Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-26
The Rebel Advance Into DlafJiand.
NARRATIVE BY LIEufENANT IN JACK
SONS Army.

sun . AnAaAe
FKEDERIcK CRY, Md, Sept. 6, 1852.
My DEAR MOTHER IL am brlmful of
matter as an egg is of meat Let me try
to outline our progress since my last let
ter-date not remembered-from Raccoon
Ford-you bearing in mind that ! am in
A. P. Hills division, in Jackson's corps
that corps consisting Of JacksOn's own
division, RwelTs and Hills. You viii not
think me egotistical for speaking Of this
corps and Of the corps of Hills division,
for of them l know most, and in truth their
share was, to me at least, the most memo
rable in the almost incredible campaign Of
the last fortnight
Crossing Raccoon Ford, Jackson in 'front.'
remember, Jackson, so used, includes
Hills, Ewelrs, and the Stonewan divi-
sion) General Lee, without much opposi-
ton, reached Rappahannock river few
where aboveRappahannockS where
partof Longstreet's troops had sharp fight.
On Friday evening, August 22d, Jackson
bivOuacked at Culpepper, opposite Warren
ton Springs, and the same evening threw
over two of EwelTs brigades. The river
rose and destroyed the bridge. Saturday
night the bridge was rebuilt, and that night
after some sharp fighting, the two brigades
were Withdrawn.
On Monday morning the enemy appear
ed in heavy force, and the batteries OfHilps
division were put in position and shelled
their infantry. They retired the infantry
and bringing up a large number Of batter
les, threw a storm of shot and she'll at us
we not replying. They must have ex-
plOded several thousand rounds, and in all,
so we'll sheltered were we, our killed did
not exceed twenty. That evening Jack
sons whole force moved up to Jefferson, in
Culpepper county, Longstreet close to him.
The enemy was completely deceived and
concluded we had given the thing up.
Now comes the great wonder. Starting
up the bank of the river on Monday, the
25th, we marched through AmosVille, in
RappahannOck county-stin further up,
crossed the RappahannOck within ten
miles of the Blue Ridge, marched across
open fields, by strange country paths and
comfortable homesteads, and by a little
town in Fauquier, called Orleans, on and
on, as if we would never cease-to Salem,
on the Manassas Gap Railroad, reaching
there after midnight. Up again by day
dawn, and still on, along the Manassas
Gap Railroad, meeting crOwds-al well
coming, cheering, staring with blank
amazement. So all day Tuesday, through
White Plains, Haymarket, Thoroughfare
Gap, Bull Run Mountains, Gainesville TO
Bristor Station, on the Orange and Alex
andria Railroad making the distance
from Amosville to Bristor between As and
80 miles) within the As hours. We burn
ed up at Bristor two or three Railway
trains, and moved on to Manassas juno
tion on Wednesday, taking our prisoners
with u.s. EwelPs division brought up the
rear, fighting all the way force Pope had
sent up from WarrentOn, suppOsing us a
cavalry party.
Upon reaching Manassas Junction, we
met brigade-the First New Jersey
which had been sent from Alexandria on
the same supposition. They were fools
enough to send flag demanding our sur
render at once. Of course we scattered the
brigade, killing and wounding many, and
among them the Brigadier,- General, (Tay-
lori who has since died. At the Junction
was large depot Of stores, five or six
pieces of artillery, two trains containing
probably 200 large cars loaded down with
many millions of Quartermaster and Com
missary stores. Besides these, there were
very large suffers depots, full of every
thing; in short there were collected there,
in the space Of square mile, an amount
and variety of property such as l had
never conceived of, Il speak soberly. y
Twas curious sight, TO see our ragged
and famished men helping themselves to
every imaginable article Of luxury or ne
cessity, whether of clothing, food, or what
not. For my part, l got a tooth brush, a
box of candles quantity of lobster salad,
a barrel of coffee and other things, which
forget But must hurry on, for have
not time to tell the hundredth part, and
the scene utterly beggars description.
A part of us hunted that New Jersey
brigade like scattered partridges over the
hills Just to the right Of the battlefield Of
the 18th of July, 1851, while the rest were
partly plundering, partly fighting the for
ces coming on us from Warrenton. Our
men had been living on roasted corn since
crossing the ReppahannOck, and we had
brought no wagons, so we could carry
little away Of the riches before us. But
the men could eat for one meal at least
So they were marched up, and as much Of
everything eatable served out as they
could carryss To see starving man
eating lobster-salad and drinking Rhine
wine, bare-fOoted and in tatters, was Curl
Gus; the whole thing was indescribable.
Our situation now was very critical
We were between Alexandria and Warren
ton-between the hosts of Mcclellan and
Pope with over $4,000 jaded men, for the
corps had not more than that. At night
fall, fire was set to ths depot, store-hOuses,
the loaded trains, several long empty
trains, suffers houses, restaurants, every
thing. As the magnificent c0phagration
began to subside, the StoneWall or first
division Of JaeksOn's corps moved off to-
wards the battle field Of Manassas, the
other two divisions TO Centreville, six
miles distant.
As day broke, we came in sight of Cen
treville, rested few hours, and towards
evening the rear guard of the Corps cross
ed Bull Run at Stone Bridge-the scene of
the great slaughter Of last ear-closely
pursued by the enemy. A part of the
force came up the Warrenton turnpike,
and in furious action of two hours-the
last two daylight hours of Thursday,
August, 2S-disputed the possession of a
ridge running from Sudley Church Ford
to the WarrentOn turnpike. We drove
them off, and on Friday morning we held
the ridge, in front of which runs an in
complete railroad cut and embankment.-
Now, we had made circuit from the Gap
in Bull Run mountains around TO the juno
ton and Centreville, breaking up the rail
road and destroying their stores, and re.
turned to within six miles of the Gap,
through which Longstreet must come. The
enemy disputed his passage and delayed
him till late in the day, and, meanwhile
they threw against our corps, all day long,
vast masses Of trpOps-sigers, Banks and
Popes own Division. We got out Of am
munitiOn; we collected more from cart
ridge-boxes of the fallen friend and foe;
that gave out, and we charged with the
- L. - ] -.--I y l. l..