AFFAIRS IN FRONT OF WASHINGTON.
The prospects of the Rebels, which were so gloomy in April, were
bright once more. They had driven the Army of the Potomac away from
Richmond. It was August. A month had passed and General McClellan had
shown no disposition to advance again upon Richmond. A consultation
was held in that city. President Davis said that the time had come to
strike a great blow. General Pope was in front of Washington with forty
thousand men. It was determined to crush him, invade Maryland, and
capture Baltimore and Washington. The Southern newspapers hinted that
Tennessee, Kentucky, and the whole of Virginia were to be recovered,
that Maryland was to be liberated from oppression, Philadelphia,
Pittsburg, and Cincinnati assailed.
General Lee's army numbered not far from one hundred thousand, having
been reinforced by troops from the South. Those troops who had fought
Burnside in North Carolina were hurried up; others were sent from South
Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Conscription was enforced vigorously.
General Lee proposed to leave a force in Richmond large enough to hold
it against McClellan, while he sent the main body of the army to fall
like a thunderbolt on General Pope.
These preparations were known in Washington, and on the 3d of August
General Halleck, who had been placed in command of all the troops in
the field, telegraphed to General McClellan to send his army to Aquia
Creek as soon as possible. General Burnside's troops were withdrawn
from Fortress Monroe, and united to Pope's army.
General McClellan wished to remain upon the James and attack Richmond
from that quarter, but General Halleck felt that it was absolutely
necessary to unite the two armies. "You must move with all possible
celerity," was the telegram sent on the 9th of August.
But it was not till the 16th that the army broke up its camp and moved
down the Peninsula, to Yorktown.
While that despatch of the 9th was on the wires, Jackson, D. H. Hill,
Ewell, and Winder were engaged with Pope on the Rapidan.
General Pope had advanced from the Rappahannock, to hold the enemy
in check till the Army of the Potomac could be brought back from the
Peninsula.
BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN.
Fertile and fair are the farms of Culpepper, as beautiful as any in
the Old Dominion. They are watered by swiftly running streams. Their
slopes are verdant and sunny, sheltered by the Blue Ridge from wintry
blasts. Beyond the town of Culpepper, towards the south, there is a
hillock, called Cedar Mountain, which rises abruptly, and in shape like
a sugar-loaf. Near the Mountain is the house of Rev. Mr. Slaughter.
Robinson's Creek winds through his farm, south of the Mountain, on its
course to the Rapidan. North of the Mountain is the residence of Mrs.
Crittenden. The house is shaded by overhanging trees. It stands on the
west side of the highway leading from Culpepper to Madison. Standing
there and looking towards the Mountain, we see fields of corn and
wheat, groves and woods, bordering the field.
General Crawford's brigade of Banks's corps, in the advance from
Culpepper to the Rapidan, on the 8th of August, encountered Jackson's
pickets at the base of the Mountain, upon the farm of Mr. Slaughter.
On Saturday morning, the 9th instant, General Williams's division
joined Crawford. As the troops approached the farm of Mrs. Crittenden,
the base and summit of the Mountain seemingly became volcanic. There
was an outburst of flame and smoke, a screaming in the air, and the
deep reverberation of the cannonade.
Williams's batteries were soon in position, and replied with shot and
shells.
General Banks arrived. He formed a line of battle, placing Williams's
division west of the Madison road, near Mrs. Crittenden's house, and
Augur's division east of it, nearer the Mountain. On the right of the
line west of the house was Gordon's brigade, next Crawford, Geary,
Greene, and Prince.
Jackson, from his lookout on the Mountain, could see all the movements
of General Banks. He threw out a line of skirmishers. Banks did the
same. They met midway the armies, and began the contest. An hour
passed of rapid artillery firing. Then the infantry became engaged,
Jackson throwing his brigades upon Prince, turning his flank, and
pushing him back. At the same time there was a furious attack upon
Crawford. His men stood it awhile, then charged the Rebel lines, but
were repulsed. Gordon moved in to take his place. The left of the
line, Prince and Geary and Greene, was swinging back. Jackson was
moving fresh brigades upon the center, but Gordon held them in check.
His men dropped rapidly, but so destructive were his volleys that the
Rebel line wavered and then retreated. But other brigades were thrown
upon Gordon's right flank. They swept him with an enfilading fire, and
he, too, was compelled to retreat or be cut off. He retired past Mrs.
Crittenden's, across Cedar Creek. There Banks formed again, planted his
artillery, and waited the advance of the enemy.
Ricketts's division came up from McDowell's corps, ready to receive
Jackson, but the Rebel general was content with what he had already
accomplished.
During the night there was an artillery duel, and a skirmish among the
pickets.
In the morning, a white flag was displayed on the field, and the
wounded were gathered, and the dead buried. Officers from both armies
met and conversed freely of the war. General Hartsuff, and the Rebel
General Stuart, who were old acquaintances, shook hands upon the ground
where the contest had been so fierce.
General Jackson withdrew his forces after the battle towards
Gordonsville, to wait the advance of the main army, under Lee, while
General Pope pushed south to the Rapidan.
On the 16th, General Pope's cavalry captured a Rebel courier, who was
bearing a letter from Lee to Jackson, from which it was ascertained
that the whole of Lee's army was moving north from Richmond, to
crush Pope before McClellan could join him. General Pope was prompt
to act upon this information. He retreated to the north bank of the
Rappahannock, planted his artillery to cover the fords, hoping to hold
Lee in check till he was reinforced.
Lee followed rapidly with his whole army. He reached the Rappahannock
on the 21st, attempted to cross, but was foiled in all his movements.
