Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-07-26
WAR MS.

An official despatch from Gen. Mcdowell, D.,
| dated Fairfax Court House, July 18th, says
owe haYe occupied Fairfax Court House
and driven the enemy towards Centeryille
and Manassas.
| "We have | officer and men wounded
! The flight of the enemy was 50 precipltate
that he left in our hands beet, flour, en-
/ trenchlng tools. hospital furniture, and bag
/ gage. | endeayored to pursue beyond Cen
/ treyille, but the men were too much exhaust
/ ed to do So
1 Several members of Congress who went on
/ to Fairfax with McDowell's column, and
| returned to Washington Wednesday night,
report that the -kirmishers reached Fairfax
at / 30 Wednesday, and the advanced
guard enteredthe village exactly at noon.
Trees had been feled across the road at
three points to Obstruct the march, but
they proved feeble impediments. Half a
mile this side of Fairfax, an embank
ment had been thrown across the road a
| half mile in length, with embrasures for
| Tor ) guns, and sand bags for protection,
/ but no guns wee mounted. There were
no pitfalls nor masked batteries The pickets
this side Of Fairfax retired Wednesday
morning about an hour before the head
of our column came in sight, leaving
the grain bags out Of which their horses
were fed. and the federal troops fed the grain
to their own horses.
The rebel troops at Fairfax were drawn up
/ on the west side of the town at nine o clock,
/ a. IN , but made a precipitate retreat. The
entrance Of the Federal troops into Fairfax Is
| said by these gentlemen to have been inspirlt-
! a. hn s+r
| was filed as far as the eye could see with the
soldiery marching with fixed bayonets and
/ loaded guns cheering for the Union, and the
bands playing the 81 Star Spanglod Banner. y
As soon as the 6O00 infantry in the col
umn had passed., the cavalry, which was in
the rear. dashed through the town on gal
l5p in chase Of the confederate troops. They
| followed them four miles toward Centerville,
bat the great heat preventing forced march
of the Infantry, they returned. 1t is under
stood that Centergill5 Is to be defended by
the seceders.
\ few buildings were burned by the Fede-
raj troops u mile bevond Fairfax, on account
of i rumor that soldier had been fired on
from them.
The column which occupied Fairfax was
composed OF two brigades, commanded by
Colonels Porter and Burnside, and contained
two batteries of flying artillery. The other
columns of the advancing army are north
and south of Fairfax.
There must be at least 80 900 troops on
the march under Gen. Mcdowell, exclusive
Cf his reserves. which are still resting around
his late cnTenchments.
Cicn. Patterson has moved to CharlestOwn,
northeast of Winchester. On the east side
1 of Winchester is an eminence which com
mands the place, and the north and west
sides of the town are strongly fortified. Gen.
Patterson will therefore move round TO attack
the rebels on the east flank. Gen. Patter-
son Thursday morning received Information
that Gen. Johnston s forces had retreated
miles beyond Winchester.
The ford at IIarper's Ferry has been COM
pleted, thus re-opening communication be-
tween Maryland and Virginia shores at this
Point Harper's Ferry is to-day occupied
by the feGeral troops.
Gen. McDowell's division Thursday oecu.
pied Centrevlle reaching there from Fairfax
Court House about 10 o'clock They halted
within half a mile of the enemy's entrench
ments, and formed in line of battle expect
ing a conflict. The scene is represented as
grand and imposing. Instead of the smoke
of battle for which they were earnestly look
ing, they saw the national flag hOsted ovel
the town, and solitary man running dowr
the line announcing that the enemy had fled
The band played the " Star Spangled Ban
ner - amid the cheering of the federal troops
1t is said that there were seven or eigh
thousand Confederate troops at Centreville
| L r In E,,-
fax Court House Thursday morning says the
axe men cleared the distractions out of th'
roads in a few mlnutes. ''There were exten
siye breastworks at Fairfax, and some o
them with embraSures revetted with sanC
BAGS. Extensive breastworks were also
thrown up at the Fairfax K. Z. station, anC
on the road leading to Sangsters. a great dea
of work had been done by them and th
! number and size of their camps show they
have been here in great force. Their retrea
therefore must have damaging effect upor
them They left in such haste that they di'
not draw in their plckets, who came into on
of our camps thinking as 1T occupied tn
same place, that it was their own. The OBJ
struction to the r. r. in the vicinity of tn
|, station. including the deep cut filed wit
, earth, &C., can be cleared out in few hours
, The Telegraph poles are up with wires Oh
, them. look to having telegraph communi
cation IN a very short time. Much -four
arms, forage, tents, camp equipage, &c
{ were abandoned by them.
The left of Gen. McDowell's Division, ur
der command of Col. Heintzelman of the 1t
Infantry, comprising the brisades of Col:
/ | Franklin, Wilcox aud Howard, proceede
f without any difficulty, from Alexandria, owe
t the Old Fairfax Road, and reached Sangster
r Station, Is miles from Alexandra WedneS
i day, driving the rebels before them. 20
: | Wilcox reached Fairfax Station and capture
, 10 rebels there. When Col. Heintzlema
: reached the forks of the road, a miles trol
S the station, a camp was found, with the frt
: still burning, and there was every eviden(
j of their hasty retreat, quantities OF fresh bee
e corn. &C., being left behind.
= All the masked batteries so much talked
n and which rendered the leaders of our fore,
II extremely careful on the forward moyemen
turn out to be nothing more than lnfantr
{ breastworks of the meanest style OF constru
! ton.
= A fight took place Wednesday three mill
r this side of Fulton, Mo-. between Colon
% Mcneil with about 600 men, and Gen. Ha
| co-oo ka1 obork INN