Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-09-20
w A r n E w S.
TIaE RECENT BATTLE BN VEEs-
<SENHs.
Report Of NHn.ior-tscncrnl Pope.

the following brief sketch of the operations
of this army since the 9th of August:
moved from Spcrryvillc, Little Wash
! ington and Warrcuton, with the corps o.
Banks and Sigcl and one division of Mellow
ellis corps numbering in all thirty-twC
thousand men, to meet the enemy, who haC
crossed the Rapioan, and was advancing or
! Culpeppcr The movement toward Cor
donsville had completely succeeded in draw.
ing off a large force from Richmond, and 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 Noun
tain, with the forces under jackson, which
compelled his retreat across the Rapidan.
made necessary still further rcinforccmcnts
of the enemy from Richmond and ny this
time it being apparent from the army of the
Potomac was cyUcuating the Peninsula, the
whole force ofthc enemy concentrated around
Richmond was pushed forward with great
rapiditv to crush the army of Virginia before
the forces cvacuating the Peninsula 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 assembled in
my front, and within eight miles nearly the
whole rebel army. Is soon rs | aSccrtaincd
this fact and know that the army of the
Potomac was no longer in danger, | drew
back my whole force across the Rappahan-
mock, on the day Of the 1fih and day of the
18th, without loss of any kind. and one day
in advance Of Lees supposed movement
againt me. The enemy Immediately appeared
in my trout at Rappahannock Station and
attempted to pass the river at that bridge,
and the numerous fords above and below.
but without success.
The line of the upper Rappahannock,
which had been ordered to hold, that the
enemy might be delayed long enough in his
advance upon Washington TO enable the
forces from the Peninsula to land and effect
Il junction with me, was very weak, rs it
could be crossed almost any point above the
railroad bridge by good fords.
BY constant vigilance and activity, and
much severe fighting for three days. the
the railroad crossing to Waterloo Bridge.
west of Warrenton. Meantime my force had
been much diminished by actual loss in
battle, and by fatigue and exposure so that,
although l had been joined 10y a dctach-
mcnt under General Reno and the other
division of McDowclrs corps, my force
barely numbered 10000 men.
On the ----- heavy rain fell, which rem
doroI ,l.e far.l, ;.--l..,s.,lln fnr ,+vcrty-four
hours. As soon as discovered tins, | con.
ccntrated my forces and marched rapidly
upon Sulphur Springs and Waterloo Bridge
to drive back the forces Of the enemy, which
had succeeded il crossing at these points
This was successfully done, and the bridges
destroyed.
passed one day-or rather part Of one
at Warcnton and hcyond. The enemy =tlll
continued to move slowly around along the
river, masking every ford with artillery and
heavy forces of infantry, 50 that If 1t was
impossible for me to attack him, even with
the greatly inferior forces under my com
mand, without passing the river over iordS
strongly guarded, in the face OF superior
numbers.
The movements of Jackson toward White
Plains and in the direction of IAoroughiaIe
Gap. while the main body Of the enemy con
frontcd me al Sulphur SPRING and Waterloo
Bridge WAS well known to me, but relied
confidently upon the forces which ! had
been assured would be sent from Alexandria,
and one stray division of which had ordered
, to take post on the work ut Manassas June
ton. was entirely under the belief that
these would be there, and it was not until
found my communication intercepted that
/ was ndccciyol.
| | knew that this movement was no raid
and that II was made 10y not less than
! twenty-five thousand men, under Jackson
! BY this time the army corps OF llclntzclman
about TO- 600 strong had reached WaTcnton
/ Junction; one division Of it, think, on tho
very day Of the raid; but they came without
artillery. with only forty rounds Of ammu
milton to the man, without wagons, and
even the field and general officers without
horses.
Fitz John Porter also arrived at BristoW
Station, near Rappahannock, with one OF hi'
divisions, 4,5O0 strong, whilst his othel
division was still at Barnctt's and Kirby
| Ford. / directed that corps, $500 stong
to concentrate Immediately at Wanentol
Junction, where Hcintzelman already was
! This was accomplished on the evening o
the -th.
As soon as it became known TO me tha
Jackson was on the railroad, ii bacame ap
parent that the upper Rappahannock wa
no longer tenable. ! could not detach 1
| sufficient force to meet jackson, and at III,
same time attempt to confront the man
body of the enemy. ! accordingly at ono
evacuated WaTenton and Wamcnton June
ton, directing Mcdowell, with his own corp
and Sigel's, and the divisions OF Reynolds
to march rapidly to the turnpike upol
Gainesville so as TO intercept any reinforce
ments coming to jackson through Thor
oughiare Gap, and instructing Reno wit!
his command, and Keaney with one diyi
sion of Heintzelman's, to march ON Green
wich, so as to support Mcdowell in case
necessity.
Imoved back along the railroad upo
Manassas Junction. Near Kettle Run
Hooker came upon the advance Of Ewell
Division on the afternoon of the 9th. !
severe action took place, which terminate
at dark. Ewcll being driven from the tiol
with the loss of his camp and three hundre
killed and wounded. The unfortunate owe
sight of not bringing more than forty rouno
of ammunition became at once alarming
At nightfall Hooker had but about fly
rounds to the man.
AS soon as / learned this i sent bac
orders to Fitz John Porter to march wit
his corps at one o'clock that night so as
be with Hooker at daylight in the morning
8 The distance was only nine miles, and
received the despatch at $50 o'clock, bl
did not reach the ground until after L
o'clock next morning, He can probab
ievnlaip better than | can the reason of I'll