, 1862-09-06
How the Rebel Army Reached the
Field uf RattiB-G Gen. Ra nkBs March
from the kHppahannocK.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 2, 1861
Early in the morning the field otlic=r who
narrntes these facts to me listened to the con
yersation Of rebel prisoners, taken before the
fight commenced In earnest One of them
boosted that the day would close with con-
federate victory-1hat they would whip us out
and out When asked how he knew it, he
replied that Gen. Jackson told him 50 that
morning, and he knew. Another said that
Gen. Lungstreet Joined Jackson with ninety
regiments and Elk batteries. Another COM
puted Longstreet's force and said that behind
him would CONC over three miles Of wag
ons, bring supplies. Jackson, according
to TO-, th,s 1ls,osa authority, marched Tith six
| have been supported sooner by General
Longstrect and the main rebel army. Delay
had. however, been caused BY the necessity
Of clearing passage through Tnorougnfar
| Gap, v heh was obsLructed during Jackson's
last. Shenandoah campaign to prevent us
pressing too closely upon his rear. Immense
rocks had been thro IN do IN and trees feiled
for this purpose. Jackson himself had
MARCHED to Manassas through Suckers aud
Afaer's Gaps. Washington, all these prison.
GIG said, vas their goa.
Our field officer was able to be In command
Of his regiment ri hen it was, With The rest OF
Rickett's division, sent out to hold Long
s,rttt in c,eck and prevent him from rein
forcing Jackson by way Of Thoro1g ghfare
Gap. Three regiments were pushed forward
to seize the Gap, but they were too late. The
rebels held it in force, and poured from above,
| fiom each side, and the front destructive
fire, the marksmen being entirely invsi lie.
| The Gap wss discovered to be very narrow,
affording barely passage for the rairoad, aad
j carriage road BY its side, and q small streau',
: a1d turnpike, aod 8 carriage road beyond Il
: the mountains rising precipttasc1y on each
!. side To the right, at the entrance Of thu
Gsp, Was gully, and on this side OF it 4 stcct
!. hill. Col Fletcher Webster, Of the 13tt
+ MASSACHUSETTS, sent several companies tt
= feet the enemy, who were posted on this hill
= in force, and firing fIom above at our men
> hnt they found the hill on this side too stee,
J to climb. The division soon found that i
= | was fmpassi5le to hold Its ground. and it wa
~ Obliged to retire.
: Al Other fact worth notlngis communicate.
| bv the same Witness He says that when hi
regiment Was In advance on the other side q
The Rappahauuock, holding the redoubts o
the Two or three hills which formed our out
= posts, he saw for three days contiuuou
stream Of infantry and cavalry, artillery 40
wsgons moving up stream In the dtrectio
whlch they would naturally ta6e " order
e meat was allowed to go on, why our counte
>, aching movements we're taken at 30 late q
Il hour after the enemy had passed, he does n
~ soy
~ are here or at A1e1sndria, and Commaud
'tr Wilkes is in town. The ouly regretexpress,
% ia that Bull Run is not navixaole Tor the
p river monsters. They have proved 60 serVic
a. allie to the army heretofore that their aosen
oe q onr late battles was seriously frls
Nv Foir oc'oeE p. na-The following is dia
~ Of Gsn. Bsrkb' march, derived from c0nyers
ticLs with him and his atAf;