The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-09-19
THE RECENT BATTLES I'm VIRGINIA
REPORT OF MAJ0R-GEN. POPE.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA,
Sont.y,har 1870

! HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA
September 3, 1862.
GENERAL have .le honor to submit
the following briel sketch OF the operations
of this army sirca ,ha 9.b Of August:
| moved IRON Spegryyille, Little Wash>
ington and Warrtnion, with The corps OF
Banks and Sigei, aud one division of Nc,
Dowels corps, numberipg in all thirty two
thousand met, TO meet lie enemy, who bad
crossed the r pidan ans Was advancing on
Culpepper. The moveD.nt toward Cor
d0nsvie bad completely succeeded in }raw,'
ing of large force from Richmond, ani in
relieving the Army OF the Potomac from
much of the danger which threatened its
withdrawal from the Peninsula.
The action of August 9, at Cedar Nouns
tain, with the forces uuJer jackson, which
compelled his retreat aCross the Rapdan,
made necessary still iurJaer reiniorcemeDts
of the enemy from Richmond and by this
time, it being apparent that the Army OF
the Potomac was evacua Ting the Peninsula,
the whole force of the enemy concentrated
around Richmond was pushed forward with
great rapidity to crush the Army OF Vir-
ginia before the forces evacuating the Pen
insula could be united with it. | remained
at Cedar Mountain, and still threatened to
cross the Rapidan, until the 18th of August,
by which time General Robert Lee had as
sembled in my front, and within eight miles,
nearly the whole rebel army. AS soon as l
Army of the Potomac vas no longer in dan-
ger, drew back my whole force across the
RappahannOck, on the night Of the l 9TH and
day of the 18th, without loss of any kind,
and one day in advance of Lees proposed
movement against me. The enemy imme
diately appeared in my front at Rappahan.
mock Station, and attempted to pass the
river at that bridge, and the numerous fosds
above and below, but without success.
The line of the upper Kappahannock,
which bad been ordered to hold, that the
enemy might be delayed long enough in bis
advance upon Washington to enable the
forces from be Peninsula to land and effect
a junction with me, was very weak, as it
could be crossed at almost any point above
the railroad bridge by good fords.
by constant vigilance and activity, and
much severe fighting for three days, the en-.
emy was gradually forced from the railroad
crossing to Waterloo Bridge, west of War;
renton. Meantime my force had been much
diminished by actual loss in battle, and by
fatigue and eXposure--so that, although l
had been joined by detachment under
Gen, Reno and the other division of Nc
Dowell's corps, my force barely numbered
forty thousand men.
On the "a heavy rain fell, which ren.
dered the fords impossible for tweuty,iour
hours. AS soon as discovered this, | con-
centrated my forces, and marched rapidly
upon Sulphur Springs and Waterloo Bridge
to drive back the forces of the enemy. which
had succeeded in crossing at these points.
This was successfully dore, and the bridges
destroyed
passed one dayor rather part of one
at WarrentOn and beyond. The enemy
still continued to move slowly around along
the river, masking every ford with artillery
and heavy forces OF infantry, SO that it was
impossible for me to attack him, even with
the greatly inferior forces und3r my com
mand, without passing the river over sords
strongly guarded, III the fac OF superior
numbers.
The movement of jackson toward White
Pains ard IL the direction oi IhOroughfare
Gap, While the main body of the enemy
confronted me at Sulphur Springs and Wa
terloo Bridge, was we'll known TO me, but l
relied confidently upon The forces which l
had been assured would be sent from Alex
andria, aud one stray .!ivson of which |
had ordered to take past on the works at
Manassas Junctioa. ] was entirely under
tue belief hat these HOIid be there, and it
was not until | found ny communication
Intercepted that Was undeceived. | knew
that this movement was no raid, and that it
was made by not less than twenty FIVE thou
sand men, under jackson. BY this time the
army corps of Heintze.man, about ten thou.
sand strong, had reached Warrcnton JUNO
tion one division of it, think, on the very
day of the raid but they came without ar
tillery, with only forty rounds OF ammuni-
tlon to the man, without wagons, and even
the field and general officers without horses.
fltz John Porter also arrived at Brlstow
station, near Rappahannock, with one OF
ms divisions, $500 strong, whilst his other
dIVislon was still at Barnett's and Kelly's
Ford. directed that corps, about $500
strong, TO concentrate Immediately at War
renton junction, where Heintzelman alrea-
dy was This was accomplished on the
evening OF the -th. As soon as it became
known to me that jackson was on the rail
road, 1t became apparent that the upper
Rappahannock was no longer teuable
could not detach a sufficient torct
to meet jackson, and at the same time at
tempt to confront the main body of the enc
my. l accordingly at once evacuated War,
renton and Warrenton Junction, directing
Mcdowell, with his own corps and Sipel's
and the division of Reynolds, to march rap.