The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-09-19
The Cause of our Defeat---Genera1s Nc
Dowell and Pope.
Special Correspondence New York Times.
."A CAMP NEAR CHAIN BRIDGE, !
Near WASHINGTON. Sent g

Special Correspondence New York Times
."A .- CAMP Mean CHAIN BRIDGE, ]
Near Washington, Sept g.
Slowly and sulIenly the two armies of
the republic, out generated and defeated
have fallen back from the battle field to
Centreviile, from Centrevile to Fairfax,
and from Fairfax to the Potomac.
The retreat from Centreville to Fairfax
was completed on Monday night. Sum
ner, Sigel, and Porter, held the hill during
the dav. Heintzelman, Mcdowell, and
the rest were already gone All Monday
night the three rearward corps struggled
along the crowded road to Fairfax, Porter
covering the retreat. On Tuesday morn
ing the rebels once more held the line of
forts that pointed to the east all winter
long, and defed our advance.
In the night the whole army retrea,ed,
and this morning the western bank of the
Potomac is the only Virginian camp of the
national troops. Heintzeman and Frank
lin went back on the Alexandria road, Nc
Dowel by Falls Church, Sumner and ST.
gel and Porter by Vienna and Lewinsvilie
We may bitterly announce once more that
the army of the Potomac and.the army OF
Virginia, crouching beneath the thirty forts
that girdle the capital, are believed to be
safe
When I left Washington on Saturday
night, although it was known that Pope
had been defeated and driven back to Cen
treville, none. or very few, supposed that
he was to abandon that position, famous
for its strength, without fight. A battle
vas expected next day at the furthest, and
no one certainly knew whether there had
not already been another during the day
| passed through Alexandria and out on
the Fairfax road at seven in the evening
Not half mile beyond the town met a
train of heavily loaded wagons, and hailed
a driver" Where are you from 2" "Cen.
trevile." The whole story was told in a
VOID. The army was retreating.
For the next ten miles the load was fiji
ed with the trains of every corps in the
army, everywhere crowded and frequently
hating. Mingled with the wagons were
great numbers Of ambulances and carriages
filled with wounded and dying men,
They had been all day on the road, day
Of confinement, privation, discomfort, and
torture. Many must have remained al
night on the road, many also in the wag-
ons, which, as conveynnces for wounded
men, are only one degree worse than am.
! balances.
Near Alexandria. and at intervals fol
some miles beyond, the blvouac fires o.
many camps bIazed along the road and
glimmered in distant fields. Guards fol
the trains, Struggling towards from the
front, sections of batteries, squalrons O
cava1yf and further on toward Fairfax
regiments and shattered brigades moving
to the rear, and finally the last division Of
reinforcements marching for the front
streamed along the road, and wound in
and out Of the endless train. 1t was i'm
possible to ride faster than on walk.
reached Failfax at II. The town was qui
ct, only guard at the further end, none
of whose officers knew where headquarter;
we're, whether at CentreviIle or to the
rear. SO spent what was left of the nigh
at Fairfax, and rode on next morning tc
Centreyille.
1t is needless now to explain the con-
stantly changing disposition of forces dur,
ing the days which followed the defeat o
Saturday. Three corps at least remained
at Centreville on Monday, ard were scat
tered over the broad slopes Of the hill OF
either side Of the road in unmiltary disor
DER They had never been in orLer-nc
more than the rest Of the army since the
retreat. There was no need to put them
in order, there was no order in any de
partment of the service. There was mol
ammunition in the batteries or in the cart
ridge boxes of the infantry enough fol- an
other battle, yet no one knew where the
ammunition trains were to be found. In
the fret five minutes met three ordnance
officers riding in search of the train Nc
fault of theirs that the train could not be
found. They are able officers, but no con
troll was in their hands, no means of doing
their duty. Order!ies had just been senl
in ali directions il search of the wagons
and it was already 10 O. clock, and battle
hourly expected since daylight.
The camps were inex'rcably entangled
no, to my eye or judgment only, t! ougt
| have seen enough to know something
about it, bu: | heard General command
ing a corps d'armee say he did not know
and could not ascertain, the relative posi-
ton of other corps. And the General, &
regular officer Of engineers, and famou.
for typographical clearness and skill, sale
to me that one glance at the hill side was
enough to show that there was no Genera
at the head of the army eHcanped there
1t was no better with the supplies O.
food The troops were half fed, or fed r'
regularly. Regimental wagons were un.
loaded, and ordered TO Alexandria for foot
and forage. Then the order was counter
manded, and they were reloaded and or
dered to the rear. Brigades without sup
plies were sent out on the fanks and IL
front, and left there without wagons, tc
shift for themselves i suppose to sub-is