeded in company command by Lt. Charles Old (who may have been voted in, and who much later became regimental major) and then by Joseph Hobson, the company’s final captain. If Lay had been voted out or otherwise left the company, he may then have joined Beauregard’s staff, having known each other from HQ escort duty..Many officers voted out of field commands in the 1862 army reorganization did take staff positions. Beyond this I have no further info. You might check the Powhatan County Court House or the county Historical Society for further assistance
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I do have more info actually. In Robert Krick”s “Staff Officers in Gray” Lay is listed as Capt and AAG to Beauregard, then as Maj and AAIG to Gen D.R.Jones, and later on staffs of Genls Hardee and J. P. Anderson. No dates other than his life (1826-1900)
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My ancestor, Commodore French Forrest owned Clermont Plantation which became a Union hospital after First Manasses after it was occupied by Union troops from theThird Maine and other Union units. Do you have any information about Clermont? Thank you!
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Sorry, Jim. I have nothing special on Clermont. Here’s a bit on its use as a smallpox hospital, though:
Click to access claremont.pdf
Enjoy!
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I am researching Wilmer McLean because I have read a claim that the Civil War started in the McLean back yard and ended in his parlor, after he moved
to Appotomox Courthouse. His niece, Alice McLean Stahl lived in Galena and has a plaque on the wall of the Grace Episcopal Church here.
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I am curious about the Mt Gilead home in Centerville. Do you have any info re it.
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I can’t tell you much about Mt. Gilead than you would find with a basic search, but we did visit the site during the Bull Runnings Photography Tour back in 2017. I have photos of the house and some of the earthworks on the property from that visit, and will post them on the Facebook page.
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Thx for responding. A very good friend, Lewis Leigh Jr and his wife lived in that home for years. My wife and family visited there often, kids dug up minke balls etc on the property. Lewis is widely known in the CW. a world, perhaps you know him. When he lived there, house was described as oldest inhabited home in Fax Cty. The home was a museum of weapons, a battle flag and huge collection if CW letters etc. Beauregard used the home as him HQs in winter 1862. Lewis has since sold home I believe to Fax Cty and moved to Louden Cty.
I thought maybe given your extensive knowledge of First Manassas etc, you would have had info on Mt Gilead.
I am so glad I found your wonderful site. It’s a treasure. I live in Gainesville Va, have toured the battlefield many times including Second Manassas with John Hennessy.
Thanks again and sincere best wishes
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A Captain Lay of the Powhatan Troop is mentioned in a letter of 4-22-62 from Captain John T. Thornton, Prince Edward Co., 3rd Va. Cavalry, Captain Thornton and his company were at Lee’s Field on the Peninsula. Capt. Thornton had met Capt. Lay at Camp Ashland shortly after the Prince Edward Company was organized. In the letter, Capt. Thornton relates that “they have had a hard time on the Potomac, both for men and horses.”
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