Brownlow's weekly Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1861-1861, 1861-09-07
KNOXVILLE TENN. SATURDAY sEpTEMBER 4 1861.

forcementa came 70 bis ala ff0es the railroad
train, understood to have just arrived from
the valley With the residue Of gehason'a army
They threw themselves ID the woods on our
right, and towards the rear OF snf right, and
opened a.Ere Of masketTy on ear men, Which
caused them 10 break and retire down The
hillside. This soon dfgenerated into disoF-
der, for which there was no remedy Every
effort was made 10 rally them, .even beyond
the reach Of the ehsmy's Gre, bnt In yaiH.
The battalion efregular Infantry alone sssyed
up the hin opposite to the one witk the house
on it, and there maintained ITSELF until cur
men could get down 10 and across Warrsnton
turnpike, on the way back 10 the position we
occupied in the morning. The plain was
covered with the retreating troops, and they
seemed 70 infect those with whom they came
In contact. The retreat soon beenfne . seas,.
and this soon degenerated stiH further into
panic.
Finding this state Of affairs was beyond the
efforts Of sil those who had assisted so faith
fully during the long and hard days work in
gaining almost the object Of enr wishes, aud
that nothing remained on the Geld but to reeog-
nize what We could no longer prevent, | gave
the necessary orders to protect their with
drHwal, begging the men to form into line,
and offer the appearance, at least OF orgAni-
cation. They returned by the fords to the
Warrenton road, protected, by my order, by
Col. Porter's force of regulars Once on the
road, aud the different corps coming together
in small parties, many without officers, they
became mterming!ed, and all organization
was lost.
Orders had been sent back TO Miles diyi-
sion for brigade TO move forward sud protect
this retreat, and Col. Blenkess brigade was
detached for this purpose, and was ordered TO
Ia fgtp rard fha ntrfx yhasa sta
to the right, left the main road.
By referring 20 the general order, Il viii be
seen that, while the opeRatioBs were to 60 on
In front, an attack was made as Blaekburn's
/ Ford by the brigade (Richardson'sl stationed
| there. reference TO his report, and to that
! of Major Hunt, commanding the artillery,
| will show that this part Of the plan was we'll
and effectively carried out. II succeeded ia
! deceiviDg the enemy for considerable time,
! and in keeping ia check part OF his force.
/ The fire Of the artillery At this point Is repre-
sented as particularly destructive.
! At the time of our retreat, seeing great ac-
! tiyity iE this direction, much firing, and coll
/ umns Of dust, became anxious for this place,
| fearing If il were turned or forced the whole
| stream of our retreatibg mass would be cap
tured or destroyed. After providing for the
/ protection OF the retreat by Porter's and
Blenkers brigadee, I repaired 10 Richard
! sons and found the whole force ordered 20
he stationed for the holding Of the road from
Manassas by Biackburns Ford 10 Centreviite,
on the march, under the orders from the Di-
| vision Commander, at Centrevilie. I imme-
! diaiely halted IL, and ordered il TO take up
| the best line of defense across the ridge that
| their position admitted of, and subsequently,
taking in person the command Of this part OF
the army, | caused such disposition OF the
forces which had been added TO by the First
and Second New Jersey and the DeKalb Re-
giments, ordered up from Bunyan's reserve
before going forward, as would best serve 10
check the enemy. The ridge being held in
this way, the retreatiug current passed slow
ly through Centreville TO the rear. Ths en-
emy followed US from the Ford as far as Cub |
Run, and owing to the road hecoping blocked
up at the crossing. caused Us much damage
there, for the artillery could not pass and sew
eral pieces and oaissOns bad TO beabardoned. |
In the panic the horses hauling the caissOhs |
aud ammunition were cut from their places |
by persons TO escape with, and in this war |
much confusion was caused, the panic aggra-
waited, and the road encnmbered. Not only |
were pieces Of artillery lost, bnt also many of |
the ambulances carrying the wounded.
By sundown most Of our men had gotten |
behind Centreville ridge, and it became
question whether we shoHd or not endeavor |
To make q stand there. The eopdition Of our
artillery and its ammunition, and the want OF
food for the men, who had generally absn-
doned or thrown away all that had been Is
sued the day before and the utter demorali-
sation of the army, seemed to ali who were
near enough to be consulted division and |
brigade commands and statF--to admit Of no |
alternative but TO fall back; the more so rs |
-, Al.
the possession of the enemy, and ne was al |
ready turning our leff. On sending the off, |
GERS of the staff 10 the dl6erent camps, they |
found, as the reported 10 me, that our decision |
had been anticipated by the troops, most of |
those who had come in from the front being /
already on the road 10 the rear; the panic /
with which they came In still continuing and /
hurrying them along.
At--o'eloek the rear guard (BleakeF's bFi-
gaael moved, covering the retreat, which WAS
effected during the night aud next morning.
The troops at Fairfax station leaving by the
cars took with them the bulk of the supplies
which had been sent there. Ny aid-de-eamp,
Maj WadswOFth, Rtayed Al Fairfax Court
House iill late in the morning, to zee that the
stragglsts and weary and worn ont soldiers
were not leh behind
! transmit herewith the reports Of the sey-
sral divson and brigade commanders, TO
which refer fer the conduct Of particular
regiments aad corps, and = consolidated re-
turn Of the killed wounded and missing
From the latter, u viii be seen that eur killed
amounted 10 nineteen oaiesrs aud foas hun
dred and sixty-4wo noA-eommissiaRed off,
GERS and privales, and our wounaeA TO sixty.
four officers and nine hundred and fefty-sey-
On nen-commissioned officers and priyates,--
Many ofthe wounded win soon be able - join
aud disabled from further services under one
thousand, The return Of the mlsslag ls very
Inaccurate, the men supposed 70 Be missing
hayfag fallen iato other regiments ana gone Il
10 washingson--many Of the zoaasss 70 New