The New York herald., 1862-12-23
THE MCDOWELL COURT OF INQUIRY.
The Testimony Of General sigei.


| General SiQel resumed his testimony, ~ foisws--
With regard to tho record Of my testimony ofSaturday
take tho brrty to say that am exceedngy sorry 'uas
an attack was made on General KING uivn,n ,n vn sa
evening the 2sth by the enemy, under circumstances
where they had fight alone, whilst they couid nave
been supported by my corps at tho right time snousn.
that these troops Of Gsrern King became unnecessarily
exposed received the order General Pope, placing
my command under General Mcdowell, aiter my arrNM
at Warrenton where found General hcpowei romem-
Der he WISHED me 10 state the strength Of my command
Whether the order placing my command under s'ehesai
Mcdowell cnmc directly from heherai Pole, OF ound
in my book aud read IL there, whether u reach
cd me direct from General Pope or McDcweii,
! do not know ] reported 70 General hcl,owei
because no directed Inc 10 DO So remember,
when Mcdowell and myself together, that we
held conversation. This was at the time the enemy
had marched TO Manassas. lie questioned whether
II not good TO march 10 SaicD Nth .Gr troops,
whereppon | proposed 70 march to Gt'nosvhe so os 70
come between jackson and Ionsstreet. Generai Nc.
Dowell approved this said tina, lac wecd report to-
General Pore in regard 10 this movement iuing TINS
day received telegram from General Pope wherein ne
\ said that General Mcdowell should execute the move
ment proposed | afterwards received IN ordnf D. Con
Mcdowell to march TO- hucAiand Mills on the road to
Gainesville Whether was written or serhal cannot
say received order from General Popo % mafch 10
Centrcy lie the 2oth Of August, about noon whaa ny
advance guard, under General Mllroy bad arrived at
Manassas junction. and when shc man ofoe va near
Bethlehem church | sent my admtant 70 Mana saA
Junction TO gain knowledge about matters hero,
\ and to report General Pope and tell him where
l was. Tho adiutmt came back WIN y verbal
order Of General Iope to march 10 teotravhe. must
sny that proposed 10 General Pope ~ march y New
Marke, of Manassas because the snenN a cit
\ Manassas. understood tbat was 10 marc. ~ New
Market 90 Cenirevilc.
OFT yon knew YOU were then under tho command Of
GeEeral Ne Dwell Why did you not send "a hnltr rdorSf
Al knew about the position 81 MS corl9 anu set ny
Manassas because IL IN front u Mas not
intention to serd for orders hut onl - seq Mt was
gong in front aud 10 report ~ nencra F-pe "eo we
were, and because supposed thlt General Nc m"e kew
tha, ,yc wc.e on .ur way Manassas and hat il nas
necessary 70 send h. him. scnt, at General }c oweIs
request statement iE wTlt'bS imn"Hh'ly 81 SA1
strength of my corps.
/ o@when did General longstrcot ioin neral acksou,
where and by what route. and did General Md wen 'mt
20 prevent such junction. A.--Nhen we arrived
! AZ Gainesville with the corps, aitor skfniah
! At Rnckiand Bridge. We had taken about three
hund ed prisoners aud found none among them hocng
ing Longstreci on the 27th received news by NY
scrnts that IoDgstreet was on his way by >ael and
White Plains, Manassas and that Jackson had areaiy
passed Thorouglaie Gap Manassas. During 10 hae
Of the 29th Ge oral Longstr was reported 10 me- at
abl,n. ono o clock on his march from 6auesgic the
ieid believe the 2sth IN the morning one di-
vision should have been pos cd so n 10 hnGcr Gonera
Iongstreet from passing through ihoriehlaro Gap or
New Market il u late to hold the zap. com
ed the fact II streets approach 70 General
McDoaell on the night m the 27h, al gainesville When
it prop scd To march 10 saien seid 70 "a thar
Iongstreet nc between Salem and ainesvie, and
il march 10 Salem, longsireet ard ack on
would 'nite and the two PORTIONS nf our aroy.
