Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-09-18
TERMS OF ADV hRIislkol
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he 80 apparent, that the enemy. fearful m
being surrounded, had retired precipitateIv
from Manassas Junction, directing his re-.
treai through Cca;reville, as Reno, mellow.
ell and iSearney', he | made the road through
Gasu eyi e improbable. ~
/ Immediately pushed forward 10 Manas-
sas and thence to Centrcvie which place
was occupied by Kearsey that night, only
few hours after the enemy had left it,
General Reno had reached Manassas juno
ton. and General Ritz John Porter Was i'm
.nedlatey ordered from Broad Run, where
he had stopped McDowells movement.
conducted with speed and yigor. lad been
CON mpletely successful; the enemy being in.
tercepted at Gainesville, and part Of his
forces driven back. through Thorougi,fsre
Gap. sss sfist -.
with kiss's division snd Sigef's corps
Mcdowell continued to march along The
turnpike toward Centreville, leaving Gen.
Ricketts,, with his division, in observation
OF Ihoroughtare Gap. Late in the evening,
on the 18th, Mcdowell advanced Gibbons
brigade near the force Of the enemy retiring
FROM Centreville, and about six miles from
that place. A very sharp skirmish here
took place, ended by the darkness, in which
the brigade of Geueral Gibbon behaved
very handsomely, ard suffered heavy loss. =
Gen. Slgel was near at hand with his corps,
but did not join the action.
instructed Gen. Kearney to move for.
ward at early dawn of day, toward Gaines.
vile, to be followed closely by Hooker and
Keno, and engage the enemy thus placed
between Mcdowell and Sigel; Heintzlemau
and Reno on the east, and Fits John Por-
ter on the south. | also instructed General
Porter, with his own corps, and Kings di-
vision, which had for some reason fallen
back from the Warrenton turnpike toward
Manassas Junction, to move at daylight in
the morning upon GAINESVILLE, along the
Manassas Gap Railroad, until they commu-
nicated closely with the forces under Gem
Heintzelman and Sige!; cautioning them
not to go further than was necessary TO ef-
| feet this junction, as we might be forced to
retire behind Bull Run that night, for sub
sistence, il nothing else. ..
Gen. Heintzelman marched early from
Ceutreville toward GAINESVILLE, closely fol-
lowed by Reno. Meantime, shortly after
daylight, Skies and Reynolds Divisions Of
Mcdowell corps, became engaged with the
enemy, who was brought to stand
Heintzelman and Reno soon after came up,
when the entire line became actively engs-
ged. Porter marched as directed, followed
1 by Kings Division. which was, by this
time, Joined by Ricketts, Division, which
had been forced back from Thoroughfare
Gap by the heavy forces of the enemy ad-
vancing to the support of jackson. =,
As soon as found that the enemy had
been brought to halt, and was being Wig
orously attacked along the Warrenton turn
pike, sent orders to Gen. Mcdowell to ad-
vance rapidly on our left and attack the
enemy on his flank, extending his right To
N 4 I.G IN
keep his right well closed on Mcdowell q
rear, while he was pushed in front This
would have made the line of battle of Nc.
Dowell and Porter at right angles to that Of
the other forces engaged This action ragged
furiously all day, Mcdowell, although pre-
viously in rear of Porter, bringing his whole
corps on the field in the afternoon, and Ia
king conspicuous part in the operations Of
the day.
To my surprise and disappointment re-
ceived, late in the afternoon from General
Porter, note saying that his advance had
met the enemy on the flank, in some force,
and that he was retiring on Manassas juno
ton, without engaging the enemy, or conf
ing to the assistance of our other forces, al
though they were engaged in a furious ac-
ton. only two mile distant. and in full hear
ing of him. A portion of his forces fell
back toward Manassas, while he remained,
! as he afterward informed me, where he was,
looking on the enemy during the afternoon
! Of Friday and part of the same night, pass
ing down IN plain view to reenforce the
troops under jackson, without an effort to
prevent Il or to assist US.
One of his brlgades, under Gen. Griffin,
got round to CentrevIile, aqd remained
there during the whole OF the next day $
{ battle, without coming on the feld, though
in full view OF the battle which was raging;
! while General Grfhn himself spent the day
~ making illnatured structures upon the
General Commanding, in the presence, OF
J promlscuous as.emblage. Darkness cioseo
| tue ac.ioh on rriuay; tne enemy oefng 9rINeI
I pack rom ms posi'ion oy.neintze,'han , are
t nsao corps' ahu " furious a''acl aiS.,s ~
me mr .JinpiSe py h,us uifasion anu inrJ O
Dowen .9rgs .ns eiheu.y esdsnhs niS 'a ueao
5 ana wounueu 9n .ae pa..ieneH r. :,
Ioo NOT hesitate 10 say .nat Il tne sor Ps ~ "
t rorses naa ut'ackSa T lle eneLny ~ nahk ~
tne afternoon Oh rliiay, AZ ns nav lhy WI. ~.
zen orasrs 20 uJ, ws s.ouiu M ndve cTasu ,,,i ,L;
enemy oci9re 'ne ioiVyi vi uuues - Souu