Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-18

| ,uil luIpI'l'S? t0WaTu NanaSSGS 'iutCtI'H, ~
move at d-v-iisht in lhr m0inlGG ur"T
! ,IsinesvsIir, along the Manassas tap Railrosh
Until they communicated closely with tho
inrces under Heintz!eman and Sigel. cantiao-
ing them not II go !nrthcr than wia ntcG
fary to etiir.:t his J1nction, az we might
be obliged To rrtire nphiud Bull Fun Inat
night Tor subsistence. ii nothing elsr-
lleinryIehnn mhrrhcd early from t.hIrr.
vile toward Gainesville. closely followed by
Keno. iiGunumr, shortly alter daylight
Sigel'a and Reynolds Division Of Mcdowell =
corps hnd become engaged with enemy, WIN
was brUu .ht To a stand, and hr wai :oon
jhihed by Hrintzelman and Reno, vixen
The wholo line became actively engaged.
Porter marched as directed, followed b.
King Division, which " az, by this time, jone,
BY Ricketts, Division, which had born Iorce'i
back from Thoroughfsre Gap by the heavy
frrces OF the eismy advancing to support
Jackson.
: AS Boon rs found that the enemy had brcu
brought to halt,san was being vigorously
assr.eked .alnna-.ths Warrenton turnpike,
a.;nt orders to Mcdowell to advance rapidly
on the left, ard attack the enemy in his
Htnk, extending his right to meet Reynolds
left, and to Fitz john Porter to keep hi-
right well closed on McDowe!l's s left, and lu
attack the cnemy in front aud rear. while h1
was pushed in front. This would haze
made the line oil Mcdowell and Porter at
right angles To that OF the other forces er.-
gagged.
TIE action ragged (uriously all day, Mellow
ELL, although previously in rear Of Porter,
bringing hls whole corps on IN: field in the
afternoon, and taking Il conspicuous part in
that days operations. II my surprise and
dlsappolntment received late in tho aticl
noon from Porter note saying ttnt his adj
vance had met the enemy on the flank in
some force, and that he Was retiring upon
Manassas Junction without engaging or Com
ing tv the assistance of our oincr forces, al
Though they were engaged in a furious action
oaly Two miles distant and in full hearing OF
him. A portion OF his force fell back towards
Manassas, and he remained, as he afterwards
iniurmed me-, where ne was looking ut the en-
rmy during the whole Of the after noon Of
Friday aud part Of Friday night, passing ofrr
n pllin view TO reinforce the troops under
jackson without m effort to prevent it or as
sist us. One at least Of his brigahes ulnlrr
Gen. Gritien, got round to Crntrevill", aId re-
lnuincG therc during the " hole oi mex! DAVIS
battle, without coming on the iitld, though in
full view OF the 6a tie which was raging,
whilst t;cn. Gritien himself spent the day in
making ili-nntured structures upon the Gellrr-
nj commanding the action IN the presence of Il
promiscuous aaseinbIage.
Darkness CLOSED the action on Friday, the
enemy heug driven hack from his positions
by Heinrzlemau y corps, and Reno concluded
by furious attack along the turnpike by
Kings division OF McDowell's corps, leaving
h, desd aud wounded on the field
! do not hesitate to say that II the corps oi
Porter had attacked the enemy in t,nk on
Friday, lie had src written order to DO, we
sf.t.nIi utterly have crushed Jackson haI)rc
,hr tlrces under Lee could have reached him.
Why lie did not do so I cannot understand.
Our men, much worn down By harn ser
vicn and continuous fighting for many days
previous, and very short Of provisions, rested
on their guns. Our horses had no forage for
two days. had telegraphed and written ur
gently for ratious and forage 10 be- aent US,
nat On Saturday morning before the action
Gas resumed, received letter from General
FrsIkin, written the day before at u Alexan-
4arig, Stating to .Ee .taa: ho ha6 beeI directed
;oy General Mcclellan to inform Tue that
;sliona and forage for my command would
oe loaded into the cars and available Wagons
as soon as would seHd cavalry escort to
Alexandria TO BRING them up. All hope OF
being able TO maintain my position, whrtsar
victorious Of not, vanished with this letter.
Nv cavalry was utterly broken down by long
ami constant service in the face oil the enemy,
! ~, could fa -.I
from the front, even if there had been time 10
20 back thirty miles to Alexandria, and wait
the loading Of trains. At the time this letter
was written Alexandria vas swarming with
troops. and my whole army nterpoSed be-
tween that place and the enemy. mt once
understood that we must. if possible, finish
what we had to do that day, as night must
sos us behind Bull Run if we wished to save
mrn aud animals from starvation.
On Friday night sent II peremptoTy order
to Gen. Porter 10 bring his command on the
field, and report 10 me in person within three
hsurs after II. received tho order. a pnrtion
he brought up, but. aS | before stated, one of
nj, hIi.ades remained the whole day Mt Gen.
trcvllIr, and WAS not in .he engagement. The
-rrmv's iesvy rcinfurccmcnts having reach
ed him on Friday afternoon and night, he be-
gan to mass on his right for the purpose Of
crushing our left and occupying the road to
CcutrcvIIle il our rear. HIS heaviest assault
vas male abont five clock in the afternoon
when, after overw hclming Fitz-John Porter
and driving his force back on the centre snd
left. mass after mass Of his forces we're pushed
against our left A terrific contest, with great
slaughter, was carried on for several hours,
our men behaving with 6rnness and gallantry,
under the immediate command Of Gencrnl
McUowall. When tho night closed, our left
had heen forced back about half mile, bit
still remained firm and unshaEcn, while cur
right held its ground.
lIen. Frank IN With his corps, arrived alter
dark Mt Ccntreyilie, six miles in our rear,
whilst Sumner was four miles behind Frank
In. couid have brought up these corps in
the morning in time to have renewed the &C
,ion. but starvation stared both men and
horsrs in the face, and broken md exhausted
as they we're, they were in DO condition to bear
hunger also. accordingly retired to Centre
vile that night in perfect order. Neither on
Sunday nor on Monday did the enerpy make
any advance upon u.s. On Monday sent TO
tho army corps commanders for their effective
strength, which oil told, including Sumner
and franklin, fell short ofsivty thousand men.
Instead of bring up thirty thousand men
Franklin and Sumner united fell short of
twenty thousand and these added to the force
had, already wearied out, ard much cut up,
did not give me the means To anything else
than stand on defence.
Tne enemy during Monday again began to
work slowly around to onr right for the pur-
pose of possessing Fairfax Court house, and
thus turning our rear
Cuuch's DIVISION and one hrlgade Of Sum
ner's had been left there, ami sent down
Hooker on Monday afternoon IN take com
rnand md post himself at nr in front of Ger
insnroyn, ut the aam- time directing Nc
Dowell to rnke position along the turnpike
from 1entrevillr to Fairfax Court house
about twn miles ri the latter place.
o-l ..r,. Il