THE CONFEDERATES HOVERING AROUND WASHINGTON.
An Early War-Time Amenity--The Author invited to dine with the
Enemy--"Stove-pipe Batteries"--J. E. B. Stuart, the Famous
Cavalryman--His Bold Dash on the Federals at
Lewinsville--Major-General G. W. Smith associated with Johnston and
Beauregard in a Council--Longstreet promoted Major-General--Fierce
Struggle at Ball's Bluff--Dranesville a Success for the Union
Arms--McClellan given the Sobriquet of "The Young Napoleon."
After General McDowell reached Washington my brigade was thrown forward,
first to Centreville, then to Fairfax Court-House, and later still to
Falls Church and Munson's and Mason's Hills; the cavalry, under Colonel J.
E. B. Stuart, constituting part of the command.
We were provokingly near Washington, with orders not to attempt to advance
even to Alexandria. Well-chosen and fortified positions, with soldiers to
man them, soon guarded all approaches to the capital. We had frequent
little brushes with parties pushed out to reconnoitre. Nevertheless, we
were neither so busy nor so hostile as to prevent the reception of a
cordial invitation to a dinner-party on the other side, to be given to me
at the head-quarters of General Richardson. He was disappointed when I
refused to accept this amenity, and advised him to be more careful lest
the politicians should have him arrested for giving aid and comfort to the
enemy. He was my singularly devoted friend and admirer before the war, and
had not ceased to be conscious of old-time ties.
The service at Falls Church, Munson's and Mason's Hills was first by my
brigade of infantry, a battery, and Stuart's cavalry. During that service
the infantry and batteries were relieved every few days, but the cavalry
was kept at the front with me. As the authorities allowed me but one
battery, and that was needed from time to time to strike out at anything
and everything that came outside the fortified lines, we collected a
number of old wagon-wheels and mounted on them stove-pipes of different
calibre, till we had formidable-looking batteries, some large enough of
calibre to threaten Alexandria, and even the National Capitol and
Executive Mansion. It is needless to add that Munson's Hill was so safe as
not to disturb our profound slumbers. This was before the Federals began
to realize all of their advantages by floating balloons above our heads.
One of the most conspicuous and successful of our affairs occurred on the
11th of September. A brigade of the enemy's infantry, with eight pieces of
artillery and a detachment of cavalry, escorting a reconnoitring party,
advanced to Lewinsville. If they had secured and fortified a position
there they would have greatly annoyed us. Colonel Stuart, who from the
start had manifested those qualities of daring courage, tempered by
sagacity, which so admirably fitted him for outpost service, had his
pickets so far to the front that he was promptly informed of the presence
of the enemy. He was ordered, with about eight hundred infantry, a section
of Rosser's battery, and Captain Patrick's troop of cavalry, to give
battle, and so adroitly approached the enemy as to surprise him, and by a
bold dash drove him off in confusion, with some loss.
We had a number of small affairs which served to season the troops and
teach the importance of discipline and vigilance. It was while at Falls
Church that Major-General G. W. Smith reported for duty with the Army of
Northern Virginia, and was associated with General Johnston and General
Beauregard, the three forming a council for the general direction of the
operations of the army. General McClellan had by this time been appointed
to superior command on the Federal side.
[Illustration: GENERAL J. E. B. STUART]
Despairing of receiving reinforcement to enable him to assume the
offensive, General Johnston regarded it as hazardous to hold longer the
advanced post of Munson's and Mason's Hills, drew the troops back to and
near Fairfax Court-House, and later, about the 19th of October, still
farther to Centreville, and prepared for winter quarters by strengthening
his positions and constructing huts, the line extending to Union Mills on
the right. These points were regarded as stronger in themselves and less
liable to be turned than the positions at and in advance of Fairfax
Court-House. We expected that McClellan would advance against us, but were
not disturbed. I was promoted major-general, which relieved me of the
outpost service, to which Colonel Stuart was assigned.
