Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-14
Tho McDoweIl Case.

WASHINGTON, Jan. BIN the Mcdowell
court of inquiry to-day, Gen. Pope testified
in relation to the battle of Cedar Mountain,
and matters in connection with that cam
paign. He gave with particularity the dis
position of his troops on the 9TH of August
and subsequently. 1t appears that he reached
Culpepper Court House early in the morn
ing of the Sth his whole force numbering
about thirty thousand. 1t having been con-
sidered by the authorities in Washington not
judcious to remove General Kings division
from Fredericksburg, his instructions re-
CURED him to be very careful not to allow
the enemy to iuterpose between himself and
Fredericksburg, to which point the forces
from the peninsula were to be brought Ac-
cordngly he says =
- sent orders to Gen. Banks to move for
ward to Culpepper Court House, and to Sigel
to move forward to the same place with all
speed. Gen. Banks arrived at Culpepper in
due season; but to my surprise, l received a
note from Gen. Sigel. dated at Sperryville, at
about halt-past Ole Z. NJ, acknowledging the
receipt of my order, and asking me by what
road he should come to Culpepper As there
was only one road, and that broad stone
pike, that led directly from Sperryville to Gull
pepper, | was at a loss to know how Sgel
could entertain any doubt on the subject
This delayed Sigel's arrival at Culpepper
some hours.
''When the reports began to come in from
Gen. Bayard, that the enemy was advancing
on him, and that his cavalry was forced to
retire, | ordered Gen. Crawford's brigade, of
Banks corps, to observe the enemy, and sup
port Gen. Bayard in holding the enemy in
check, and to determine his force and move
ment as far as possible ricketts, division was
tba 1au rap,OVo6 IN n mint fXro md
half to three miles south of Cupepper, near
the place where the road from Madison Court
House comes into the road from Barnett's
Ford to Culpepper. Early on The morning of
the 9th l received Information from Gen. Blu
ford at Madison Court House, that the enemy
was on his right and left, and partly in his
rear, and he was retreating toward Sperry-
vile.
''On the morning of the 9th pushed Gen.
Banks forward with his corps to join a brig
ade which had gone forward the day previous.
Gen. Banks was instructed by me to move his
corps to the position occupied by that brigade,
and to take up strong position there to check
the enemy's advance. 1t was in personal
interview at my headquarters at Culpepper
that told Gen. Banks if the enemy advanced
to attack him he should push his skirmishers
well to the front and notify me Immediately. it
concentrate our forces at Culpepper.
Gen. Banks corps at the time, from his re-
port, was $4,000 infantry and artillery fit for
duty, and this was understood to be the
strength of his corps when he was pushed to
the front. Three miles in the rear of the DO
sition expected him to occupy was Ricketts,
battery. Desultory artillery firing was kept
up all day on the 9th, during which time re-
ceived a number of reports from Gen. Banks,
in none of which did he think the enemy was
in any great force in front of him. In one Of
his notes, dated at three o'clock, he mentioned
that the enemy was displaying his cavalry os-
tentatiously, but he had seen no force OF in
fantrv, and did not believe they meant to
attack
The last note l received from Gen. Banks
was dated p. N. He spoke then of the
skirmishers approaching each other, but did
not Indicate that he expected any engageme nt
or ask for assistance. Before | received this
note the artillery firing had become SO rapid