Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-18


and Reynolds divisions Of McDowelPs corp.
BECAME engaged with the enemy who wa
brought to stand. Heinizelman and Rsn
sooa after came mp, when the entire line bseam
actively engaged. Porter marched as directed
followed by Kings division, which was, by thi
time Joined hy Ricketts, division which ha
been forced back from Thoroughiare Gap BY IL
heavy Ioiees OF the enemy advancing TO the sup
port of jackson
As seon as L found that the enemy had beei
brought to q halt, sud was being vigorously a.
tackled along the WarTenton turnpike. I sen
orders to General Mcdowell to advanee rspidi-
on our lett and attack tbs enemy on his flank
extending his right TO meet Rsyn 5lds' lefl: an,
to General Porter TO keep his right well close,
on McD0welIs left, and 70 attack the euemy Ii
/ flank aud rear, while he was pushed in front
This would have made the line Of battle Of Ne
D0well and Porter at right angles TO that OF til,
other forces engaged This action RACED furi
ously all day, Mcdowell, although previously
/ IN rear OF Porter, bringing his whole corps OF
the field IN the afternoon, and tal1i1g c1nspic
nous perf in the operations Of the day.
10 my surprise and disappointment received
late IN the afternoon, from General Porter a note
saying that his advance had met che enemy or
the flank, in some force, and thst ne was retiring
i on Manassas Junction, without engaging the Ell
! emy, or coming to the asSis tanca Of cur Other
=
action, only two miles distant and in iul hearing
/ Of him. part of his forces fell back toward Ma
nassaS, while he remained as he afterw4rd in
! formed nee, where he was. looking on the enc
I ny curing tho ai-nrfl3su.ft iav sad pars 4.
the same night, passing down IN plain view 70
/ reinforce the troops under Jackson, without "a
/ ehlrt to prevent it or to assist rs.
/ One Of his bdgades, UuJsr General Griffin.
got rOuad 20 Centerville, and remained there
n fanrF h.zE
out coming on the field, though in tan view Of
the battle which was raging, while Gen. GSrlfi a
| himself spent the day Ia making iii-naturei
structures upon the general Commanding, in the
| presence OF q pr0miscu0us asssm5ags Dark
ness closed the action Friday, the enemy be-
ing driven back from his position by II .iatzel
mans aud Renos corps, aud ~ furious attack
along the turnpike by Kings division aud Nc
DOweft's corps, the enemy leaViug his dead and
wounded on the battle fsld
do not hesitate to say that if the corps Of
Porter hal attacked the enemy in flank on the
afternoon OF Friday, as be mad my written
orders to do we should have crushed the enemy
before the f5rees under Lee could have j9ined
them. Why he did not do SO cannot under
stand O II men, much worn down by hard
service aud continued fighting. for many pre-
vious days and nights and very short Of pro-
visi, rs, rested on their arms. Oar horses had
forage for ten days.
had telegTaphed and written frequently for
rahons and forage TO be sent US but on Satur-
day morning, before thu action was resumed. 1
received q letter from Gen. Franklin, written ih f.
day previous from Alexandria stating that he
had been directed by Gen. McClelien, TO infJrm
ma that rat0ns aud forage for nv command
would be loaded into ears and ayailsbe wagons
as soon as l would forward cavalry escort to
Alexandra to bring them up All hope of be-
ing able to maintain my position whether vic
tori8us or not, vanished with this inforna ion
Ny cavalry was utterly broken down by long
and constant service in the face of the enemy,
and, bad a5 they were. could not be spared from
the front even if there had been time to 20 back
thirty miles 10 Alexandria and await the loading
of the tTsins | at once understood that we
must, if possible. finish whatever we had to do
that day or night would find US behind Bail
Run, if we wished to sure men aH4 qaiHaLs
from starpatl0R The enemy's large reinforce
ments having reached him on Friday afternoon
aud night he began to mass on his right, for the
purpose Of crushing our LEFT and occupying the
road leading to Gsntervile. in our rear.
