The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

THE SECOND BATTLE AT BULL RUN.

The interest of the great war tragedy now
enacting on the other side of the Atlantic con-
tinues to deepen. Only a few brief months ago
we were told that success attended the Federal
arms in every direction, leen the Confederate
capital was all but Cithin the grase of A'Clelleit,
and when that "little affair" had been aecom-
plished, the rebellion would have been crushed
out. Now, however, even the Fed/well are ob-
liged to coefese the whole aspect of the war has
been changed. The South bas not only repelled
the invesion, but is nOw the ardent The
great army of the Pthies, om *hit was to have
carried ever”hing beftere it, has been forced
back lathe hue from which the campaign began.
After the battle of Cedar Mountain—which
the Federate claimed as a victory, but which
turns out to have been a defeat—General Pope
sent home word, "The enemy retreated under
cover of the night, but our caealty are in pur-
suit." We no* leetn that the enemy, whom
Pope claimed to have chased over the Rapidan
was following closely upon the heels of his
forces, the Confederate advanoed guard being
but a short distance behind the Federal rear,
and the main body of Confederates under General
Lee some mix or seven miles oft. At the little
Rappahannock railway statiee the rear guard
of Pope's army Wad overtaken. Three Federal
cavalry regiments charged the pursuers, and
after being Met by two volleys from Confederate
infantry behind a ditch, marched rapidly to the
, Rappahannock River. The fire of a tenet, Of
batteriee—tee pieces of the Confederates not
being brought up for tettirn fire--ohecked their
pursuit of the flying Federate. This was on
Thursday, the ~21st August. An unsuccessful
attempt at a Confederate dash over a ford was
made on the evening of that day. Next day,
Friday, the 22nd, there was firing from early
morning until dusk, at all the points of crossing,
especially at Barnett's Ford, upon the position
held by General Sigel, to whiffle alii General
marched hie cotpe. 'the line of battle
stretched for eight or ten miles along the banks ,
of the Rappahannock. It was about eight
o'clock on the evening of this day when, by a
dashing movement made during a thunderstorm,
the whole staff train of General Pope WM cap-
tured at Catlett's station—twelve miles to the
rear of the Federal army and tire miles front
the Warrenton statioh—by 250 Confederate
horsemen. According to a quarter-maatees
clerk, who was on the spot, they poered In tin:
opposed, took eomplete peeeeision of the damp,
pillaged and plendered It. personal effects,
carried off all the trunks of General Pope and
his staff an carried with them on their retreat
all the horses of the train, about 200, besides
those belonging to the staff which were not in the
field at the time. Some of the officers were in
the camp, but General Pope and most of his staff
were in front, twelve miles away. These hcrtemen
distinctly knew what they weft Aimee, Mid '
made it their male bitable/a te kite Pope's
papers, and those in the Adjutant-General and
the Quatter-Mmiter's office. About this time
"Stonewall" Jackson, whom the Federate had
lost sight of; began to gather force in the rear
of his unsuspecting enemy. On Saturday, the
23rd, the Confederates made a suocessful attack
at Rappahannock station, and the Feasted',
burning the Rappahannoelc bridge, abandoned
the whole line of the river, retteatiqg to Wait ,
renton Junction a distance oe terelee hides.
On the 26th a dash wee made upon Matlatilell
Junction, in the tear of Pope, by a body of
the Confederates, variously estimated at from
2,000 to 5,000 strong. Federal troops were
driven out, and a battery of nine guns was
taken, besides seven trains baled with pro-
visions and ammunition. The be. is bald to
have been "immense in Governmene stores, and
large in killed, *minded, 'And missing." The
railroad was 60:toyed, the telegraph was cut,
and there was an end of railroad or telegraphic
communication between Pope and Washington.
This dash was made through Thoroughfare Gap,
a break in a high ridge, through which the
railroad pewee, and a pass whioh, had there
been proper foresight, might have been de:.
fended. At Warrenton Jtmetioq,Pope's ire*
had been joined by Heinteelmen, lekanklin, and
others of M'Olellan's army, yet General Pope,
insuspicione of the enemy's tactics, suffered his
rear to be turned through this gap. Pushing
forward to Bull Run Bridge the victorious
Confederates next drove the Federate from that
point, their cavalry subsequently advancing to
Fairfax. The reunion of the Confederates at
Manassas Junction with another body *a* pre-
vented by General McDowell, who interposed
his corps, and forcing forward the Confederate
General, Longstreet, who had passed through
the Gap, brought the General, on the 27th
August, in the way of being fought and beaten
at Kettle Run—with 300 killed and wounded
and loss of camp—by Hooker's division, on its
march to join Pope. On the 28th Pope marched
in three columns,. now including Potter's and
Hooker's divisions, upon Manassas Junction,
but found that it had been evacuated three
hours previous to his arrival, and that Jackson,
the Confederate General, had retreated by way
of Centreville upon the turnpike road to
Manassas. Six miles west of Centreville this
force was met by McDowell and Sigel, and
fought with till evening. The Confederates in
the neighbourhood of Manassas and Bull Run
were considered to have been driven by Hooker's,
Summeres, and Sturge's division through the
passes of the Bull Run Mountain. But while
recognizing only detached bands of Confederates
between himself and Washington, General Pope
seems to have found himself in the presence of a
great Confederate army, for on the following
day he fought a battle, which he describes in a
despatch of the 30th as terrific, having lasted
from daylight until dark, costing him
8000 in killed and wounded, and as haying been
fought "on the identical battle-field of Bull
Run." Ile added that he remained in occupa-
tion of the battle-field, that the ehemy had been
"badly used, and were "retreating towards the
mountains," although he dited his despatch,
"Meld of Battle, Grovetown, nette
six miles south tif Bull Run.
The fact of tfee despatch beige dated so far
from Bull Run naturally creah.diejon in this
country that alter all, this wali a victory like
that 6f Cedar Mountain, and iMA is now *hewn

to!'be the case. At the very time this despatch '
WAS being sent, the Confederates were in,such
hot pursuit of the Fedorals, that the latter had
to leave the whole of their wounded to the care
and protection of their enemies. Throughout
that day and the next the conflict chntinued.
The Confederates appear to have been skilfully
manceuvred, and the result was, General Pope
sustained • decided defeat. He was beaten back,
first to Centreville, thence to Gainesville, and
finally the dragon was driven within .the very
recesses of its den—in other words, within the
' defensive works of Washington itself. The
second battle of Bull Run is, therefore, as corn-
piece a reverse as the first. If Pope's report
be true that 24,000 persons were killed and
wounded in the first day's battle, the number
during the last two days must have been much
more. At the time the last despatches left,
the effect of the last blow to the Federal cause
had not had time to appear, but as discord is sure
to follow the calamity of • defeat, we shall not
be surprised to learn by a future mail that dis-
sensions have arisen even in the Federal States.
Already suspicions are expressed of M'Clellan's
loyalty by the public, although the same feeling
is not entertained by the government. The Con-
federates are said to have massed in heavy force
at Vienna, 12 miles from Washington, with a
view, undoubtedly, of attacking Washington. It
will thus be seen the Federal Government is
not now safe even in its own capital.