The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-08-16
From Gen. Pores Command.
Official Report of the late
NJ Battle!
Federal Loss 1900!

-
z 90 Thursday msrning The enemy. C: ossed
the Rspidan at BarneFs Ford ID heavy force,
and advanced strong on the road to cuipep-
per and Madison Court House. a
Ldad established my whole force ON the
turnpike between Culpepper and Sperry-
vile, ready to copceptrste at either place as
the enemy's plans were developed.
EARLY on Friday became apparent that
the move On Madison Court House was
: merely a feiBt to sCeceiye the armycorps Of
Genera ASigel at -Sperry lille aud that the
main attack of the enemy would be al C1l-
pepper, 10 which place bad thrown for
ward paIt of Banks aud MeD0wel's corps.
C'Bdge4ier General Bayard, with part of
the rear of McDowell's corps, who was in
the advance near. the Rapidan, fell slowly
back delaying aud embarrassing the enc
mJ's'adyause as far as possible, and captur-
ing some of bis men. ..-.e..,.., -.s
The forces of Banks and Sigel and one of
the divisions of McDowel's corps were
rapidly concentrating at Culpepper during
Friday and Saturday night. Banks corps
was pushed forward ave miles south OF
Culpepper with RICKETTS, division of Nc
Dowell's corps, three miles in the rear.
The corps of General Sigel which had
; marched all night, was hailed in Culpepper
to rest few boursst afid 2aiidne8 ..ds
On Saturday theqenemy advanced rap
Idly to Cedar Mountaius The sides of which
: they occupied in heavy force. allcb -
Gen. Banks was INSTRUCTED to take up his
position on.,he ground occupied by General
= Grawfofd's bsgadeS of IFS command which
bad been thrown cut the dsy previous, 10
observe the enemy's movements He was
Z INSTRUCTED MOTTO advance beyond that point
and if attacked By the enemy 10 defend his
position and send buck timely notice.
~ III was my desire to have time 10 give the
corps of Gen. Sigel all the rest possible af-
ter their forced mar-h, and to bring forward
all the forces at-my disposal
The artillery of the enemy opened early
in the afternoon, but be made no advance
until nearly Eve o'clock, at which time
few skirmishers were thrown forward on
? the earth side under cover Of a heavy
wood, in which bis force was concealed
The enemy pusded forward a strong force
10 the rear of his skirmishers, and General
Banks advanced to the attack. ="
stN The engagement did rot fairly open nm
til after six o'clock, but for an hour and a
half was furious aud uuceasing. TLr,ugL :.
out the canuonading, which was desultory
and directed mainly against the cavalry,
had continued to receive reports from Gen.
Banks that no attack was aoprehehded, aud
that no considerable Infantry force of the
euemy had come forward. Yet towards
6 evening, the Increase in the artillery fire
having satisfied me an engagement might
be at hand, though the laieness of the hour
rendered it unlikely, ordered General Nc
Dowell TO advance Ricketts, division 10
support Gen. Banks, and directed General
Sigel to bring his men on the ground as
D.. soon as possible. 49,. $500. as--
arrived personally on The field at
P. NJ, aud found the action raging furiousIy.
The infantry fire was incessant and severe.
i found General Banks holding the posi-
ton be took up early in the morning. His
losses were heavy. Ricketts, division was
Immediately pushed forward and occupied
the advance of General Banks, the brigades
+ of Gems. ----- aud German being direct
ed to change theirr position from the light
and mass themselves in he center.r- Before
this change could befefTec,ed IL was quite
dark, though the artillery continued at
shortrange without intermiss;on. THE ar
tillery fire at nigbt by the I'd and. 5th
Maine battery, RicSeat's division of General
ID McDowelrs corps, was most destructive, as
was readily discernable the next morning
in the dead men and horses and broken
\ gun-carriages of the enemy's batteries
which had been advanced against it, Our
troops rested on their arms during the night
in iiue of baltiey a heavy Smelling being
Kept up on both sides until midnight. At
day:ightsnext morning the enemy felt back
two miles from our front aud still higher
up the mountain. Cur pickets at once ad-
vanced and occupied the ground. ~ Try
The fatigue of the troops from long mar
ches and excessive heat made it Impossible
for them to resume the action on Saturday.
The Den were therefore allowed to rest and
recruit the whole day, our only active ope-
ration being that of cavalry on the enemy g
flank and rear.aG 9g-i9li ~ 956t at
Monday was spent in huryiDg the dead
and getting off the wounded. ~ zsA
The slaughter was severe on both sides.
The most of the fight wes. hand to hand,
the dead bodies of both armies being found
mingled together in masses over the whole
ground of conflict -ts,'istA4
The burying of the dead was not compile
;" ted until dark on Monday, the heat being
SO terrible that severe work was impossible
On, Monday night the enemy ,hed from the
field, leaving many of his dead 'unbured,
and his wounded on the ground and along
he road to Orange Court House, as will be
seen from Gen. .Buford's dispatch dol
~ a cava.ry aud artillery force under Gen.
Buford was Immediately thrown forH ard 10
pursuit, and followed the enemy to The Rap
idan, over which be passed with his rear
guard by 10 o'clock in the morning. The
behavior of Gen. Banks corps during the
action was very fine. No greater gallantry
and daring could be exhibited by any troops
: | cannot speak too highly ofsthe c1olness
and intrepidity of Gen. Banks himself dur
ing the Whole engagement. He was in
the front and exposed as much as any man
in the command. His example was of the
greatest benefit, aud be merits ami should
receive the commentator of his Govern
ment. - =
Gems. Williams, Augur, German, Craw-
ford, Prince, Green and Geary, behaved
with conspicuous gallantry. Augur and
Geary were severely wounded, and Prince,
by losing his way in the dark while passing
from one Eanksto the other, fell into the
hands of the enemy. =
iTdesire publicly to express my apprecia-
ton Of the prompt and skillful manner in
which Generals Mcdowell and Sigel
brought forward their respective commands
1 La \ ~ ~ !