BANKS DEFEATED AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN. 177 advanced, at 5 P. M., across open fields | son claims to have taken 400 prisand up gentle acclivities, thoroughly oners, 1 gun, and 5,302 small arms, swept by the Rebel cannon and mus- with a loss on his part of 223 killed, ketry. including Gen. C. S. Winder, 2 Lt.Colonels, and a Major; with 1,060 wounded: among them Cols. Williams and Sheffield, 3 Majors, and 31 missing; total, 1,314. Gen. Pope had remained throughout the day at Culpepper, neither desiring nor expecting a serious en time that only skirmishing was going on at the front; until the continuous roar of cannon assured him, soon after 5 o'clock, that the matter was grave. Ordering forward Ricketts's division, he arrived with it on the field just before dark, and directed Banks to draw in his right wing upon his center, so as to give room for Ricketts to come into the fight; but the Rebels, though victorious, advanced with great caution, and, finding themselves confronted by fresh batteries, recoiled, after a sharp artillery duel, and took shelter in the woods. Ricketts's guns continued vocal until midnight; but of course to little purpose. Meantime, Sigel's corps began to arrive, and was sent to the front abreast of Ricketts's; Banks's corps being withdrawn two miles to the rear to rest and reorganize. Had victory been possible, they would have won it. Early's brigade of Ewell's division held the road, and was so desperately charged in front and on its right flank, that it held its ground only by the opportune arrival of Thomas's brigade of Hill's division; while the left of Jackson's di-gagement, and assured from time to vision, under Taliaferro, was so assailed in flank and rear that one brigade was routed and the whole flank gave way, as did also Early's. But the odds were too heavy; and, though our men proved themselves heroes, they could not defeat three times their number, holding the foot of a mountain and covered by woods. The best blood of the Union was poured out like water, but in vain. Gen. Geary, who, with five Ohio regiments and the 28th Pennsylvania, made the most desperate charge of the day, was himself wounded, with most of his officers. Gen. Crawford's brigade came out of the fight a mere skeleton. The 109th Pennsylvania, 102d New York, and several other regiments, left half their number dead or wounded on that fatal field. Gens. Augur and Carroll were severely wounded; as were Cols. Donnelly, 46th Pa., Creighton, 7th Ohio, and Majors Savage, 2d Mass., Armstrong, 5th Ohio, and Pelouze, Banks's Adjutant. Gen. Prince was taken prisoner after dark, by acci-just come up from Fredericksburg, dent, while passing from one part of and that Pope was about to strike at his command to another. Our loss his communications, and thus comin killed and wounded could hardly pel him to fight on equal terms, he, have been less than 2,000 men. leaving a part of his dead unburied, We were not so much beaten as fair- retreated rapidly across the Rapidan. ly crowded off the field; where Jack-Our cavalry pursued him to that VOL. II.-12 But there was no more fighting. Jackson clung to his mountain and his woods till the night of the 11th; when, aware that King's division had stream, picking up a number of barely 7,000 men had reached him. stragglers. Gen. Reno, with 8,000 of Burnside's corps, having joined" him, Gen. Pope advanced his infantry to Robertson's river and Raccoon Ford, with his center at and around Cedar Mountain, and began again to operate with his cavalry on the enemy's communications, until satisfied that the whole Rebel Army of Virginia was rapidly assembling to overwhelm him; one of his cavalry expeditions having captured J. E. B. Stuart's Adjutant, bearing a letter from Gen. Lee," at Gordonsville, which clearly indicated that purpose. Holding his advanced position to the last, so as to afford time for the arrival of McClellan's army, he commenced" a retreat across the Rappahannock, which was effected in two days without loss; and, though the Rebels, of course,. followed sharply with their cavalry, reaching the river on the morning of the 20th, they found the fords so guarded and fortified that they could not be forced without heavy loss; so, after three days of skirmishing and artillery-firing at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station, they commenced a movement up the stream, with intent to turn our right. Pope, still under orders to maintain his communications with Fredericksburg, was unable to extend his right farther without too much weakening his center, and telegraphed again and again to Washington that he must be rëenforced or retreat. He was assured, on the 21st, that, if he could hold on two days longer, he should be so amply strengthened as to enable him to assume the offensive; yet, on the 25th, "1 August 14. He had resolved to recross the Rappahannock on the night of the 22d, and fall upon the flank and rear of the long Rebel column constantly passing up the river; but, during that night, a heavy rain set in, which, before morning, had drowned all the fords and carried away the bridges in his front, rendering his meditated blow impossible. During that night, Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, with 1,500 Rebel cavalry and 