Besides had received an order fron Mcdowell previously
TO send my whole cavalry force under Bayard 10 Saem
on an expedition gave the order cs erect 10 Colo
mel Bends ey. ronmai der OF my cavalry, who was Mt
Salem. When he returned, on the 18th during the bat
tie. he said that Longsir cts force near As
my cavalry attached 10 The caYairt OF Ioueral Nc
Dowcl and the 9th at night question arose
between General Mcdowell aud myself what forces
should bo cent against ongstrset, and requested Gene.
raj Mcdowell 10 make tho selection. he aware Of the
approach If Longsreet Ihoronghare ap Is about five
niles from ,aincsvi lie and three hal mites
Now Market. His best road rt M nainesviilc. by
New Market to the GaplAnoher road from Bunker
vile, by Cartcrs switch leaving New Market 70 the
rilht believe General II DgsIrcet had sbout thirty
i've thousand men, infantry cavalry and art-
llcry. My whole corps could have been sent
there, and the corps oi henerhi Mcl p~Sl was
behind Brckand Mills. Tho road from Gainesville
O. Thoroughlare Gap is excellent. My corps about
saAd strong of all In II brigade Of
cavalry and nine hatterins Of artillery. don't know
how many troops Gen. Mellow ell had | think that The
amount Of force then with Gen Mcdowell at least
biecn thousand men. jackson must have been AT that
tine Manassas Junction, ard beyondr wards Kettle
and from desertors learned thu, he had with him
Eueii's and Hils and his own divSIoni about forty
thousand az the highest. ! would have scn' about
thousand men 10 have retarded the movements Of Gen
ngstreet. ! do not believe that thia humber would
have been gbe TO fight him all but they could have
retarded his movements considerably. My impres.
! sion IS that IL was easy for Geu. Longstrect TO
come through the Gap. ! did see the engage
ment between Hay Market and the Gap. This
what induces me 70 say that the Necessary arrange
. ments were not made 10 hindor Longslrcet from
joining tn main rebel army The troops Of lsngsrcct
had mao long march, and If they na1 hecn otl Ell To
form line II battle Thoroushrre Gap they uli
not have arrived till the aiternoo the 2Jh NJ
ton and would not have been able o SUPPORT eeneral
Jacks IN the evening of the 29 ~ 10 make great
attack against left wing the frcyt day, which
attack resulted IN the defeat OF our army. Whcl Gen.
Nc owels and my corps were ON their march 10 Ma
nassas and the enemy was on the march between Ma
and gainesville and therefore no. In order OF
battle. and esented his left nank, and tho
divisions of Gen. Mcdowell had attacked lin he would not
have been abe TO early 10 the point which BE-
intended % reach, between Groveton Csntrevle and
Now Market: and, again, II my corps had not been
ordered to march % Manassas could have assisted
those troops which took 10 be GeDeral Kings the
evening OF the 18th Of August. ny sending away my
corps the opportunity either of attacking. the
enemy assisting the division N General KING. do
not think wo could have defeated the enemy; but we
would have retarded his movements and have brought
him 70 stand where, perhaps, he would not have
cared - hght and given our commander.in Cnei an op
y,fc hAy fhc
and how to direct his own movements. From the
letter Of General Pope supposed that on tho 18th OF
tick tho enemy the right, and would stay front
with my corr3 check tho enemy In his aivanec Upder
whole 'front.' more tan would have done otberwisc 70
make the enemy believe that we were very strong
arninst our cen,rs and right wing. sbsus seven thou
sand strong. Ny ieft ] had 10 cover by one
din isior, as did not know 90 twelve NJ or one r. A..
that Genersl Reynolds on my left could not make
any dispositions of the divisions OF General schenck 10
assist my right wing and centre because he h 10
my lott wing My opinion that the division Of General
Reynolds It'd understand their task attack the
enemy on his right flank and rear. am also OF the
opinion thai If the division General King had been
unitod with of cnora Reynolds, that day
tnoon Ia the aftcrno n and the fifteen thousand
men COMPOSING them had marched against tho right hank
Of the enemy, hc must have been routed suppose that
these divisions VI General Ming had remained the held
at the place where the night was ON The 2s at night
supposed them on the march on the 20th and. a.
supposed they took the shortest road 20 The bstle old
can't Bdcrs,and Why they only arrived at srnsct
on the -,ti 90 tnnk tiit ddkSOl, on INC -tD.
could have resisted our attack in front NcDowcrs
troops bad como 10 our lett, especially when llcntzel
mans corxf, under Hooker and kesrny had arrived.
believe Jawson needed all his at tni5 time
teci himself IN front and centre. and could not have d
sufficient number OF troops 10 oppose the attack Nc
Dowcls nnd therefore could have been and forced
to yield bis position. EotwceD i've aud clock IN the
evening Of the 10Th our line ih8 Cen. kc1rny
the right my he centre. with eIUga Hook
crs, which had partially relieved my 8; bat u
In good orscr and ready 10 advance Ou the c of this
line kono, IN support Of Geacral Schepck The whole
4 pF Geno
Res ynolds division and any OF Mcl cweis troops The
oneiny had lost ground during the day and the
Econ
Al this stsge Of the proceedings The court adjourned.