The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-09-06
The Great Battles Oppo.
site Washington,
By MAIL
Oonespondsnce Of The N. Z. Tribne.
CENTERvILLs, Va, 81. ~
SUNDAY Au0usA Al I

# fBY MAIL
| oerespoadsnce Of ths N. z. fribue.
CEHTERvILLs, Va, 5-A. NJ
| SUNDAY, August 81.
The battles Of yesterday and the DAY befa,.
on the already classic ground of Bull Run win
rank with Napoleon's bloodiest. And NOR
than one General fought in them to whom, srs
this hour, H would have given Narshaps b..
ton, while he would have made prosd huud.
red privstss with the ribbon Of the Legion Of
Honor.
Let me arst detail the movements by which
the Two days struggle was brought on.
PAILMIsARY novsnEHrs
While ct Wsrrent0n, early on "Wednesday, I
learned that Jackson was in our rear. and tb.,
We would once more try to trap him. Sigel and
Mcdowell marched that morning up the tur,
pike from Warrenton toward Centerville, whe,.
the enemy was supposed to be. This road pu
ses through Bull Run battlefield, five miles weS
of Centerville. Hooker, Porter, and Reno bad
moved from our left (now, as We faced about
toward Washington, becomes our right toward,
the same point, via Manassas Junction. Sipel
in advance of Mcdowell, reached GAINESVILLE
four miles from the Bull Run battlefield, th,,
night, and came upon the ensmys cavalry and
stragglersL Resting few hours, BY o'clock he
was moving. The enemy did not appear in thu
front, and leaving Mcdowell to take care Of that
road, Sigel turned to the right to connect with
Hooker ct Manassas Junction. Hooker hsd
fought near there on Wednesday lot which
will speak in moment), and it was possible b
needed help.
When within two miles of the Junction, 81
gel learned that the enemy was on the Warren
ton road, and, turning short to the left, he then
marched to the south side Of the Bull Run Geld.
II was then p N. Mcdowell, who, as before
stated, had remained on that road between the
enemy and Warrsnton, and had been throwing
shell some hours, and now We could hear musk
stry. Gaining the nights whore Hunter fsueh.
| year ago, and approaching the turnpike, W
could locate the scene Of the engagement BY The
line Of musketry flashes. II wa Kings division
repelling the enemy in bis attempt to escape w.
ward Wsrrenton. The affair lasted two hours
and King held the field. We had come upon
the enemy's left flank. Schenck's division BE-
came partially engaged, gave the enemy's cav.
AIRY few shell, then the whole corps rested for
the night. ss..
At the very time King was fighting on the
Wsfrenton road, Ricketts, was engaged fighting
rebel reinforcements coming up through Tho
roughfare Gap, five niles further west He va
compelled, having suffered loss Of $50 men, to
withdraw and join King, after the latter bad
finished bis days work. Reynolds division, the
Pennsylvania Reserves, then temporarily with
General AcDowell's corps, was in the same Vi.
cinity. 49,
The situation then, Friday morning, was this:
Sigels corps division of Schurz, Milroy, Stein.
wehr, and Schenck) on the Bull Run field,
fronting to the west, was close against the enc
my. AcDowelrs corps nearly connected With
Sigel on the latters left but was not within
A0h ar IF kho. 49,,
corps Divisions of Hooker and Kearney, and
Reno's corps) we're at Centerville, moving down
the turnpike, which would lead them upon Gen.
Sigeps right. Porter was far back-seven Or
eight miles-in Sigel's rear. These corps-Si.
gels, Reno's, Heintzelmans, McDowell's, and
Porter's-were all that were engaged at any
time during the two days, Friday and Saturday.
They came upon the field in the order have
named them.
Fortunately had been with Sigel during bis
two days march to find the enemy, and was With
him now that it fell to him to open the main
struggle. His corps had held the advance under
heavy artillery FIRE on the Rappahannock the
four previous days, had now marched two days,
part of the time in line Of battle, and taking
but four hours rest, moved into a battlefront
skirmish, not IA affair, not an action not an ca.
gsgement, but . great battle, for such are the
names given to fights in the order Of their mag
nitude.
Long before daylight sigel had visited every
position of his line, had seen to the placing Of
every battery, and with the daylight his artillery
sounded. The "Jessie Scouts" transferred BY
Fremont to Sige) reported the enemy as massed
in and beyond stretch of woods mile long,
west of and running nearly parallel with the
road. Their line, however, extended on their
right to the road, where they had guns on CON-
handing nights on their left to Bull Run stream,
with battery or two across upon the north side
Sigers line was opposite, on the south side Of
the road.
The frst hour it was all artillery. Sigel was
advancing battery after battery to this aud that
emnence, supporting each With . brigade hear
ing the reports of scouts, sending cavalry nov
far to the right now far to the left gradually 3D.
vsncing his divisions in cover Of hills upon which
he had placed guns-in . word, feeling for the
enemy, rapidly advancing, but cautiously, every
step. The enemy disdsined to make any sligo
but not long His artillery was compelled to
answer ours, and, pressing on, We unearthed bis
infantry. There VAS light rattle, then roar
Of muskstry. Milroy, in the advance, had come
square upon rebels in masses. Our line Of battle
was formed, Schurz having the right, Schsnck
the left, Milroy the advance center, and Stein
wehr the reserve center. }ag -a VS. rs--..5
Just At this opening Of the battle saw, from
the bill from which Schurz was going into &C
ton, column bearing down upon our right
and at first supposed them to be rebels. IN
accountebly they carried high over their heads
sundry white flags, and appeared to march stras
glingly, and it was soon discovered they were
unarmed. ,s, h. 80 ..F liz, tu.5H-
They proved to be 634 prisoners taken b!
Jackson when be appeared at Manassas three
days before, now released on parole. The ere
my could not feed them, and would themselves
starve unless reinforcements should push to them
with supplies.
A little after Milroy, Schurs became engaged
They drove the enemy . mile or more, and rest
ed from outright fatigue. During this time
Schenck had been engaged on the left, but not
heavily. Tough old Heintzelman arrived at this
juncture from Centreville with his whole corps
Schurz was withdrawn for Kearney and Hooker
to take his place. Reno arrived soon after from
the same direction. Stevens division Of biz ]
corps marching to the left to support Schemes,
and the attack was once more along the whole
line. should have stated that some time be,
fore the cessation, Ailroy, after two hours q
i u.