Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-08
,ial Correspondence of the Chicago Timsal

WAsHEGToS, Aug. 28.-There has been a
] yet no correct account published of the highl,
S important events on the Rappahannock during
f The latter part Of last week, which resulted il
{ the defeat of Gen. Pope and the retreat of hi
army to Manassas. This has been owing to thi
fact of the exclusion of all newspaper CORE
sponaents from the lines Of tbs army, before tbs
t beginning of the week, aud to the suppression
substantially Of sll telegrsphie reports from
here. have learned the truth however, from
several officers and soldiers who participated il
the whole affair, among them men Of character
, and education, and proceed to tellit
Pope's retreat from the Rapidsn to the Rap
Pahannock, and from the Rappahannoek to Ma
nassas, and his movement on CenterViile, are
praised as mastery strategy Put knowing, IS
do, that Pops had met with defeat and that be
has retreated, leaving much artillery and bag,
gage, and many wounded and prisoners, and all
OF his ofheial papers, in the hands Of the enemy,
shall nos, however disagreeRble the news,
hesitate to soy so 1t is said that everything is
well along the Inc and that everything mas re-
suited exactly as Gen. Halleck wished and in
tended. l do not believe that. If it were true,
it would not speak well for Hallecks general
ship.
/. The result Of the whole affair shows that l
was correct in my estimate of the impractical
bility of this route to Richmond.
Ga Monday, the 18th Of August, General Lee
sscsTtsined, by means of several reconnoissanees,
the position and strength Of the various divisions
| composing POpe's army, and found that his own
! forces were twice as strong as those of Pope
/ On Tuesday he crossed the Rspidan with about
! 10000 troops, among whom were $1,000 cav.
| airy and % batteries Of field artillery. body
OF 500 600 infantry IN addition to these, crossed
subsequently, and advanced to the south bank
of the Rsppahsnnock, where they are now
! encamPed. They took no part whatever in the
! fighting of the week, for the reason that it all
took place before they got up, and beeauss they
were not needed.
On Wednesday General Lee came up with tie
/ left wing Of Pope's army, which was then in
! full retreat, three miles east of Culpeper From
/ this time till the close Of the week, the two
armies we're engaged every day in contests in
/ which the valor and deathless courage of our
! troops were thrown away by reason of their
being oEerpowered by the superior numbers of
! the enemy. As this circumstance has never
| happened before during the war, General Pope
cannot be blamed for not guarding against so
unflrseen q contingency.
! The result of the battle on Wednesday was
the rapid retreat Of tbe Union troops, leaving in
the hands OF the enemy many of their sick and
wounded soldiers, and some baggage.
| Ga Thursday, August q, General Popes
army crossed the Rappahannock in great haste
under q heavy IRE from the enemy's artillery.
On Friday, part of Gen. Lees army crossed,
and continued the pursuit aud fighting. A ter
rible engagement took place at WaTrenton, re-
sultng in the defeat Of the Unionists, who re-
treated at its close, leaving behind artillery and
several hundred prisoners. Oar troops behaved
herOieslly in this battle, as indeed they did in
all. Several splendid bayonet charges were
made, but the rebels stood the shock, aud our
| troops suffered somewhat. One of our regi-
/ nr7fg lvvhi oh I of1 Fl,o la
| Jersey, but which 1 have since learned was
some other), being ordered to charge, did so
with impetuosity, but were surprised to find that
| they made no impression On the enemY's lines
In an instant they found themselves surrounded
by four regiments of rebel infantry, while reg
| iment Of cavalry was preparing to charge on
their rear. Retreat was impossible, and to con-
tinue the contest would have been extermina-
/ ton They surrendered.
| From another point on the river, during the
| day, the rebel artillery kept up a furious can
/ nonading upon our camps, and upon every body
| of cur men that came within then range Their
shells fell thick and fast, aud exploded with
/ deadly effect an attempt to dislodge these
batteries, in which Carl Schurz was engaged,
resulted disestrously. Gen. Frank Sigel or
| dered brigade under Krysandowski to cross
| the Tiver and silence the batteries. The order
was i1judieious, for it was apparent the enemy
] WptO oHPpuAsAu8 tA4dlA DdAbtIlbS Dy an OEBl-
whelming infantry force The brigade, how
ever, crossed, Carl Sehurz and the lamentsd Gen.
