Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-09-20

numbering forty thousand meu"
In describing tho battles in the vicinity
of Bull Run he thus speaks of Fitz John
Porter, Mcclellan and Griffin in connection
with Fridays fight
"The action ragged furiously oil day. Nc.
Dowell, although previously in the rear Of
Porter bringing his whole corps on the
field during the afternoon, and taking a
conspicuous part in that days operations.
To my surprise aud dsapp ppointment, ] re.
ceiyed late in the afternoon from Porter a
note saying that his advance had met the
enemy ON the faux ia some force, and that
he was retiring upon Manassas junction
without engaging or coming TO The assist
ance Of our other forces, although they
were engaged in a furious action only two
miles distant, and in full hearing Of him
A portion of his force fell buck toward
Manassas, and he remained as he afler-
wards Informed me- where he was looking
at the enemy during the whole of the after
noon of Friday aud palt Of Friday nigh',
passing over in plain view TO RENT o"ce the
troops under Jackson without an eliDrt
TO prevent it or assist MS. One at least OF
his brigadcs under General Grili }, got
around to Centerville, aud remained there
during the whole of the next days battle,
without coming on The field. though in full
view of the battle which was raging, while
General Griffin himself spent he day in
making i'll natured stricnres upon the Cen
eral commanding The action, in the pres.
ence Of promiscnous assemblage.
II do not hesitate to say that if the
corps of Porter had attacked the enemy in
flank on the afternoon of Friday. as he had
my written order to do, we should utterly
have crushed Jackson before the forces un.
der Lee could have reached him. Why
he did not do so cannot understand.
"Onr mon much worn down by hard SER
vice aud continuous fighting for mauy
previous days, and very short Of provisions,
rested on their guns. Oar horses had had
no forage for two days had telegr0phed
and written urgently for ratons and forage
to he sent us, but Oh Saturday morning,
before the action was resumed | received
letter from Gen franklin, written the
day before at Alexandria. stating to me
that he had been directed by General Nc.
Clellan to inform me that rations and for.
age for my command would be loaded into
/ he cars and available wagons as soon as
| would send a cavalry escort to Alexlnd
ria to bring them mp. All hope of being
able TO maintain my position, whether vic
toriOus or not, vanished with this letter
Ny cavalry was utterly broken down by
! long and constant service in the face of the
enemy Il bad as they were, could dnoL be spared
from the front, even if there had been tim,
to go back thirty miles 10 Alexandria ant
await the loading of trains AT the tim
this letter was written Alexandria wa
swarming with troops, and my whole ARM
! intepoSed between hat place and the en-
envy. | at once understood hat we mist
if possible, fnish what we had to do tha:
day, as night must see us behing Bull Run,
if we wished 10 save mCu and animals from
starvation.
GOA Friday night sent percmptory
order to Gen. Porter to bring his com.
nand 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, one Of his brgades remained
the whole day at Centreville, and was not
in the engagement. The enemy'S heavy
ranforcemenlS having reached him on Fri,
day afternoon and night, he began o mass
on his right for the purpose of crushing
our left and occupying the road to Centre
Vile 10 our rear. His heaviest assault
was made abont five o'clock in The after,
noon, when, after overwhelming Fnz John
Porter and driving his forces back on the
center and left m IS after mass of lis forces
were pushed against our left. A terrific
contest, with great slaughter, was carried
on for several hours, our men behaving with
frmneSS and gnllantry under the immediate
command of General Mcdowell. When
night closed, our left was driven back a
bont a half a mile, but ctil remniued firm
and mistaken, while our right held i 5
ground
The report closes as follows:
Among the officers whom feel bound
to mention with especial gratitude, for theiI
most hearty, cordial and untring zeal and
energy, are Generals Mcdowell B lnks,
Reno, Hein'zeman, Hooker and Kearney,
and many others of inferior rank, whom
[ shall take great satisfaction in bringing
to the notice of the Government.
"The troops exhibited wonderful pat.
ience and courage, and | cannot say too
much for them"
Gen. Pope mikes the gravest charge;
against officers high in command, which
should be promptly investigated, II the
accused shrink from, or try to Stae inquiry
instant dismissal should follow Unles
Gen Pope has grounds that warrant thr
charges, he is no longer worthy Of a com
maud. 1t is high time that personal hos
tilities among leading army officers whicl
so demoralze aud disgrace the service
should give way to devotion to the couutr!
aud its cause and the Government can
not too soon make an example of such a
disobey orders of supe iors. or neglect op
portunity and duty A fearful responsi
! bility of treasure and blood rests on th
Government and its Generals. The Peo
pie who furnish the men and the snews
war, will hold both TO strict account.
In discussing the report of Gen Pope q
considerable length, the New York Even
ing Post remarks ..
"If Gen. Pope tells tie truth in hi
official report, ihen Generals Mcclellan
n ~ 4. a 4 1riffa al