The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-09-26
General Pope's Offic1al Report

General Pope's Official Report.
We have not space for the whole Of
General Pope's official report Of the re.
cent battles in Virginia. OF his first for
ward movement, on the ninth Of August.
be says:
al moved from Sperrivilc, Little Wash.
ington and Warrenton, with the corps Of
Banks and Sigel, and one division Of Nc.
Dowells corps, numbering in all thirty.
two thousand men, 10 meet the enemy,
who lad crossed the Rapidan and were
advancing on Culpepper. The move.
ment toward GordonsvilIe had completely
succeeded in drawing off large force
from Richmond, and relieving the Army
Of the Potomac from much Of the danger
which threatened its withdrawal from the
Peninsula"
After the battle OF Cedar Mountain he
says:
Meantime my forces had been much
diminished by actual loss in battle, and
by fatigue and exposure-so that, al.
though | had been joined by detach-
meut under General Reno and the other
division o! General McDowell's corps, my
force barely numbering forty thousand
men"
In describing the battles in the vicinity
OF Bull Run, he TINS speaks Of Fitz Johr
Porter, Mcclellan and Griffin in cou-
neclion with Fridays fight:
1.-The action ragged turiously all day,
Mcdowell, although previously in the
rer of Porter, bringing his whole corps
on the fell during the afternoon, aud
taking conspicuous part in that days
operations. TO my surprise and diSap-
pointment, received late 10 the afternoon
from Porter note saying that his ad
vance had met the enemy on the flank 10
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 a
furious action only two miles distant, and
in full hearing Of him. Abortion Of his
force fell back toward MANASSAS, and he
remained, as he afterwards informed me,
where he was looking at the enemy during
the whole of the afternoon 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
his brigades. under General Griffin, got
around 10 Centrevills, ard remained there
during the whole OF the next days battle
without coming on The field, though in
tull view of the battle which was raging,
while General Griffin himself spent the
day in making il.natured structures upon
the General commanding the action, in
the presence OF a promiscuous assembage.
! do not hesitate 10 say that il the corps
OF Porter had attacked the enemy in flank
on the afternoon of Fridoy, as he had my
written order to do, We should utterly
have crushed Jackson before the forces
under Lee could have reached him. Why
he dii not do SO cannot understand.
, Our men much worn down by hard
service and continuous fighting for many
previous days, and very short Of provis.
ions, rested on their guns. Our horses
had had no forage for :wo days. l had
telegraphed and written urgently for ra
tions and forage 10 be sent US, but on
Saturday morning, before the action was
resumed, l received a letter from Gen.
Franklin, written the day before at Alex.
andria, stating to me that he had been di-
rected by General Mcclellan to inform me
that rations and forage for my command
would be loaded into the cars and avail
able wagons as soon as l would sent a
cavalry escort to Aexexandra 10 bring
them up. All hope o! being able to main.
tain my position, whether victorious or
not, vanished with this letter. My cavalry
was utterly broken down by long and
constant service in the face OF the enemy.
and, bad as they were, could not be
spared from the front, even if there had
been time 10 go back thirty miles to Alex
andria and await the loading Of trains
At the time this letter was written Alex
andria was swarmiug with troops, and my
whole army interposed between that place
and the enemy. | at once understood
tha. we must if possible, finish what we
had TO do that day, as night must see us
beyond Bull Run, il we wished TO save
. men and animals from starvation.
On Friday night l sent peremptory
order TO Gen. Porter TO bring his COM
mand on the field, and report TO me in per-
son within three hours after he received
the order. A portion he brought up. but
as before stated, Que Of his brigades re.
mained the whole day at Centrevile, and
was not in the engagement. The en-
emy's heavy reinforcements having
reached him on Friday afternoon and
night, he began 10 mass on his right for
the purpose OF crushing our LETT aud oc-
cupying the road to Centrevie in our
rear. His heaviest assault was made
, about Eve O'Clock in The afternoon, when,
! after overwhelming Filz John Porter and
driving his forces back on the centre and
, left, mass after mass of his forces were
pushed against our left. A terrific con.
test, with great slaughter, was carried on
for several hours, our men behaving with
frmness and gallantry under the mmedi.
ate command Of General Mcdowell
When night closed, our left was driven
, back about half mile, but still remained
firm and unshaken, while our right held
its ground.
The report closes as follows;
Among the officers whom ! feel bound