Bohlen, going with it. It never came back. II
/ was terribly cut up by the masses of the enemy
that swaTned around it. It was driven back to
the river, where many men jumped in, and some
Of them were drowned or shot in the water
Sehurz escaped. Gen. Bohlen was killed
| On the same day the rebel cavalry attacked
and captured the wagon-train belonging to Cen
tsara horr rfrrrro II,
were the baggage and personal effects Of Gene
raj Pope and Of the officers of his staff, ell of
whom were thus plundered SO e1fectually that
they had not even a clean shirt left. These
wagon also contained General Popes official pa
pers and correspondence with the War Depart
ment, his army lists, his lists Of divisions, brig
ades, and regiments, his maps and typographical
plans, bis own and General Halleck's plan of
the campaign, all the teegraphic dispatches
which he had received and sent, etc. All of
these papers fell into the hands of the enemy,
besides a large amount of money ia gold coin
and Treasury notes, two hundred and fifty val
liable horses, lot of pistols, swords, muskes,
etc. The scene of this capture was near Cat
let's, thirty-five miles from Washington and
within six miles of Manassas junction. The
enemy remained on the spot six hours pillaeing
at their leisure. All of POpe's papers however,
were carefully preserved, and instantly sent to
prove of incaleuiable value to the rebels as they
will disclose the whole details of Hallsck's plan
of the campaign. It is said here that an entire
/ ly now plan OF the campaign viii be devised.
| But fear il is too late in the season for that
! 1t is supposed that Popes army is now hold
| ing the nights Of CenteTyille, with Bull Run
between him and the enemy II is certain that
on Tuesday the Goth instant, the Confederates
were IN force nesr Manassas Junction, where
49, Lad skrovc- foroa of iahoraFe oruao.ad -,
| destroying the railroad track and telegraph
wires On that day, five regiments of rebel
cavalry and large infantry force attacked Ma
| nassas Junction, overpowered whatever Union
forces were there, captured five trains of cars
with their contents, and, worse than all, cap
tured the artillery there, and turned the guns
and used them with deadly effect upon our re-
treating columns.
As close this letter, there are we'll authent-
Gated reports in circulation to the effect that q
severe engagement took place yesterday morn
ing between Manassas Junction and Bull Run,
with what result is not known.
It is known certainly that on Saturday last,
August 23d, the enemy held and occupied in
force both sides Of the Rappahannoek, from the
Rattlesnske mountains to Fredericksburg, a
distance of thirty miles Two-thirds of their
force are on the north side, and only about So
600 men (the infantry force mentioned above)
are on the south side. The latter, aided by the
labor of nearly as many slaves are busily en-,
gagged in erecting additional fortifcations, and
in Strengthening those that already exist. PMS
oners and deserters say that it is their intention
to forffy every ford and crossing place, so IS to
make itimpossible for the Union troops ever to
cross the Rappahannock again.
Owing to the fact that there are no newspaper
correspondents With our army now, it is ditheuli
) to learn where the bulk of the rebel army IS. II
the report of tie engagement at Manassas be true
it is possible that they making an attempt tc
D drive Pope still nearer to Washington, IN order
? that they may themselves occupy the nights O
+ CenterVille It would not be very surprising
/ after what we have witnessed during the las
4 week, TO find the enemy, by the end of another
: week, back in his stronghold at Manassas ant
5 Centerville. It would seem that that IS Gen
i Lees design
6 The whole affair furnishes 8 not very agree
u able commentary on Pope's grsndiloquent proc
d lamAtions Instead Of disearding lines OF re