Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-09-20

Immediately pushed forward to Monas-
sas, and thence TO Ccntrevillc, which was
occupied by Kcarney that night only few
! hours after the enemy had left ii. Reno
! had reached Manassas junction, and Fitz
John Porter was Immediately ordered up
| from Broad Run, where he had stopped.
McDowcll's movement, conducted with
! vigor and speed had been completely sue
/ cesstul, the enemy being intercepted at
! Gainesville, and part of his forces driven
back through Thoroughtarc Gap. Late in
the evening of the - McDowclrs advance
! Gibbons Brigade met the force of Jackson
retiring from Centrevillc, and about six
miles from that place. a very smart skir-
mish took place, ended by the darkness, in
which the brigade of Gibbon behaved very
handsomely, and suffered heavy loss.
Sigel was close at hand with his corps.
but did not join the action. | instructed
Kearncy to move forward at carly dawn
towards Gainesville, closely followed by
Hooker and Reno, and engage the enemy
thus placed between Mcdowell and Sigcl on
the west and FitH John Porter on the south.
| also instructed FitZ John Porter with his
own corps and Kings Division of Mellow
ellis corps, which had from some reason
fallen back from the WawCnton turnpike
toward Manassas Junction. to move at
daylight in the morning upon Gainesville,
along the Manassas Gap railroad, until they
communicated closely with the forces under
IcntZclman and Sigcl, Cautoning them not
to 90 further than was necessary to effect
this junction. as we might be obliged to
retire behind Bull Run that night for sub
sistcucc il nothing else.
ICintzrlmaI mar q, rlv from Centre
vile towards Gainesville, closely followed
by Reno. Meantime, shortly after daylight.
Sigcl's and Reynolds divisions of M'Dowclrs
corps had become engaged with the enemy,
who was brought to a stand and he was
soon joined by licint2clman and Reno when
the whole line became actively engaged
Porter marched ~ directed. followed by
Kings Division, which was by this time
joined by Ricketts, Division, which had
been forced back from Thoroughfare Gap
by the heavy forces of the enemy advancing
to support jackson.
As soon as l found that the enemy had
been brought to halt, and was being
vigorously attacked along the WaTcnton
Turnpike, | sent orders to Mcdowell to
advance rapidly on the left and attack the
enemy in his flank extending his right TO
meet Reynolds left. and to Fitz John Porter
TO keep his right we'll closed OH McDowclls
left, and to attack the enemy in flaRk. and
rear. while he was pushed in iront@~This
would have made the line of Mcdowell and
Porter at right angles to that OF the other
forces engaged.
The action ragged furiously all day, Nc
Dowcll, although previously in the rear Of
in the afternoon, and taking a conspicuous
part in that days operations. Tony surprise
and disappointment, | received late in the
afternoon from Porter note saying that his
advance had met the enemy on the flank in
some force and that he was retiring upon
Manassas Junction without engaging or
coming to the assistance OF our other forces,
although they were engaged in Il furious
action only two miles distant, and in full
hearing Of him. \ portion of his force fell
back towards Manassas, and lie remained, as
he afterwards told mc,whore hc was looking
at the enemy during the whole of the after
noon OF Friday and part Of Friday night,
passing over in plain view to reinforce the
troops under jackson without an effort TO
prevent il or assist us,
One at least of hi, brigadcs, under Gen.
Griffin. gotround to CntrcyilIe and remain
cd there during the wolc Of the next days !
battle, without comm on the field. though !
in full view Of the battle which was raging. /
whilst Gen. Griffin lmsclf spent the day |
General commandingthc action in the pre- |
scnce Of a promiscuoB asscmblagc.
Darkness closed tb action on Friday. the |
enemy being driven acll from his positions .
by Icint2rlmmS CoIS and Reno, concluded |
by furious attack Dng the turnpike 10y
Kings division Of EDowcli's corps, lcay-
| ing his dead and wmdcd on the field.
! do not hesitate say that if the corps of
Porter had attaCkcdhc enemy in flank on
the afternoon of Frity, As he had my writ
ten order to do, should utterly have
crushed jackson bcfc the forces under Lee
could have rcachcdim. Why he did not
do so | cannot undCtand.
Our men. much Nn down by hard ser
vice and contiuuouighting for many pre-
| yious days, and We short Of provisions.
/ rested on their gun Our horses had had
no forage for two DIS. l had tccgraphcd
and written urgcnt1ur ratiOns and forage
/ to be sent Us, burn Saturday morning |
| before the action wrcsumCd, l received a
| letter from Gcncr Franklin, written the
| day before at Alcyilria, stating to me that
| he had been direct 10y General Mcclellan, !
/ to inform me that ions and forage for my
| command would bOaded into the cars and
! available wagons soon rs ! would send a | I
cavalry escort to lNandra TO bring them
up. All hope of h. able to maintain my "
position, whether .torious or not, vanish {
ed with this lctterMy cavalry was utterly "
broken down by z and constant service
in the face of thaemy, and, bad as they /
were, could not SPARED from the front. i
even if there had IN time to go back 30 I
miles to AleNandHnd await the leading of I
trains. At the I'll this letter was written q
Alexandria was lrming with troops and $
my whole army opposed between myself +
and the enemy. Z once understood that -
we must, if posi- finish what we had to {
do that day, rs int must see us behind A
Bull Run if we we'd to save men and ami Il
mails from stary1. "
On Friday MID sent pre-emptory or il
der TO Gen. Porto bring his command ON h
the field, and rel TO me in person within Y
three hours alto received the order. A I
J portion he broupp, but as before stated II
one Of his briga'remainod the whole day il
, at Centreville, twas not in the engage Il
ment. The ends heavy rcinforcements ii
, having reachedm ON Friday afternoon h
1 and night, he IN to mass on his right il
} for the purposelrushing our left and oc- a
+. cupying the roo Centreyllle In our rear Il