Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-09-19

oiIcl, d hoIC Sa lhS ms oo'"hoS Ai"
met the enemy on the flank, in some
force, and that he was retiring on Man
assas Junction, without engaging the
enemy, or coming to the assistance of
our other forces, although they were
engaged in a furious action, only two
miles distant, aud in full hearing of
him. A portion of his forces fell back
toward Manassas, while he remained,
as he afterwards informed me, where he
was, looking on the enemy during the
afternoon Of Friday and part of the same
night, passing down in plain view to re-
inforee the troops -nndsr ia kson, With. tn
out an effort to prevent it or assist US.
One of his brigades, under Gen:
Griffin, got round to Centervllle, and
remained there during the whole of the
next days battle, without coming on
the field, though in full view of the bat
tie which was raging; while Gen. Crit
fin himself spent the day in making i'll
natured structures upon the General
Commanding, in the presence of pro
miscuous assemblage. Darkness closed
the action on Friday, the enemy being
driven back from his position by Heint-
zelman's and Reno's corps, and by fu
rious attack along the turnpike by
Kings division and McDowell's corps.
the enemy leaving his dead and wounded
on the battle field.
My cavalry was utterly broken down
by long and constant service in the face
of an enemy, and bad as they were,
could not be spared from the front, even
if there had been time to go back thirty
miles to Alexandria and await the load
ing of the trains. 1 at once understood
that we must, if possible, finish what
ever we had to do that day, or night
would find US behind Bull Run, if we
wished to save men and animals from
starvation. The enemys large rein
forcements having reached him on Fri
day afternoon and night, he began to
mass on his right for the purpose Of
crushing our left and occupying the
road leading to Centerville, in our rear.
His heaviest assault was made about
5 o'clock in the afternoon. When, af-
ter overwhelming Gen. Fitz John Port
er's forces, and driving him back on the
center and left, mass after mass of the
enemy forces were pushed against our
left. A terrific contest, with great
slaughter, was carried on for several
hours, our men behaving with frmness
and gallantry under the immediate com
! mand of Gen. Mcdowell While night
/ closed our left was forced back about
/ half mile, but still remained firm and
unbroken while the right held its ground.
| do not hesitate to say that if the
corps of Porter had attacked the enemy
in flank on the afternoon of Friday, as
he had my written orders to do, we
/ should have crushed the enemy before
the forces under Lee could have joined
them. Why he did no: do SO, I could
not understand Our men much worn
down by hard service and continued
fighting, for many previous days and
nights, and very short of provisions,
rested on their arms. Our horses had
not had forage for ten days.
| | had telegraphed and written fire.
quently for rations and forage to be sent
us; but on Saturday morning, before the
action was resumed, I received letter
! from General Franklin, written The day
previous frem Alexandria, stating that
he had been directed by Gen, Mcclellan
to inform me that rations and forage for
MY command would be loaded into cars
and ayaila bic wagons as soon as | would
forward a cavalry escort to Alexandria
to bring them up. All hope Of being
able to maintain my position, whether
victorious or not, vanished with this in
formation.
Gen. Franklin, with his corps, arrived
after dark at Centerville, six miles in
our rear; whilst Gen. Sumner was four
miles behind franklin | could have
brought up these corps in the morning,
in time to have renewed the action, but
men and horses were completely y ex
hausted for want of sufficient food [
accordingly retired to Centerville that
night, in perfectorder. Neither on Sun.
day or Monday did the enemy make any
advance upon US. On Monday, sent
to the army corps commanders for their
effective strength, which, all told, fell
short of sixty thousand men.
The enemy, during Monday, again be-
gan to- move slowly around to our right,
for the purpose of possessing Fairfax
Court House, and thus turning our rear.
A portion Of Summers division had been
left there, and [ sent Gen. Hooker, on
Monday afternoon, to take command and
post himself at OF in front of German
town; at the same time directing Nc
! lDowell to take possession along the
turnpike from Centerville to Fairfax
Court House, about ten miles west of the
latter place. Heintzelman was directed
to post himself in the rear, and support
Reno, who was pushed north Of the
road at point about three miles east Of
Centerville, and to cover the road
1t was my purpose in the course Of
the night, to mass my command on the
right, in the direction Of Germantown,
where | felt convinced the next attack
of the enemy would be made. Late in
the afternoon on Monday the enemy
made his demonstration upon German
town, but was met by Hooker at that
place, and by Reno, reinforced by Kear-
ney, further west. The battle was very
severe, though Of short duration, the
enemy being driven back one mile, with
heavy loss, leaving his dead and wounded. .
In this short action we lost two of our
most valuable and distinguished officers,
General kearney and Stevens.
By morning the whole of my COM
mand was massed behind difficult creeks,
between Flint Hill, and the Warrenton
turnpike, with the advance, under
Hooker, in front Of Gcrmantown. With
the exception of General Sumner, the
commanders Of the Army of the Poto-