New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-08-16

saud. Either bis army was greatly exaggerated IN
Duniber or he has discovered sill stronger position
near the Rapid IN. His loss from conversation with
the prisoners taken Cd the day after the battle,
am led TO believe was much greser than NJ lfsI
supposed. He had every advantage Of posiioil-a
most admirable spot to plant biz batteries, bills and
knos ia great numbers, behind which TO conceal his
troops. lie knew every ropd and by-path, aud Kept
"A lnrge body Of our troops constantly occupied IN
checking his attempt to flank US.
| From hs mountain top he could count every regi'
ment as il marched up lhe Orange Road, and knew
the exact dsline from one corps To the other, and
the time it would take 10 Te-ent gce Gen. Banks.
Had he not been imprudeDt ssSV Venture from his
mountain fairness dash down Ia and over the battle
field and attack the division Of Gen. Ricketts,, Of Ne.
Doscll's corps, by moonlight, after having won q
victory and gained glory enough to sleep upon, his
loss would have been light in comparison with our
own. But ss several quite intelligent prisoners tell
me- he moved Il, Geo men down upon the battlefield
~ Gen. Banks retired, and kept them there during
he night. One Rebel battery he bad the aud,city
10 push beyond the battlefield, and through the
wovds tnis ride Of IT, aud ordered II TO play upon
The DIVISION then DC .upyiDg front. The moment
the frst lash vi his guns WAS secn, MAJOR DaNis'
Chief Of Artillery in McDowelis corps, ordered the
ID Maryland, Captain thompson aud the "a Maine,
Captain Hail. batteries INTO position and innedi-
at.l, opened fire npon the enemy. So short was the
ranse aud 80 accurate the aim that IN very few
moments the battery was driven from the field, eav-
! ing nine oesd hors.s aud more dead meh upon The
g-ouud. The ncu were carried oil ia the darkness,
but the horses now lie rottug upon the spot were
they tell.
Afl., the battery had been driven from the field
Major Davis sill continued mo Ire. and threw his
sL.lls over tle woods on To the ba lleled. Ii wnS
lin lis Ike that the enemy lost most Oh TIT ir men,
According to the statement OF the rsoDers tls ene-
my Wa mas,ed in al space and the shells from
our l2-pound rifles exploding in theIr niitt spread
d.aIh aud conttern .tion throughout the ciyition
Alter firing about 100 shels, and upon discovering
ihst the enemy had abandoned all thoughts OF a
moonlight attack, MAJOR Davis ordered HE guns
srn,.d, iit,le dreaming that he had lei oore dcad
Rebel, upon the field III his tlle oainonhde tan All
tie long sr,ieiy III ht Of The Afternoon IL Is said
today that Gen. HArleud sghled Que OF The gins
which did the most execution, bimself. Several IN
siauces OF cooness aud bravery were dlsI layed III
tois moonlight tight. Capt. Ash OF Geo. Ropes
stall rode up TO battery with an order from ten.
Pore 10 stop fling, supposing II TO be one OF our
own. bnt III on reaching IT, discovered thst it WAS a
keu.l battery. lie, however, had presenes Of mind
enough TO give the order and ii1c ON. lie order
WIS obeyed. The battery ceased hrlug, and III
shvrt time moved Of. Capt. +. Ball vi Mcdowell
all Afro rode 40 10 oDe Oh our own oa'teies nv"
mad MET keu the stats Of Gen. Pope aud Gen Me-
DowrH for ths enemy, ana IN tho iroDt OF Its Ire
ordered IT 10 cease.
! Much b Lc-s said in camp among officers and
: ID eis, d huch viii doubtless be- saia through
the pr wslap,rs nceruing the failure 10 REINFORCE
Gen b links In my trst letter, writren when much
sxhansred and when all was confusion, aud feeling
indignant mat oicers and soldiers should have been
cot down IN such great Numbers, II IL quite possible
/ di injustice by inference 10 General, who am
now sai-6rd, il entirely innocent.
