Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1862-09-04
rrpTVER ACCOUNTS OF LATE BATTLES.
CCorrespondeuce Of the New York TinlesJ

tleman whose official position gave him the en-
tree TO Gen. Pope's headquarters, who talked
freely with him and with number OF Generals
and other prominent officers, and who observed
with cool civilian eyes, left CentreVle at about
! o'clock to-day and arrived here this evening
TIE sunplies the latest authentic account OF the
situation. -.
When he arrived at the heights OF Centre
vile. at about half past o'clock this morning,
things appeared to his unpractlsed eye to be IN
no little confusion. Men roaming about slngly,
.snd in souads-guns in motion towards this and
that point. But in the course Of two Or three
hours he perceived order coming out OF appa-
rent chaos. The men who had been seeking
their regiments had found them, and the regi-
n1ents were marching and COMMUNICATING.
All the artillery, the supervision OF which was
;ntr11sted to General Mcdowell, had found its
Mace, All seemed ready to meet an attack,
and strong picket guards had been sent out to
look for the enemy, the order to one beng TO
push on to Manassas.
- The only officers who had much to say about
Standardization or panic or disorganzation were
those whose appearance indicated that they
spoke from personal experience. In General
Pope's headquarters, which were established in
q house on the street Of Centrevile, all was
= cool and serene There, with the General Com
manding, were Gems Mcdowell, Reno and
REYNOLDS, with other officers Of high rank
Il All were in good spirits, and sent the most
cheerful messages to the Secretary of War
They regarded their position as impregnable:
were disposed, indeed, to invite attack; and
were not apprehensive of any hanking move
ment by the enemy.
-. Although the officers at headquarters did not
seem TO be disposed to admit it in SO many
words, tie inevitable inference from what they
said was that we were defeated on Saturday.
Friday closed with victory; We were driving
the enemy back when night came on. But in
the morning, as was soon made evident, he was
had marched to his relief through Thorough
fare Gap Our line of battle was formed about
six miles from Centreville, and not far from the
old Bull Run battlefield.
Gen. Mcdowell was on the left, Gen. -Fltz
John Porter in the centre, and Gen Reno on
the right. The left fronted a heavy piece Of
woods, in which there was little show OF force,
while opposite the centre and right the signs
were that the enemy had massed his troops =
. Our forces were disposed upon the suppositlon
that this was the case But it was discovered
soon after the battle began that the real strength
Of The Confederate army was on our lett: gen.
Lee, who was in command Of the whole Con-
fedepate army, had massed his troops on our
left, and poured in a terrible fire, which caused
Gen. McDowell's corps to wavep and fall back
The battle ragged all day, but the enemy proved
coo strong for us, and towards night our forces
fell back to Centreville, leaving the killed and
most of the more seriously wounded in the
hands Of the enemy. That enemy, luckily,
perhaps, for U.s. did not pursue. our retiring
columns, and madeno attempt to modest them.
The retrograde movement was. according to the