Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-18
FEDEsaAI. DIsAsrGEsAr5sANAssAs :
2heir s'en'p.a.l.fer. .Erraigi'e.'.


Their Commanders .zrr1igI'e5.
Correspondence ct The New Yors rribanel
ChMs NEAR CHAIN BRiDGF,
Wednesday, Sept 3 So
/ Slowly and sulienly the two armies Of tie re
| pubic ut-generaisd and defeated, have fallen
! back from the battle field TO Centerville, from
CenterviIle to Fairiax, from Fairfax to the Poto-
/ mac The latest experiment in generalshp Is
/ the most Immediate and disastrous failure Oecs
more ths national army gather about the ma
| ti0nal C8pi@l, aud the defense of Washington
/ upon Richmond
/ Tie Tetreat nom CenteTvillo to Fairfax was
complete on Monday night Sumner, Sigel
ard Porter held the hl during the day. Heintz
elnsu, Mcdowell and The rest were already
! gone All Monday night he three rearward
/ corps struggled along the crowded roed to Fair
fax, Porter covering The retreat On Tuesdsy
morning the rebels once more hold the sweeping
line OF forts that pointed to the east ali winter
| long, and de6ed our advance.
| last nigft the Whole army retreated, and tliis
ufosning tue western bank of the Potomac IS She
/ only Virginia camp OF the national troops
! Heinizelman and franklin went back on the
Alexandria road, Mcdowell by Falls Church
/ Sumner aud Siegel aud Porter by Vienna and
/ i4ewinsviiIs. We may bitterly announce once
more tllat the army Of tue Potomac and the
army OF Virginia, Crouehing beneath the thirty
! forts that girdle the Capital are believed TO be
j safe
suppose no future hope can be hszardei 81
! the deEads of an accomplished retreat given
] TO the world. record, therefore, very briefly
/ and incfnpletely, what l have seen and heard
| in the three nights and two days Just passed
/ nights aud days OF sleepisss activity which eei
/ scarcely have broaght TO any one who shared
their lo1Imy experience single cheerful thought,
or moment Of repose
When I LETT Washington, on Sunday ght
/ although it was known that Pope had been de-
/ ieated and driven back TO CenteTvile, none, or
very ey, supposed that he was to abandoR that
1 position, famous for It's streIgth, without fight
a battle syes expected next dsy at the iuTtiiest.
/ a3d ID ore eafainly knew whether there h@i
n0telrs43y been another during the day. L
passed through Aie8andria and cut ca the Fair
( lax r0s1 IS seven IN the evening. Not half
iait beyond the town / met train Of heavily
lledeG wagons aud hailed driver" Where
+ are yoo from Centerville fhe whole
story vas tod ~ word The army was re-
For tie oext ten miles the road was filed
WITH the Halns of every corps III the army
every yNheTe crowded ard frequently hating
Alisgled with iiis lyaeons were great numbers of
snlb8 ianess aad carriages flied with woundss
and dying aias They hs3 been 81 day on the
/ road, 4 day q confinement. priya89n, discom
iiia ALL i-l Att+o- al
night on inc roalt-nlany. also, "a the wagons
which, as conye3 ances for wounded men, are
1 only one depree. worse than amhulances.
1 Near Alexandria, and at intervals for some
I naiies beyond the biy0uac fires of many camps
/ bazee along the road and glinmsTed in distant
iields. Gusras for the trains ssgagg ing cowsTds
from tue front sections Of batteries squadroHs
Of csval5y, aud further on toward Fairfax, regi-
ncnts and shattered bIiga2es moving 20 the
rear, and fiually the last division OF reinforce
ments marching to the front, streaJaed along the
road aud wound il and ont Of the endless trains
| It RGs impossible to ride faster than walk. I
reached Fairfax at II O'Clock. The town was
| qaiet-onlg guard at the further end, none Of
whose officers knew where headquarters were,
whether at CenteTvilla or toths rear. 81 spent
What gas left Of the night AZ Fairfax, and rode
On nssst morning to Ceuteryille.
Il is needless now to explain the constantly
changing disposition Of forces dnring the days
4 which followed the defeat Of Saturday Three
corps at least renaainad- st C8nterville oa Mon
day, and wer5 scattered over the broad slope 0i
4 the hili Oh either side Of the road IN unmihlary
I disorder They he'd never been in erder-Il9
( more had the rest Of the army since the retreat
I There was no head "a put them ia order There
was no order in aag department of the service
There was not ammunition il the batteries oT ~
the cartridge boxes Of the infantry enough for
/ another battle yet no one knew where the arn-
mlnllion trains were to be found. In the first
i've minutes met three ordinance otlieers riding
ia search oi these trains No fault Of theirs that
the bains could not be lound. They ara able
ttiiosfs, but no control was in their hands-no
means Of doing their duty. OIdaries had Just
been sont IN ali directions IN search OF the wag
lcns--and It was already 10 clock, and a battle
h5nrly expected since daylight.
Tie camps weTe iGextrieably entangl gled-not
to Iay eye or Judgment On y though have seen
enouah TO know sonaething about lt, but heard
a general c lnmaading c0rps arAee, say he
did not know, and could nos ascertain, the rela-
tive position Of other corps Another general,
regular officer OF engi. GERS, and famous for topo-
aIaphical cleari4ess and skll said 70 me that
one glance &c the hillside was enough to show
that there was no general at the head Of the army
encamped there
ItFss no better with the supplies oi food.
The troops wsre half fed, or fed irregalarly-
Repimental wagons were unloaded and ordered
10 aAIexandfa for food and forage. Then The
order was eounteTrnan3ed, and they were reload
ca and ordered to the rear. Brigades without
+ stlrrlhs ggeTe- sent on sths TANKS aud Ia 'front.'
and left there without wagons to shit for them
selyes--I suppose to saosist on the country;
ard from tae country they might have gathered
seariy grass, and, if IN the woods, leaves for
Their hogses-ioF the men, nothing. But If o
general on the eve Of battle, cannot supply bis
troops with powder, il is useless to expeei they
{ shall be fed- ] need not multiply instances.
There was acknowledgement every where because
at headquarters there was incompetence eonfl-
sion, no settled paas, no head
Tho army was not 50 mueh disheartaned as
enraged--wiiling 70 fight, bnt not willing 70 be
sacsiheed-denoaaeipg rith 3 uaninlity that
+ had li9 exception. tie neapaeity that had caused
; their defeat DO Qne bcileved gh2t the combined
g force OF The rebels were ia front aud as for The
battle Of Saturday, the men, tho officers, the
d generais whe fought Il, confess with shame and
3 anger that they were beaton by half their nrn.
beIs The army was not defeated, It's com
: mander was ont generated lie neither knew
!. where It's enemy was. naT would suffer himseli
! Is be informed. He was w4rned that the eneniy
9 was nassiBg on bis leit-epery soldier knew il
I isl Ae lisbeioved and denied it sen batteries
& and troops to the lighti o the center, to the
E reag--every where bat where tlay were Wanted---
s tgea. il > moment. fouaa himself surg0unded
enyeloped, crushed aud defeated