The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-09-19
day in making ill.natured structures upon
the General commanding the action. in the

day in making ill.natured structures upon
the General commanding the action, in the
presence of promiscious assemblage.
Darkness closed the action on Friday, the
enemy being driven back from his positions
by Heintzelman's corps and Reno, concIu.
ded by furious attack along the turnpike
by Kings Division of McDowell's corps.
leaving the dead and wounded on the field.
do not hesitate to say that if the corps
of Porter had attacked the enemy in flank
on the afternoon of Friday, as he had nv
written order to do, we should have utterly
crushed jackson before the forces under Lee
could have reached him. Why he did not
do so cannot understand
Our men, much worn down by hard SER
vice and continuous fighting for many pres
vious days, and very short of provisions,
rested on their guns. Oar horses had had
no forage for two days. l had telegraphed
and written urgently for rations. and forage
to be sent us, but on Saturday morning, be-
fore the action was resumed, l received q
letter from General Franklin, written the
day before at Alexandria, stating to me
that be bad been directed by General Nc
Clellan to inform me that rations and for
age for my command would be loaded into
the cars and available wagons as soon as 1
would send cavalry escort to Alexandria
to bring them up. All hope of being able
to maintain my position, whether victorious
or not, vanished with this letter. My cav
airy was utterly broken down by long and
constant service in the face of the enemy,
and bad as they were could not be spared
from the front, even if there had been time
to go back thirty miles to Alexandria, and
await the loading of trains. At the time
this letter was written Alexandria was
swarming with troops, and my whole army
interposed between that place and the ene-
my. l at once understood that we must, if
possible, finish what we had to do that day,
as night must see US behind Bull Run if we
wished to save men and animals from star.
walton.
On Friday night 1 seut peremtory or.
der to Gen. Porter to bring his command
on the field, and report to me in person
within three hours after be received the
order A portion he brought up. but. as
before stated, one of his brigades remained
the whole day at Centreville, and was not
in the engagement. The enemy's heavy re-
Inducements having reached him on Friday
afternoon and night, be began to mass on
his right for the purpose Of crushing our
left and occupying the road to CentrevilIe
in our rear. His heaviest assault was made
about o'clock in the afternoon, when, after
overwhelming Fitz-J Ohm Porter and driving
bis forces back on the centre and LETT, mass
after mass of bis forces we're pushed against
our left. A terrific contest, with great
slaughter, was carried on for several hours,
our men behaving with frmness and gal
lantry under the immediate command of
Gen. Mcdowell. When night closed, our
left had been forced back about half mile,
but still remained firm and unshaken, while
our right held its ground.
General Franklin, with bis corps, arrived
after dark at Centreville, six miles in our
rear, whilst Sumner was four miles behind
Franklin. could have brought up these
corps in the morning 10 time to have renewed
the action, but starvation stared both men
and horses in the face, and, broken and ex
hausted as they were, they were in no con.
ditiOn to bear hunger also. l accordingly
retired to CentrevilIe that night in perfect
order. Neither on Sunday nor on Monday
did the enemy make any advance upon US.
On Monday sent to the army corps com.
manders for their effective strength, which,
all told, including Sumner and Franklin, fell
short Of sixty thousand men. Instead of
bringing up thirty thousand men, Franklin
and Sumner united fell short Of twenty
thousand, and these, added to the force
had, already wearied out, and much cut up,
did not give me the means to do anything
else than stand on the defense.
The nemy during Monday again began
to work slowly around to our right, for the
purpose of possessing Fairfax Court House,
and thus turning our rear.
COUGHS division and one brigade of
Summers had been left there, and sent
down Hooker on Monday afternoon to take
command and post himself at or 10 front of
Germantown, at the same time directing
Mcdowell to take position along the turn
pike from CentreviIe to Fairfax Court.
house, about two miles west of the latter
place.
Heintzelman was directed to post him
self in rear and support of Reno, who was
pushed north of the road, at point about
two and half miles east of Centreville,
and to cover that road, it being my purpose
in the course Of the night, to mass my com-
mand on the right, in the direction Of Ger
mantown, where / felt convinced the next
attack of the enemy would be made.
Late in the afternoon Of Monday, the
enemy made his demonstration upon Ger
mantown. but was met by Hooker at that
place, and by Reno, reinforced by Kearney,
further west. The battle was very severe,
though short, the enemy being driven back
a mile with heavy loss, leaving his dead and
wounded. In this short action we lost two
of our most valuable and distinguished Of
6cers Generals Kearney and Stevens. 4
By moving, the whole Of my command
was massed behind difficult creek, between