New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-11
afternoon from Porter a note saying that his al.
xance bad MT The enemy ON the fink In sore force

vance had met tbe enemy on the Hank In force,
and that he was retiring upoD Manassas Junction
without engaging coming TO the assistance Of our
other forces, although they we're engaged in iu-
nous action only wo niles distant and III fill hear
lug OF him. portion OF his force fell cS toward
Manussae, and he aimed, az he aerward Informed
ne, Where he was looking Al the enemy during the
whole OF the Of. ernoon OF Friday, ana pari Of Fri
day night. passing over in PLAN view " re-eniof;e
TIE troops uroer jackson without an effort 10 pre-
vent 1t or assist US. One at least Of his biigdes,
under Gen. Grilen, got ron TO Centreviile, aud
remained there curing the whole Of Tie neat days
battle, without coming Oh the field, though III fuli
view Of the battle which was raging while Gen.
Griftn hinsei spent the day in making i-natured
structures uron the General commanding the action,
in the presence OF a prom,enons assembage
Darkness closed the action on Fricay, the enemy
being driven back from his roetions by iIeintzel.
mans corps aud Reno, conc uded by furious attack
ao. g the turnpike by Kings division of Nc
DOWels oorIs, leaving his dead and wounded
the field.
DO not hesitate to cay that if the corps of Porter
bad attacked the enemy Ia fla on the afternoon OF
Friday Us he had my written order 10 do, we should
utterly have crushed jackson before the forces under
Lee could have reached him. Why he did not DO 30,
cannot understand.
Our men, much worn down by hard service and
continuous fighting for many previous days, and
very short Of provisions, rested on Their guns Our
horses had had 10 forage for two days l had tele-
graphed and wri ten urgently for ratons and forage
TO he sent us but on Saturday morning, before The
action WAS resumed, l received u letter from ten.
/ Franklin, written the day before at Alexandra,
stating TO me that he had been directed by Gen.
Mcclellan to inform mo that ra'ions and forage for
nv command would be loaded into the cars and
available wagons as soon as l would send cavalry
escort to Alexandria 10 bring them up. All DOie OF
being able TO maintain my position, whether vlcto-
rous or not vanished with this letter. My cavalry
WINS utterly broken down by long aud constant SER
in ~ ~ the and bad thew
were could not be spared from the front, even II
there had been time 10 60 lack 50 miles To AIeAah-
dra and await the loading OF trains. AT the time
this letter was written Alexandra was swarminS
with troops and my whole army interposed between
that place and the enemy lat undei stood that
we must il possible, finish what we had to do thai
day IA night must see u behind Bull Run, ii we
wished 10 save men and animals from starvation.
! On Friday night | sent peremptory order to
/ Gen. Porter TO bring his command On the field, and
report to me in person within three hours alter he
received the order. A portion lie brought up, but,
az before stated one OF his brigades remained the
whole day at Centreville, and WAS not III the ell
gagement. The enemy's heavy re-enioroements
having reached him ON Friday afternoon aud night,
| be began to mass on hs night for the purpose OF
crushing our left and occupying the road 10 Ceutre-
Vile in our rear. His heaviest assault was made
about o clock in the afternoon, when, after over
whelming Eitz John Porter, and diving Ills forces
back on the and leit mars alter mass oil bis
forces were pushed against our left. terrihc coh
test with great sdugh was carried on Tor several
hours, our men behaving with Imness and gall-ntry
under tue immediate command OF Gen. Mcdowell
When night closed, our left had been forced back
abogt hsif mile, but sill remained firm and uE-
shaken while our night held It's ground.
Gen. Franklin with his corps, arrived aiter Dark
at CentTcve, SIX miles IN our rear, whilst sumner
was four mil, behind Franklin. could have brout hi
I'D these corps in the morning IN tine TO bave re-
newed the action, but starvation stared both iaen
and horses In the face and broken and exhausted as
they were they were 10 no CONDITION 10 Dear munger
also | accordingly retired TO CentTeNile thst hisht
IN perfect order Neither Oh Sunday nor on Monday
did the enemy make any advance upon W.. "a
Monday | sent TO the army corps commanders for
their effective strength, witch, all told, including
Sumner and Franklin, fell short Of tiAty thousand
men. Instead OF bringing up thirty thousand uien,
Franklin aud Sumner united fell short Of twenty
thousand aud these, adGed TO the force had, al
ready wearied Out, and much cut up, did not give
me The means 10 DO thing else Lan stand on Tie
defense.
The enemy dlring Monday sgain began to wor k
slowly around 10 night for tue puii pore oi pos
sessiug Fairfax Courthouse, and thus turning our
rear.
Couch's division and one brigade Of Summers had
been lett there, aud l sent down Ito kcT on MONDAY
afternoon to IaAe command and post himself al or
In font Of Germantown, at the same tine directing
Mcdowell to take position along the turnpike LON
Centrevie 10 tairf4x Courthouse, about two miles
west TO the latter place.
Heiutzenan was directed TO post himseh in rear
and support Reno, who was puzzled north Of the
road al a yoint about two aud hall miles east oil
Centrevlle aud 10 cover that road, II being my pur
pose in the OF the night TO mars my command
the night, IN the direction oil GefiAahiV"h' "heie
felt convinced the next attack oi the enemy "ouid
be made.
/ Late in the afternoon Of Monday, the enemy made
his denomination VI on Germantown, but was met
by Hooker at that place, and by Keno, re-enioiced
/ by Kearney, further Wet. The battle Wac very
severe though short, tie enemy beng driven bacX
mile with heavy loss, leaving his dead ana wounded
I'm this abort action We lost two oi our most yalu
able and distinguished officers, Gems heaTney ana
Stevens.
BY moving, tie whole Of my command wa massed
behind difficult creek, between tlnt liII ana the
Wanenton Junction. with the advance, uhder
Hooker, IA front oi Germantown.
With the exception OF Snnner, the commanders
OF the army corps Of the Army OF the Potomac had
continued to inform me that their commands were
and had been demoralized ever since they lett lar
rsons Landing; that they had no spirit aud no dis
positon 10 tight. This latter statement their conduct
/ IN The various actions fully contradctedi but The
.tra9gling III those corps WAS distressing.
! The full facts having been reported, On
Tuesdsy afternoon, 10 retire 10 the amendments
nesr Washington which was accordingly done on
that dav and the next, III good order and without
! The elis htest loss.
Banks. who had been left with the railroad trains,
cut off at Bristol by the burning of the bridge, was
ordered 10 join LIE on Monday at Center'iiie, "hoh
he did on the afternoon Of that day.
| This brief summary will explain sufficiently in
det. the whole Of the operations OF the forces un-
der my command, during sixteen days OF continuous
fighting by day and marching by night.
! 10 confront a powerful enemy with greatly in
ferior forces, and fight him day by day, without
losing your arrny 10 delay and embarass his move
mentp and to force him by pers.len remittance. to
adopt long and crcuitous routes to hs oerinaiion,
are The duties which have been imposed upon IA.
They are of all military operations, the most dill