Suddenly, on the night of the 22d, General Stuart fell upon the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad at Catlett's Station, in General Pope's rear.
It was a dark, rainy night. Many army wagons were there, and some were
burned. All the horses were taken. General Pope lost his personal
baggage.
In the morning, General Pope understood that it was Lee's intention
to gain his rear, and cut him off from Washington. Jackson was moving
along the base of the Blue Ridge by swift marches.
The mountains, which at Leesburg are called the Catoctin Range, farther
south are called the Bull Run Mountains. There is a gap at Aldie, and
another one at the head of Broad Run, called Thoroughfare Gap. There
the mountain is cut down sharp and square. There is room for the
railroad, the turnpike, and the creek. A hundred men might hold it
against a thousand. That part of the mountain south of the gap is about
ten miles long.
One day I climbed the ridge to take a look at the surrounding country.
Northward I could see the gap. A mile or two east of it, on the
Manassas Gap Railroad, was the little village of Gainsville. Directly
east was the cluster of houses called Greenwich, on the Warrenton and
Centreville Turnpike. Ten miles distant, a little south of east, was
Manassas Junction. Bristow's Station is south; Catlett's, southwest.
Warrenton, one of the prettiest towns in Virginia, lies at the foot of
the mountain, southwest, with roads radiating in all directions, as if
it were the body of a spider, and the highways were legs. Westward is
the Blue Ridge, looming dark and high, like an ocean billow ready to
break over all the surrounding plains. In the northwest are the Cobble
Mountains,--hillocks which lie between Bull Run and the Blue Ridge.
Upon the railroad which winds towards Manassas Gap is the town of Salem.
If I had stood there on the 26th of August, I should have seen a body
of Rebel troops moving across from the base of the Blue Ridge, through
fields, through forests, and along the highways, towards Salem with
great rapidity,--the men footsore, weary,--many of them barefoot,
few of them decently dressed,--but urged on by their officers. It is
Jackson's corps pushing for Thoroughfare Gap.
At Warrenton, General McDowell is breaking camp, and moving east over
the Centreville turnpike to reach Gainsville. General Sigel follows
him. General Reno, with Burnside's troops, is marching for Greenwich.
General Kearny's and General Hooker's men, who have fought at
Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Glendale, and Malvern, have joined Pope, and
are moving along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. General Porter is
at Warrenton Junction. General Banks is coming up near the Rappahannock
to join Porter.
On the 26th, General Ewell's division, having passed through
Thoroughfare Gap, fell upon Manassas Junction, burnt the depot, an
immense amount of stores, a railroad train, and the bridge across Bull
Run.
General Taylor's brigade, of Franklin's corps, reached the spot, but
were obliged to fall back towards Fairfax, their commander mortally
wounded.
Lee was following Pope. He hoped to crush him,--to grind him to powder
between his own and Jackson's force then in Pope's rear.
West of Manassas Junction is Kettle Run. General Ewell formed his line
on the eastern bank, and waited Pope's advance. Hooker fell upon him
on the afternoon of the 27th, and defeated him. Ewell fell back upon
Jackson and A. P. Hill.
Hooker was out of ammunition. Pope ordered Porter to join him, but he
did not obey the order.
Jackson was in a dangerous place. He was not strong enough to advance
and give battle to Pope, who was now pressing him. He must retreat and
gain time,--delay an engagement till Lee could come up. He fell back
before Pope from Manassas to Centreville, then turned west over the
Warrenton turnpike, along which McDowell's army marched in the first
battle of Bull Run, the 21st of July, 1861.
At this moment McDowell was moving east on the same turnpike.
At six o'clock King's division of McDowell's corps, which was in
advance, came in collision with Jackson at Groveton, on the western
edge of the old battle-field. Gibbon's and Doubleday's brigades were
engaged a short time, but darkness put an end to the conflict.
Pope, with Hooker, Kearny, and Reno, had reached Centreville; Porter
was at Manassas Junction; Banks, south of it; while Sigel and McDowell
were southwest of Jackson, towards Warrenton. Jackson was in danger of
being crushed. Pope, instead of being ground to powder, had maneuvered
so admirably that he felt almost sure that Jackson would be utterly
routed.
He lost no time in sending out orders. "Hold your ground at all
hazards," was his despatch to General King. "Push on at one o'clock
to-night," was the word sent to Kearny, who was to move west over
Warrenton turnpike and attack Jackson's rear. "Assault vigorously at
daylight," he added, "for Hooker and Reno will be on hand to help you."
"Move on Centreville at the earliest dawn," was the order sent to
Porter at Manassas.
General Pope was sure that he could crumble Jackson before Longstreet,
who, he knew, was rapidly advancing towards Thoroughfare Gap, could
arrive. Ricketts's division was thrown north, to hold the gap.
But General King's troops were exhausted. Instead of holding the
ground, he fell back towards the junction.
General Ricketts sent a small force up to the gap, but Longstreet, who
had reached Salem, sent a part of his troops over the mountains north,
gained their rear, forced them back, and thus opened the gate for the
advance of his corps. Ricketts joined McDowell at the junction.
All this made it necessary for General Pope to issue new orders. He
sent out his aides.
"Attack at once," was the word to Sigel.
"Push down the turnpike, as soon as possible, towards any heavy firing
you may hear," was the despatch to Kearny and Hooker, also to Reno,
commanding a division of Burnside's corps.
"Be on the field at daybreak," was the message to Porter.
"Send your train to Manassas and Centreville. Repair the railroad to
Bull Run. Work night and day," were the instructions to Banks, who was
guarding the trains.
It was of the utmost importance that the attack should be made
instantly, before Longstreet arrived; and to that end General Pope
directed all his energies.