H1 heaviest assault was made about FIVE
O'Clock in Che afternoon. When, after over
NEhelning General Eitz John Porter's forces. and
driving him bsck on the center and left. mass
after mass of the enemy's forces were pushed
against cur ief5 4 .srrife contest, with great
slaughter, was carried on for several hours, our
men behaving with frmness and gallantTy, under
the immediate command of General Mcdowell
When night closed, cur left w forced back
about aalt a mile, bat stil Tena.ned firm and
unbroken, while the right held its ground
General Franklin, with bis corps, arrived after
dark at Csnterviile, six miles in our rear; while
Ge- eral Sumner was four miles behind Fanklin
| could have brought up these corps IN the morn
ing in time to have renewed the action, but men
and horses were completely exhausted for want
of sutheien. food. accordingly retired to Cen
terville that night in perfect order. Neither on
Sunday OF Monday did the enemy make any sd-
vance upon Us Oa Monday I sent to the army
corps commanders for their effective strength,
which, al told fell short Of 60 O00 men.
The enemy, during Monday, sgah began to
move slowly around to our righs, for the purpose
of possessing Fairfax Coarth luse, aud thus
| turning our rear. A portion of Summers divis-
ion had been left thsre, aad [ sent General
| Hooker on Monday afternoon, TO take command
and post himself at or in ffont of G5rmaatoWn ;
at the same time directing Mcdowell to take pc
sition slong tho turnpike from Centerville to
Fairfax Courthouse, about ten miles west of the
latter place. Helm zslman was directed to post
himself 10 the rear, and support Of Reno. who
was pushed north Of the roa / at point about
three miles east Of Centervills, and 70 cover the
road
Il was ny purpose in the course of the right
! to mass my c0mnand on the right IN ths drsc-
ton Of Germantown, where I felt convinced the
next attack Of tbs enemy would be made. Late
ia the afternoon on Monday the enemy made his
! demonstration upon Gsmantown, but was met
by H3eker st that place, aud BY Reno, reinforced
4 by hearney, further west. The battle was very
severe. though Of short duration the enemy
beiog driven back one mile, with heavy loss,
/ leaving his dead and wounded Ia this short
action we lost two Of our most valuable and dis
tinguished officers, Generals KearneY and Sic
vens.
BY morning the whole of my command was
massed behind difficult creeks, between Flint
/ Hill and the WsrTenton turnpike, with the ad-
vance under Hooker in front of Germantown.
| With The exception of General Summer, the com
mandors of the Army Of the Potomac had con
tinued to inform me that their commands had
besn demoraEzsd ever since they had lett Har-
risoHs Landing That they had no spirit aud
no disposition to fight
This latter statement their conduct in the va
rious actions fully c0nsradicsed But the strag-
/ Cling in those corps was distressing. received
orders on Tuesday afternoon to retire t5-5he IL
/ trenchmsnts near Washington, which was ac-
/ eordingly done III good order aad without the
I slightest loss. Generel Banks, who had been
/ left with the railroad trains, cut of at Bristow
1 by the burning eff the bridge, was ordered to
4 i'm me on Monday al CentsrviIls, which he did
/ on the afternoon that day
This brisf summary VIII explain sufficiently
in detail the entire operations OF the forces under
my command, during sixteen days Of coOtinu-
Gus lighting by day apd marching By night, te
confront . powerful enemy with greatly inierior
numbers To & sht aim by day without the loss
Of the army to delay and embarrass Bis move.
ments and to force him, By persistent resistance
to adopt long aud eigcuit0us routes to his destl,
nation, are the duties which have been imposed
| upon me.
They are of ell military operations, the mos
d;nieuit snd she most harrassing, both t5 a com
mander aud to his troops. How far we have
l beea snecess t0l, / leave 70 the Judgment Of my
countrymsn The armies Of Virginia and tbs
Potomac have been united n the presence ane
againss the eil9rtsot a wal y and vigorous enemy
IN greatly superior force with iio loss for whies