Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-08-22

Court House At the time of the battle near
that place on Saturday last, gives tho follow
ing account Of it, which contains items Of in
terest we have not seen mentioned in other
accounts
ION Friday morning La, Gem Pope, stsf and escort,
reached Cupcppet Court House, from his last cncemp
mcnt, near Washington. the county seat OF happahAn
mock, having pu, the corps davnee Of Cen banks en-
campcd there ia motion ia the direction N Culpeppcr,
and passnr the cncAmpmcnt Of Gen. Sigel SpefrJ
VILE twenty miles from Culpepper Court House BY the
way, Al Culpcppu Court House Gen Pope found Brig
Cen Crawfod, With his brigade Of Banks corps darnco
previously Gen. Hatchs) and Gen Bayards brigade Of
McDowcs cavalry, the extreme advance u his army II
Virginia also Brig Gen. Ricketts, division Of Major
Gen. MeDowells corps darmoe, that had arrived two
days before from Waterloo and Wauenton, Mcdowell
himself being present aud in command Of all the forces
then there.
Al noon on Friday Gems Pope and Mcdowell teceiy
cdn,ellgcnce from the gallant Bayard-who' WIN the
two regiments OF his cavalry command doing duy I'M
medately under him, New Jersey sud Pennsylvania
regiment had been in the saddle night and day guard
ing the Rapidan Tor week, from the haccoon lord
down to point fourteen miles below and south Of the
railfoadhat the enemy at daybreak had crossed the
river with regiments " Louisiana infantry, two
pieces Of light artillery aud three small regiments Of
ay. and driven in his pckets Bayard retired slowly
before them, his force Of eight hundred tired out oaya
~ only. being Sufficient to hold the ground in front
Of such force He, however, disputed II inch by inch
with the enemy, and succeeded In capturing about thirty
rebel prisoners including major. captain aud two
leutcnan,s on hsroireat His own loss not over
three men. We hear that he publicly compliment
ed hy his superior officer on the field on the next day
Saturday for the admirable in which he feet
cd his movement lie retired to the north and east side
Of Robinson river, about eight miles from Cupepper
Court House aud there awaited supporting force 10 ar
rive from the immediate vicinity Of that point.
Al noon Of the day Gen Pope, on learning these
acs Instantly ordered Gen. Crawford to march his brig
AIDE 10 that end la half hour ar receiving this or
der Crawford was on the march. As his brigade The
Twenty eighth New York. Tenth Maine, Forty-siSth
Pennsylvania and Fifth Connecticut aud ten pieces OF
artillery filed rapidly through the village Of Cupepper
Court House the gay music Of ito four splendid bands
is appearance the theme Of admiration OF the many
n
Dowrl Who went from their encampments near by
q, SOC IL start ont They one and all declared that they
mover saw troops with more reliable fight in them, and
urrdrtcd that should they engage the enemy they would
meme 90 endure As long as the history OF war H.
self Tie result proved the correctness Of their judy
,ent Or vurd proceeded rapidly TO the front and oc
,uppied a position about seven miles from Cupeppcr
Court House, Immediately in rear Of the line Of Bay
Shortly AFTER ordering Crawford Gen Pope also order
ed the rest Of Banks corps TO move rapidly rom Hazel
bridge, Gniinsburg nine miles from Cupep'
per Court House where it had arrived the night before,
the Of expected conflict.
By eight o'clock the head Of Gen. Banks column
was deserted marching around the village TO It's destina
ton which il reached before midnight. That point was
Immediately in the rear Of Crawford Mai Gen Sigel
was also the time ordered up nom Spefyyille,
and by forced march Of twenty miles his advance reach
ed the village by daylight.
Throughout Friday night and Saturday forenoon Bay
yard continued skmshiug with the enemys advance,
until the latter, 81 two o'clock M had progressed To
within long range Of Crawfords artillery Al four p.
the enemy Developed heavy increase OF artillery when
portion Of that Of Gen Banks up, and went into
the action, there not being room enough in the position
occupied by forces for bringing the whole Of II into
play The eonicndng forces at the opening Of the battle
apTar utly about mile or more apart the rebels
showing their front upon SlAughters Mountain, sugar
loaf cmn' nee, situated two miles to the Of the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad at Mitehes station
Our front was on much lower ground, with Cedar Run
and small wooded ridge behind that.