Ten. Pope, ~ l an informed from very high
sourcer Lever baa any intention OF ap, reaching
klchnond nth bis whole army from this POINT. His
tL,,c corvs were 60 have moved from other bases.
Bat Gen. Jackson. 1t seems, did not allow Gen.
Pope TO execute his plsu. Gen. jackson boldly
TIRES ened Washington through Culpepper. Gen.
Pope's Hans, Of course, were IN an instant
.baudoned. Ills army must be concentrated Ut this
point That Ihis WAS accomplished with Gen.
Pores Western rspiiity OF movement, no one who
Mas in the field will deny. Gen. Banks. through
ito brigade Of Gen. era ford, occupied the advance
from Cnlepper IL was, therefore, natural and
proer that be shonli have IL with his whole corps
wien il wa deemed necessary % order IL oil here.
Gen. Mcdowell, corps being separated, tie larger
norton being at IA distant poiDt, uen Sipel was or
d.red 10 pass beyond the division OF Gen. Ricketts,,
il McDowell's corps, and support Gen. Banks.
Cen Sig,l instead Of reaching Culpepfer hi IL
o'clock on Saturday, the time appointed through no
,anlt Of his own did not arrive until nearly .
O'Clock Gen. Mcdowell knowing tina Gen. Sisel
wss to have the portion III tn. rear vi Gen. Banks,
Of course did anticipate Nh order TO re enforce
blm. AtI9 o'clock % iscly the Rebels opened upon
GEN. Crawford but site, iring twelve shots ceased.
At this lime Gen. Banks WAS moving his divisions
10 tn trout Al 4, o'clock The battle was renewed.
The cnony infhntiy did not make their appear
snce ~ on the field of battle until clock. Up 10
that time the battle had been nothing but a fierce
ar iery duel, with tut very little lo-s on either
side Blu, at q o'clock vast nasses 81 infantry sud
denly appeared above the I'LL 20 tue right or the
mo- ntain and hurled themselves upon tho corps of
Gen. Banks, which, with tue exception OF Greens
brigade, was advancing through Tho corr field TO
IaA, the euemy's batteries In this corn-fcli tho
iight. as the Rebel Gen. Stuart admitted, became
one OF the most desper;,is during the war. Inch by
Inch, foot by foot the bravs officers and Soldiers
fought their way. But the fresh troop. OF the cue
NV were too much ior them. Generals, colou.ls,
captGius, privates, were falling on every side.
The enemy received rv-enforccmenis constantly,
Cen Banks received none. Fighting sill, the
darkness Of the night gathered around this little
band the terrible rattle of IL, nuskotry ceased but
tie bu, lc ground was not in tho possession Of the
epemy--the wounded alone, who could walk, fell
back. In tie evening Gen. Ricketts, Was ordered TO
the front, and took hIs PORTION Oh the right of the
Ornnge road, near the piece of woods you pass
through before reachiu2 the battle-ground. la the
morning Gen. Sigel was ordered to the front, aud
now occupies il with his entire corps.
Culpelpcr IN the place ii residence OF the Rebel
Gen. HILL now commanding division III Gen
.jackson's army. The house of hi- father has Just
leen taken Tor the use of our wounded soldiers.
The number OF tn wounded on our side i'll the
baule Of Slaughter Mountain will probably reach
700, if not more. IL is 10 be hoped tue killed will
not reach one-quarter Of the nu'Dber wounded.
although that ia ABOUT the proportion IN nearly all
the battles OF this war. Yesterday afternoon 1
stepped into the room " Lere tho surgeons were au'
patnilng the limbs of wounded soldiers. Cbloroiorm
wa administered in almost every instance, ana 10
sounds painful to he heard, but tie scene
itself Ms presented TO tie sight was one Of the most
horrible OF my lite. between four and ak bundf,d