The autumn and early winter were not permitted to pass without some
stirring incidents in our front. Soon after the battle of July 21, Colonel
Eppa Hunton was ordered to reoccupy Leesburg with his regiment, the Eighth
Virginia. Later, the Thirteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Mississippi
Regiments were sent to the same vicinity, and with the regiment already
there and a battery constituted the Seventh Brigade, Brigadier-General N.
G. Evans commanding. To cover a reconnoissance and an expedition to gather
supplies made by General McCall's division to Dranesville, General
McClellan ordered General C. P. Stone, commanding at Poolesville,
Maryland, to make a demonstration in force against Leesburg, and, if
practicable, to dislodge the Confederates at that place. Early in the
morning of the 21st of October four of General Stone's regiments crossed
the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry, and about the same time five other
regiments, under the immediate command of Colonel Baker, late United
States Senator from Oregon, crossed the river above at Ball's Bluff.
Leaving Colonel Barksdale with his Thirteenth Mississippi, with six pieces
of artillery as a reserve, to hold in check the force that had crossed at
Edwards's Ferry, Evans with his main force assailed the force under
Colonel Baker, and after a long and fierce struggle, under a heavy fire of
batteries on both sides of the river, drove them down the bluff to the
river, many surrendering, others plunging into the river to recross,
overcrowding and sinking the boats that had brought them over; some
drowning in the Potomac.
Two months later, December 20, there was an affair at Dranesville which
for us was by no means so satisfactory as Evans's at Leesburg and Ball's
Bluff. It was known that food for men and horses could be found in the
vicinity of Dranesville. All of the available wagons of the army were sent
to gather and bring it in, and Colonel Stuart, with one hundred and fifty
of his cavalry, the Sumter Flying Artillery (Captain A. S. Cutts), and
four regiments of infantry detailed from different brigades, was charged
with the command of the foraging party. The infantry regiments were the
Eleventh Virginia, Colonel Samuel Garland; Tenth Alabama, Colonel Forney;
Sixth South Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Secrest; and First Kentucky,
Colonel Thomas Taylor; the cavalry, Ransom's and Bradford's.
General McCall, commanding the nearest Union division, happened just then
to want those supplies, or, as seems more probable, had information
through a spy of Stuart's expedition.
He took measures to gather the supplies, or surprise and perhaps capture
or destroy Stuart's party. However that may be, when Stuart reached the
vicinity of Dranesville he found himself in the presence of General Ord,
who had under him his own brigade of five regiments of infantry, Easton's
battery, two twenty-four-pound howitzers and two twelve-pound guns, and
two squadrons of cavalry. Finding that he was anticipated, and that his
only way of saving the train was to order it back to Centreville in all
haste, Stuart decided to attack, in order to give it time to get to a
place of safety, and despatched a detachment of cavalry on the turnpike
towards Leesburg to warn the wagons to hasten back to Centreville, the
cavalry to march between them and the enemy. He ordered his artillery and
infantry to hasten to the front, and as soon as they came up assailed the
enemy vigorously, continuing the engagement until he judged that his
wagon-train had passed beyond danger; then he extricated his infantry and
artillery from the contest, with a much heavier loss than he had inflicted
on the enemy, leaving the killed and some of the wounded. It was the first
success that had attended the Union arms in that quarter, and was
magnified and enjoyed on that side. This action advanced McClellan
considerably in popular estimation and led to the bestowal upon him, by
some enthusiast, of the sobriquet "the Young Napoleon."
During the autumn and early winter the weather had been unusually fine.
The roads and fields in that section were generally firm and in fine
condition for marching and manoeuvring armies. With the beginning of the
new year winter set in with rain and snow, alternate freezing and thawing,
until the roads and fields became seas of red mud.
As no effort of general advance was made during the season of firm roads,
we had little apprehension of trouble after the winter rains came to make
them too heavy for artillery service.