Gradually, from four to six p. m. the rebels opened
now battolis from The woods surrounding the basin
plain lying between the fronts OF the two conteudinp
oroos each succeeding one being nearer TO our position
than the former. Thus they played cross fire from
both sides well direct front one upon troops
including the most Of Gen Banks infantry, that had
been put in line for the conflict SO annoying this
hre that attempts made TO take the batteries near
est at hand by charges. Thus Bayards cavalry, in
gallant charge is said to have succeeded In taking
Of the rebel guns with loss speak Of Subsequent
ly at six p M in pursuance Of ORDERS portions Of Au
gurs and williams divisions OF infantry including
Cfawfods and Gordons bugades, made three most de-
speTate bayonet charges upon the rebel artillery They
were, however, each time received by very heavy in
fantry fire, slaughtefing them fearfly. That they /
should have pereyeed TO make three successive charges
in the face Of such deadly fire from superior mum
bers concealed in woods really the wonder OF the war
heso charges developed the fact that the enemy actual
ly engaged greatly outdumbered forces, about
thousand in action.
Beng thus informed Of the location Of the main body
Of the rebel infantry our artillery played sad havoc with
them, driving derinated regiment AFTER regiment back
into the shelter OF the dense forest have their places
Instantly occupied by fresh regiments to be decGlated IN
the way. Among olhas, this fire killed the rebel
Gcnctas Winder aud Trimble. The arm Of the former
was Oft by she'll and he died very shortly after
ward from the flow Of blood and Tremble knocked
doad from his horse by the explosion Of she'll
Having put the forces Of Mcdowell and Sigel in rapid
notion for the field OF action, General Pope, with his
Immediately proceeded from their headquarters TO the
out As they passed Ricketts, division, and the head Of
Siges army corps, that lined the road for the whole six
miles each men, halted for the instant wheeled into
line and gave General Pope three cheers and tiger, and
then wheeling again into marching column pushed for
ward with signal eageruess for the fray
Atseyen O'Clock r. Nj. Generals Pope and Mcdowell
reached The hickest of the hgh and the advance guard
OF A keus coming up at the same time took position
Immediately in the of that occupied by Gen Banks
There being no room on the field for depoying more
troops " than under Banks, those Of Ricketts,
could get into actual action before night on,
witch for hours prevented further fighting. In the
COURSE Of the engagement forces engaged had retired
peihapa mile from the position in which they commenc
ea the battle at fou o'clock r NJ the rebels advancing
slowly we rectded before them. This movement on
nc part OF General banks, Notwithstanding his heavy
loss and the overwhelming force opposed to him
regularly conducted though he was executing eyo-
lunon Ola dress parade Not man If his corps-ot in
iced, n any other--showed the white feather, did
even s'raSgle 20 the to the distance Of more
an half mile, where stood provost guard OF Ricketts,
,prps, bayou Ia band To check any, Il there should be-
lspo.ed TO skuk OF the field Hundreds Of our wound
d passed up hmping being carried 10 the hospitals
cstabuhed in the and 10 not one Of them retaining
consciousness did We discover Aught but the most
dauntsd eagerness 10 pro sccute the engagement
course Of which, At midnight, discharge from Of
our batteries, brought on renewal Of the engagement
81 two hours, ia the of which each side is be-
hcyed to have lost two three hundred more In killed
wounded; By cavalry charge after midnight, Of the
tive stats, within inch OF being killed ridden
down. They had dsmonncd IN the front to rest few
minutes from the saddle when the enemy airy made
50 snddena dash upon them that they had barely time
mount and get out N the way In doing they were
mistaken by a company Of their for charging
rebels and received their fire. killing few Of their hors
es, only, we believe"
Al six p. NJ. yesterday Sunday hundred aud
fifty Of our wounded had reached Cupeppor Court House
by ambulance. Every church and suitable building in
the village, Including private houses, filled with
them, The citizens male and iemaie-those of seces-
sion pforyues even throwing them aside for the time
being-were very generally vieing with each other in
rendering every accommodation and assistance in their
power.
Both sides made hundreds Of prisoners in the
course Of engagement and from prisoners that
II is made certain that the rebel loss equal ours II
not greater. We estimate killed and wounded at
one thousand five hundred, after striving To inform our
selves as correctly possible on the subject
Az six O'Clock ia the evening, before remarked |
seven hundred and nifty had been brought Cupepper
Court House. and there then least two hundred
remaining in the two three houses IN the rear Of the
field occupied as hospitals. Yesterday morning. on the
reformation Of the lines Of General Banks corps in the
OF the endorsements that had come up az explain
ed above, II found that his loss had been by no
means as great as was thought at dark the previous
dAy
Both armies rested Saturday night upon their arms |
In the position IN which the close Of the battle found
them Generals Pope, Mcdowell and their stats being
unTemittingy engaged until daybreak In getting theS
into the positions for the expected conflict Of yesterday
assigned @ them.