DIMINUTION OF FORCES. 549 for support, was posted the corps of Heint- duct four thousand men. It is proper zelman; Sigel occupied the intrench- me to state here, and I do it with regret ments on the left and south side of the and reluctance, that at least one half of town, with Reno on his left and rear. this great diminution of our forces was Banks was ordered to take post, as soon occasioned by skulking and straggling as he arrived, on the north side of Bull from the army. The troops which were Run, and to cover the bridge on the brought into action fought with all galroad from Centreville to Manassas Junc- lantry and determination, but thousands tion; Sumner, as soon as he arrived, was of men straggled away from their comordered to take post between Centreville mands, and were not in any action. I and Chantilly, and to occupy Chantilly had posted several men in rear of the in force; McDowell was posted about field of battle, on the 29th of August, two miles in the rear of Centreville, on and although many thousand stragglers the road to Fairfax Court House. Am- and skulkers were arrested by them, munition trains and some provisions many others passed round through the were gotten up on the 31st, and all corps woods, and did not rejoin their comcommanders were notified, by special or- mands during the remainder of the camder to each, that the ammunition trains paign. I had telegraphed to the Generalwere parked immediately in rear of Cen-in-Chief, from Rappahannock station, on treville, and were directed to send officers the 22d, this practice of straggling was to procure such ammunition as was needed in their respective corps. I directed the whole of the trains of the army to be unloaded at Centreville, and sent to Fairfax station to bring up rations and forage. We remained during the whole day of the 31st, resting the men, getting up supplies of provisions, and re-supplying the commands with ammunition. The enemy's cavalry appeared in force in front of our advance at Cub Run, during the morning of the 31st, but made no attempt to cross, and no attack upon our troops posted there. A few pieces of artillery were fired, but with no result on either side. "The whole force that I had at Centreville, as reported to me by the corps commanders, on the morning of the 1st of September, after receiving the corps of Sumner and Franklin, was as follows: McDowell's corps 10,000 men; Sigel's corps, about 7,000; Heintzelman's corps, about 6,000; Reno's, 6,000; Banks', 5,000; Sumner's, 11,000; Franklin's, 8,000-in all, 63,000 men. From these forces, two brigades, as I before stated, had been sent to Fairfax station, to guard the trains and the depot at that place, which makes it necessary to de very common, and was reducing our force considerably, even at that time. I also sent orders, on the same day, to General Sturgis, to arrest all stragglers arriving at Alexandria; to confine them in military prisons, and to bring them to speedy trial. The active and incessant movements of the army prevented me, during the whole of this campaign, from giving that attention to the subject, except in orders, which ought to be, and must be given to it, to preserve efficiency and discipline among any troops. Our cavalry at Centreville was completely broken down, no horses whatever having reached us to remount it. Generals Buford and Bayard, commanding the whole of the cavalry force of the army, reported to me that there were not five horses to the company that could be forced into a trot. It was impossible, therefore, to cover our front with cavalry, or to make cavalry reconnoissances, as is usual and necessary in front of an army. "I directed General Sumner, on the morning of the 1st of September, to push forward a reconnoisance of two brigades toward the Little River turnpike, to ascertain if the enemy were making any movements in the direction of German town or Fairfax Court House. The enemy was found moving again slowly toward our right, heavy columns of his force being in march toward Fairfax along Little River pike. The main body of our forces was so much broken down, and so completely exhausted, that they were in no condition, even on the 1st of September, for any active operations against the enemy; but I determined to attack at daylight on the 2d of September, in front of Chantilly.. The movement of the enemy had become so developed by the afternoon of the 1st, and was so evidently directed to Fairfax Court House, with a view of turning my right, that I made the necessary disposition of troops to fight a battle between the Little River pike and the road from Centreville to Fairfax Court House. I sent General Hooker, early in the afternoon to Fairfax Court House, and directed him to assemble all the troops that were in the vicinity, and to push forward to Germantown with his advance. I directed McDowell to move back along the road to Fairfax Court House, as far as Difficult Creek, and to connect by his right with Hooker. Reno was to push forward to the north of the road from Centreville to Fairfax, in the direction of Chantilly. Heintzelman's corps was directed to take post on the road between Centreville and Fairfax. immediately in the rear of Reno. Franklin took post on McDowell's left and rear; Sumner was posted on the left of Heintzelman, while the corps of Sigel and Porter were directed to unite with the right of Sumner; Banks was instructed, with the wagon trains of the army, to pursue the old Braddock road, and come into the Alexandria turnpike in rear of Fairfax Court House. Just before sunset on the 1st, the enemy attacked us on our right, but was met by Hooker, McDowell, Reno, and Kearney's division, of Heintzelman's corps. A very severe action occurred in the midst of a terrific thunder - storm, and was terminated shortly after dark. The enemy