2 guns, having crossed the Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge and Hart's Mill during the preceding day, pushed on unobserved to Warrenton, surprised Gen. Pope's headquarterstrain near Catlett's Station, during the intense rain and darkness; capturing Pope's field Quartermaster and his dispatch-book, with a quantity of uniforms and personal baggage, burning the wagons, and trying to burn the railroad bridge over Cedar Run '; but the tremendous rain then falling defeated this design. Stuart claims to have reached the Rappahannock at Warrenton Springs, on his return next day, with 300 prisoners and many horses, here crossing unharmed, after a night's bivouac and a little skirmishing. Pope's actual headquarters during this raid were near Rappahannock Station ; but our army trains were parked around Catlett's, and guarded by 1,500 infantry and five companies of cavalry; so that Stuart's cheap success inflicted on us more disgrace than injury-a disgrace which the intense darkness and pouring rain explain, but do not excuse. Still, the enemy confronting us in ample force at Rappahannock Sta12 Dated August 15. August 18. 13 POPE PREPARING TO FIGHT. 179 tion, Sulphur Springs, and Waterloo | them before advancing. Supported Bridge, kept moving heavy columns up their side of the river, with evident intent to flank and fall upon our right; and Pope, facing along the turnpike from Warrenton to Gainesville, resolved there to give battle. Meantime, IIeintzelman's long-expected corps from McClellan's army had reached Warrenton Junction," and Porter had reported from the neighborhood of Bealton Station; while Sturgis, Cox, and Franklin, were telegraphed from Washington to be just at hand. Pope, therefore, believed, and had a right to believe, that he was to be supported, in the struggle now imminent, by 40,000 to 50,000 veterans from the Army of the Potomac, and had made dispositions and given orders accordingly. He requested Gen. Halleck to push Franklin with all speed to Gainesville; and sent orders to Manassas Junction that the first division which reached that point from Alexandria should halt and take post in the works at that place, pushing forward its cavalry toward Thoroughfare Gap to watch the enemy's movements in that quarter; while Gen. Sturgis, commanding at Alexandria, had already been directed " by him to post strong guards along the railroad from Manassas Junction to Catlett's, personally superintending the execution of this order. Sigel, who had slowly moved up the Rappahannock, and encountered" a Rebel force at Great Run, two miles below the Sulphur Springs, had easily driven it, but not till it had had time to destroy certain bridges; and the great flood then prevailing compelled him to halt and rebuild August 22. 14 August 25. 16 by Gens. Reno and Banks, he crossed Great Run next morning" and occupied Sulphur Springs under a heavy fire of artillery from the Rebel batteries over the Rappahannock, rebuilding the Sulphur Springs bridge, and pushing forward in the direction of Waterloo Bridge, which was occupied by Gen. Buford's cavalry at noon of that day; Sigel's advance, under Milroy, arriving late in the afternoon: when our army may be said to have been concentrated, facing to the west, with Sigel's corps and Buford's cavalry near the Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge, with Banks's behind it; Reno's farther east, and very near Sulphur Springs ; McDowell, with Ricketts's and King's divisions, at Warrenton; Ileintzelman behind him at Warrenton Junetion, where Sturgis and Cox were hourly looked for; while Franklin was expected to come in on his right, and Porter to push forward and join Reno. But unsuccessful fighting and constant marching had by this time reduced Sigel's corps to 9,000 effectives; Banks's to 5,000; McDowell's, including Reynolds's division, to 15,500; and Reno's to 7,000; to which add 4,000 thoroughly usedup cavalry, and Pope's army proper could bring into action hardly 40,000 men. Add to these the corps of Heintzelman and Porter, just arrived from McClellan's army, and it might be said that his whole command numbered nearly 60,000; but Heintzelman had reached Warrenton Junction by railroad, without artillery or wagons, with only four rounds of ammunition to the man, and without horses even for his field officers; while Porter, at Warrenton | arrived at Bristow soon after Jackson, to whom they fell an easy prey. Junction, had a very small supply of provisions and barely 40 rounds of cartridges per man. Lee, who had by this time nearly his whole army on the Rappahannock, had abandoned the idea of forcing a passage of that river, in favor of an effort, by a long flank movement, to turn our right. To this end, Jackson was directed to take the advance, cross above Waterloo, and move around our army so as to strike the railroad in its rear; while Longstreet, following, was to menace our front and fix Pope's attention until Jackson's hazardous movement should be accomplished. 