Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-08
Special Correspondence of The Chicago Times.
Military Events ON the Rappahau-


Demonstration Of the imprGeticGbilify of the
CalPepper route to RiehmOnd-Heroic conduct
ofthe Union Troops-The capture of General
Pope's c6iciaIpGpers-The Confederates attack
Manassas and menace Centreuille-D DESIGN of
the Rebels 10 occupy again the line of Bull Run.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2s.
There has been as ,et no correct account pub
lished of the highly important events on the Rap
| pahannock during the latter part of last week.
which resulted in the defeat of General Pope and
the retreat of his army to Manassas. This has
been owing to the fact of the exclusion of all
newspaper correspondents from the lines of the
army, before the beginning Of the week, and to
the suppl esson substantially of all telecraphic re-
] ports from here. / have learned the truth how
ever, from several officers and soldiers who par
ticpated in the whole affair, among them men of
character and education, and | proceed to tell it.
| Pope's retreat from the Rapidan to the Kappa
hammock, and from the Rappahannock to Manas
sas, and his movement on Centrevle, are praised
as mastery strategy. But knowing, as | do,
that Pope had met with defeat and that he has re-
treated, leaving much artillery and baggage,
and many wounded and prisoners, and all OF his
official papers, in the hands of the enemy shall
not, however disagreeable the news, hesitate to
say so. It's said that everything is well along
the line. and that everything has resulted exactly
as General Halleck wished and intended | do
not belve that If it were true, it would not
speak well for Haleck's generaship.
The result OF the whole affair shows that was
correct in my estimate of the impracticabilty of
/ this route TO Richmond.
| On Monday, the 18th of August, General Lee
ascertaned, by means of several Reconnaissance,
the position and stength of the various divisions
composing Pope's army, and found that his own
forces were twice as strong as those of Pope.
i On Tuesday he crossed the Rapadan with about
lOO,OOO troops, among whom were ID, 900 cavalry
and twenty three batteries of field artillery A
| body of $4,000 infantry, in addition to these,
crossed subsequently, and advanced to the south
bank of the Rappahanuock, where they are now
encamped. They took no part whatever in the
/ lghtng OF the week, for the reason that it all
took place before they got up, and because they
were not needed.
On Wednesday Gen. Lee came up with the left
wing of Pope's army, which was then in full re-
treat three miles east of Culpepper From this
time till the close of the week, the two armies
were engaged every day in contests in which the
valOr and deathless courage of our troops were
thrown away by reason of their being overpOwered
by the superior numbers OF the enemy As
this circumstance has never happened before
during the war, General Pope can not be blamed
for not guarding against so unforeseen contin-
gency.
The result of the battle on Wednesday was the
rapid retreat of the Union troops, leaving in the
hands of the enemy many of their sick and wound
ed soldiers and some baggage.
On Thursday, August 2lst, General Pope's
army crossed the Rappahannock in great haste,
under heavy fire from the enemy's artillery.
On Friday part of General Lees army crossed
and continued the pursuit and the fighting A
terrible engagement took place at Warrenton
resulting in the defeat of the UnOnists, who re
treated at its close, leaving behind artillery and
several hundred prisoners. Our troops behaved
heroicay in this battle, as indeed they did in ALL
Several splendid bayonet charges we're made, but
the rebels stood the shock and troops suffered
somewhat One of our regiments (Which was
told was the lst New Jersey, but which | have
since learned was some Other,) being ordered TO
charge, did so with impetuosity but were sur
prised to find that they made no impression on
the enemy's lines. In an instant they found them
selves surrounded by four regiments of rebel in
faDtry, while regiment OF cavalry was preparing
to charge on their rear. Retreat was impossible,
and TO continue the contest would have been ex-
termination. They surrendered
From another point on the river during the day
the rebel artillery kept up furious cannonading
upon our camps and upon every body of our men
that came within their range. Their shells fell
An attempt to disodge these batteries, in which
Carl Schurz was engaged, resulted disastrously.
Gen. Franz Sigel ordered a brigade under Col.
Krysandowski to cross the river and silence the
batteries. The order was injudicious, for it was
apparent that the enemy were supporting their
batteries by an overwhelming infantry force.
The brigade, however. crossed. Carl Schurz
and the lamented General Bohen going with it.
IL never came back. 1t was terribly cut up by
the masses of the enemy that swarmed around il.
1t was driven back to the river, where many men
jumped in, and some of them were drowned or
shot in the water. Schurz escaped Gen. Bohlen
was killed.
On the same dav the rebel cavalry attacked and
captured the wagon train belonging to General
POpe's headquarters In these wagons were the
baggage and personal effects of Gen Pope and of
the officers of his staff, all of whom were thus
plundered so effectually that they had not even
clean shirt left These wagons also contained
Gen. Popes official papers and correspondence
with the War Department, his army lists, his lists
of divisions, bri3ades, and regiments, his maps
and typographical plans, his own and Gen. Hal
leck's plan of the campaign, all the telegraphc
dispatches which he has received and sent, &c.
All of these papers fell into the hands of the enc
my, besides large amount of money in gold
coin and treasury notes. $50 valuable horses, lot
of pistols, swords, muskets, &c.
The scene of this capture was near Catlett's,
thirty five miles from Washington. and within six
miles.Of Manassas Junction. The enemy re-
manned on the spot pllagng at their leisure. All
OF Popes papers, however, were carefully pre-
served, and instantly sent to Richmond under
strong escort. They must prove of incalcuable
value to the rebels, they will disclose the whole
details of Hallecks plan of the campaign. 1t is
said here that an entirely new plan of the cam
paign will be devised. But fear it is too late in
the season for that.
1t is certain that on Tuesday the 26th inst, the
Confederates were in force near Manassas juno
ton, where they had strong force of laborers
engaged in destroying the railroad track and tele-
graph wires On that day, FIVE regiments of rebel
cavalry and large infantry force attacked Ma
nassas junction, overpow cred whatever Union
forces were there captured five trains of cars with
their contents. and, worse than all, captured the
artillery there, and turned the guns and used them
with deadly effect upon our retreating columns.
As close this letter, there are well authenti-
Gated reports in circulation. to the effect that
severe engagement took place yesterday morn
ing. between Manassas Junction and Bull Run,
with what result is not known
lt is known certainly that on Saturday last.
August %, the enemy held and occupied in force
both sides of the Rappahannock, from the Rat
tlesnake Mountains to Fredericksburg distance
of thirty miles. Two thirds of their force are
on the north side. and only about $4,000 men
(the infantry force mentioned above) are on the
south side. The latter, aided by the labor of
nearly as many slaves, are busily engaged in
erecting additional Notifications and ia strength
ening those that already exist. Prisoners and
deserters say that it is their intention to fortfy
every ford and crossing place, so as to make il
impossible for the Union troops ever to cross the
Rappahannock again.
Owing to the fact that there are no newspaper
correspondents with our army now it is difficult
10 learn where the bulk of the rebel army is If
tie report of the engagement at Manassas be
true, it is possible that they are making an at
tempt 70 drive Pope still nearer to Washington,