was driven back entirely from our front, but during that engagement we lost two of the best, and one of our most distinguished officers-Major-General Kearney and Brigadier-General Stevens-who were both killed while gallantly leading their commands, and in front of their line of battle. It is unnecessary for me to say one word of commendation of two officers who were so well and widely known to the country. Words cannot express my sense of the zeal, the gallantry, and the sympathy of that most earnest and accomplished soldier, Major-General Kearney. In him the country has suffered a loss which it will be difficult, if not impossible to repair. He died as he would have wished to die, and as became his heroic character. On the morning of the 2d of September, the enemy still continuing his movements toward our right, my whole force was posted behind Difficult creek, from Flint Hill to the Alexandria turnpike. Although we were quite able to maintain our position at that place until the stragglers could be collected, and the army, after its labors and perils, put into condition for effective service, I considered it advisable, for reasons which developed themselves at Centreville, and were apparent to the General-in-Chief, that the troops should be drawn back to the intrenchments in front of Washington, and that some reorganization should be made of them, in order that earlier effective service should be secured than was possible in their condition at that time. I received orders about twelve o'clock on the 2d of September, to draw back the forces within the intrenchments, which was done in good order, and without any interruption by the enemy. "It seems proper for me, since so much misrepresentation has been put into circulation as to the support I received from the army of the Potomac, to state precisely what forces of that army came under my command, and were at any SUPPORT FROM ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 551 time engaged in the active operations of most difficult which can be imposed upon the campaign. Reynolds' division of any general, or any army." Happily, to Pennsylvania Reserves, about 2,500 the honor of the North, be it said, its strong, joined me on the 23d of August, praises and thanks were not exclusively at Rappahannock station. The corps of reserved for victories alone. It had its Heintzelman and Porter, about 18,000 congratulations for its able defenders, strong, joined me on the 26th and 27th who, on more than one occasion overof August at Warrenton Junction. The powered by superior numbers, or sufferPennsylvania Reserves, under Reynolds, ing from those chances of the field proand Heintzelman's corps, consisting of verbial in war, brought off their thinned Hooker and Kearney, rendered most gal- and enfeebled ranks in an honorable relant and efficient service in all the oper- treat. This cheerful endurance of disasations which occurred after they had re- ter, and encouragement of the men unported to me. Porter's corps, from un- der defeat, was often reproachfully comnecessary and unusual delays, and fre- mented upon by English journalists; but quent and flagrant disregard of my or- it was, in reality, highly creditable to ders, took no part whatever, except in the nation which paid its tribute to the action of the 30th of August. This worth, not always exacting good fortune small fraction of 20,500 men was all of as a test of merit. In this respect, at the 91,000 veteran troops from Harri- least, the sentiment was praiseworthy, son's Landing which ever drew trigger that the men who fought and suffered the under my command, or in any way took burdens of the day were sustained, part in that campaign. By the time though the campaign, from causes for that the corps of Franklin and Sumner, which they were not answerable, might 19,000 strong, joined me at Centreville, fail-thus refuting, for once, the old the original army of Virginia, as well as charge of the ingratitude of republics. the corps of Heintzelman and the divi- Certainly, no soldiers who ever enjoyed sion of Reynolds, had been so much cut a triumph better deserved one than the up in the severe actions in which they baffled defenders of the State, who, under had been engaged, and were so much the leadership of General Pope, in broken down and diminished in numbers Virginia, in numerous brave conflicts, by the constant and excessive duties broke the efforts of the enemy, in they had performed, that they were in their advance upon Washington, and, by little condition for any effective service the diversion which they effected, brought whatever, and required, and should have off the army of the Potomac in safety, on had some days of rest to put them in any-its withdrawal from the James river. The thing like condition to perform their du- Union loss in these engagements, in stern ties in the field." encounter with the foe, bears witness to Such, in his own language, is General the heroism with which, in the midst of Pope's history of this memorable cam-severe labors and disasters, the national paign-a service, as he remarks, of pecu- cause was upheld. liar difficulty, and likely to be little rewarded by popular applause, in proportion to its sacrifices. "To confront with a small army vastly superior forces," as he justly observes, "to fight battles without hope of victory, but only to gain time, and to embarrass and delay the forward movement of the enemy, is, of all duties the most hazardous and the General Pope, in the narrative which we have cited, expresses his sense of the loss the country sustained in the death of Major-General Kearney and Brigadier-General Stevens, in the engagement at Chantilly. Kearney was, emphatically, an active officer in the field. On a previous page we have noticed his education, his voluntary zeal for the military |