18 Jackson moved rapidly across the Rappahannock at Hinson's Mill, four miles above Waterloo, and encamped that night at Salem, behind the Bull Run Mountains, between Thoroughfare and Manassas Gaps. Starting early next morning, he passed through Thoroughfare Gap and moved south-easterly by Gainesville, where he was joined by Stuart with two cavalry brigades; striking before dark" the Alexandria Railroad at Bristow Station, thus placing himself directly between Pope's far superior force and his base at Alexandria or Washington; having encountered no resistance. In fact, Pope seems to have been completely deceived," with his cavalry still watching for a Rebel advance from the Rappahannock; as two trains of cars, moving northward from Warrenton, So far, Jackson's success had been without flaw; but his position was critical, and there was obviously no time to be lost. Weary and footsore as were his men, he at once dispatched Gen. Trimble, with the 21st North Carolina and 21st Georgia infantry, under Stuart-who took part of his cavalry-with orders to strike Manassas Junction, seven miles farther north, carry it at all hazards, and capture the large amount of stores there collected. Stuart moved slowly, because of the darkness of the night, as well as the weariness of his command; but, sending Col. Wickham, with the 4th Virginia cavalry, to the rear of the Junction, he charged and carried it with his infantry before midnight, capturing 8 guns, 300 prisoners, 175 horses, 200 new tents, 10 locomotives, 7 trains loaded with provisions and munitions, and immense quantities of quartermaster and commissary stores. Our forces, consisting of the 11th New York battery and 4 or 5 companies of infantry, seem to have been taken by surprise; which is the more unaccountable since a train, which had barely escaped capture at Bristow, had, some hours before, run by the Junction at full speed, rushing into a down train loaded with soldiers, which was standing on the track at Bull Run bridge, four miles east of Manassas, completely demolishing 5 freight cars, killing 3 sol emy is threatening, or moving up the Valley of the Shenandoah, via Front Royal, with designs upon the Potomac-possibly beyond." Pope, at Warrenton Junction, at 9:30 that night, sent to McDowell at Warrenton, that, "I believe the whole force of the enemy has marched for the Shenandoah Valley, by way of Luray and Front Royal." DEFEATS OF SCAMMON AND G. W. TAYLOR. diers, and severely wounding others; the conductor and engineer of the fugitive train being themselves badly injured. A surprise at the Junction, whereby 4 of our guns were taken at the first dash of the Rebel cavalry, and an immense amount of property lost, which a well-officered regiment might have saved, could never have occurred in any service but ours. Col. Scammon, with the 11th and 12th Ohio, of Gen. Cox's division, recently from West Virginia, was stationed at Union Mills, across Bull Run, whither a few of our routed handful at Manassas escaped, giving the alarm. He at once ordered an advance upon the Junction, which 'brought on, at daylight," a conflict; wherein our men were worsted and driven back across Bull Run Bridge, which Scammon attempted to hold; but by noon he was fairly beaten off, retreating up the railroad toward Alexandria; while part of the Rebel cavalry, justly elated with their triumph, pushed across and raided, burnt, and destroyed at will, at Fairfax, and on to Burke's Station. Meantime, Brig.-Gen. George W. Taylor, with the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th New Jersey infantry, of Franklin's division, had been sent forward by rail from Alexandria, and, debarking near Centerville, pushed eagerly forward to regain the lost fight; but by this time Jackson, who was quite aware that moments were precious, had brought up from Bristow his own and A. P. Hill's divisions, comprising 10 brigades and 12 batteries: by which Taylor was quickly routed, himself losing a leg in the encounter; the Rebels remaining completely masters of the situation. 21 Aug. 27. 181 Pope, considerably astonished, began by this time to have a realizing sense of his condition. He had this morning" ordered McDowell, with Sigel and Reynolds, to move rapidly on Gainesville, so as to reach it that night; while Reno, followed by Kearny's division of Heintzelman's corps, was directed to move on parallel roads to Greenwich, and thence communicate at once with McDowell, supporting him if required. Pope himself, with Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps, moved directly up the railroad toward Manassas, ordering Porter to remain at Warrenton Junction until Banks should arrive from Fayetteville, when he should march forthwith on Gainesville, where a battle was anticipated. The trains were instructed to keep in the rear of Hooker, protected by the corps behind him from attack. Approaching Bristow Station that afternoon, Hooker encountered the division of Ewell, which had been left there by Jackson on his advance to Manassas; when a sharp fight occurred, in which Ewell was overpowered and driven, with a loss of some 300 on each side; Ewell losing a part of his baggage, but burning the bridge and thoroughly destroying the railroad. He of course fell back on Jackson at Manassas; while Hooker, from want of ammunition, was unable vigorously to pursue him. Jackson, justly afraid of being assailed by Pope's entire army, was forced to evacuate Manassas, moving westward, in order to unite more readily with Longstreet, then known to be approaching; and compelled to burn some thousands of barrels of |