The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-09-03
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FEDERAL Account or WEDNESDAYS praHrrsa
The Washington STAR Of sAs 2sth, contains the
following account Of the Asht the day before
II turns ont thai the cannonadtng heard nearly
was that of IN engagement between ocanlou's bri.
grade, OF Gen. Coxs dtviaion, and . force Of ths
rsbsle, eonsidcrably outnumhsrsng thsm q Bull
As q The
rebels retained poasession Of Il at nlghtfall, but
have every reason 10 think that Seanlon must have
dsaodged them from Il st an early hour this morn
Ing Last night be certssnly expected to be able
to DO So Our impression s that his loss through
out the days skirmishing was inconsiderablc.
The main engagement Of yesterday, however,
was that Of Hookers division, with considerable
rebel force, at Bristow Station.
II appears that the movement Of the enemy On
Friday, from the South bank Of the RappAhannock.
Via Jederonton, In the direction Of Little Wash
tneton. was actually designed to throw most OF the
rebel army across the RappAhannock At the base OF
the Blue Ridge This was done, and IL Ia this morn
Ing ascertA aimed here that II was yesterday morn
ing, probably for the most part, massed at near
White Plains. in the valley betwssn the Blue
Ridge and Bull Run ranges, seven or nine miles
northeast Of Warrsnton.
At an early hour yeste- day morning Hooker's
division doubtless dispatched TO that point by Gen.
q
fore) came up with large rebel force about Bsia-
low Station, With whom he bad heavy engage
mens, lasting nearly all day. In the course Of It
Hooker drove the enemy, step by stsp, back 70 the
wounded and missing. in the days engagement
there. was about 800 Gen. Pope is said to regard
the affair ~ signal Union success.
1t u evident from these facts that the late skir
mishes on the Rappahaunock were little more than
feints on the part Of the rebels, who aimed to get
In between Pope's army and the Notifications
around Washington. We opioe that having done
no In . measure they Will have rather lively
time In getting ont Of the position they have thus
chosen
1t is not proper for US to publish any facts con.
csrning the movements Of the vast Union army
now In the enemy's rear already made, to punish
his temerity. We, however, know them to be such
to incline to believe that very few days will
sse the end of rebels in arms In Virginia.
We may add, not improperly. We fear, that not
only are the fort ations around this city garri
soned. equipped and prepared as to enable them
successfully to Withstand any attack that such an
army a. that of the rebels might make upon them.
but that there 10 also large reserved force of dis
ciplined veteran troops, In such q position with
reference them to make the assurance of their
security d0ubly sure, even without the certain CO.
operation of the large Union force lately upon the
Rappahannock.
From the facts concerning the movements and
positions of the rebels nsrrate above, 1t Ia EVIL
dent that their purpose is either to put Bull Run
between themselves aud Pope's army, and while es.
saving 10 prevent \WNu b COmp8I6uVeIy BU6il
force) the latter from crossing it. to asssil in
and about our fortihcations or else to attempt to
cross over into Maryland marching via Leesburg.
Twentyfour hours At fur,hest will surely solve
not which scheme the rebels have In view as either
must inevitably fail met as It will be by our two
united great armies and the troops In the fortics
tions Immediately surrounding this city.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
One of the New York batteries belonging to
Sturgiss corps, under Capt. Van Putcamer was at
Manassas on Tuesday night, and lost four or six
pieces in the eight with the Confederstes, being
surrounded and having neither infantry cavalry
support The 18th Pennsylvania cavalry escaped
or skedsddled, and came into Alexandria with few
missing, about O'Clock last night. They behaved
badly. On Wednesday yesterday morning early.
Gen Taylors brigade, (.s I'd, Sd and 4th New Jsr.
sey volunteers) Of Major General Slocums division
oi the Army Of the Potomac was sent by rail to
Manassas
The troops landed at Bull Run bridge and march
cd to Manassas; on approaching which place they
met line of rebel skirInishers who fell back be-
fore them. The brigade continued its march, and
on coming within the circle of fortications at the
Junction which they had no idea were occupied q
heavy. concentrated fire Of artillery was opened
upon them from three different directions Gen.
vision not having we'd from the Peninsula and
was consequently Obliged to retire oat Of range be.
hind sheltering ridge While here it il reported
that they warmly engaged a brigade of rebel in
fantry.
At length seeing large force of rebel cavalry
making toward Bull Run bridge, with the evident
intention of interceptpS his retreat Gen T. with
drew his troops across Black burns Ford. To this
point the enemy pursued him with horse artillery,
pouring canister into his ranks with some damage,
wounding, among others the General severely and
his son slightly, and killing Lieut. Blums, of the I'd
New Jersey regiment
This brigade was q small weak one, not number.
ing over 500 effective men. Its loss at Gaines 3
Mil very severe, and In the present affair it
was almost without officers Its loss il not known
but 1t il PRETTY severe.
We hear that the postmaster at Fairfax Court
House arrived here at an early hour this morning,
having packed up hs goods and mails and left last
evening in apprehension Of Confederate raid upon
after he lett, and thinks some buildings had been
fired there
No confirmation of such apprehensions have
been received here mp to the time Of going press
with the second edition OF the Star OF the re-
port afloat of q battle at Centreve, though the
fsct of some skirmishing there is not improbable
We have information that the enemy was en-
camped some twenty or thirty thousand strong at
Gainesville, Eear Manassss Junction, at g o'clock
yesterday morning
A large portion Of Tsylors New Jersey brigade
was captured at Fairfax Station by the rebel caval
rv some five hundred Of which were seen between
Centreville and Fairfax Court House yesterday
noon, and are supposed to be the same that made
the above capture.
From the fact that the enemy last night burned
posed that they are moving off In some other dl.
rection, and wish to avert pursuit
PoPE's OFFICIAL REPORT.
MANASSAS JUNCTION,
August 2S-l0 O'Clock p. NJ
To Major. General II. w. HALLEcK, Gensral.in.
Chief
Al soon q discovered that large force OF the
enemy was Turning our right towsrd Manassas, and
that the division had ordered to take post there
two days before had not yet arrived from Alexan
dris immediately broke up my camp at Warren.
ton junction and Warrenton, and marched rapidly
back In three cOlumns.
directed Mcdowell, with hls own and Sgel's
corps to march upon Gainesville by the Warren
ton and Aiaxandris pike; Reno and one division
of Heintzelman to march on Greenwich and with
Porter's corps and Hookers division, marched
back to Manassas Junction.
Mcdowell was ordered to interpose between the
forces of the enemy which had passed down to
Manassas through Gainesville and his main body,
moving down from White Plains through Thorough
fare Gap. This was completely accomplished, Long
street, who hsd passed through the Gap, being
driven back to the west side.
The forces to Greenwich were designed to sup
port Mcdowell In case he met too large force Of
the enemy. The division Of Hooker, marching to-
wards Msnassas, came upon the enemy near Kettle