Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1863-11-12
A Federal View of the late Campaign
Of Gen. Lee. :.

l. IAe NeW 1ork LINES has a letter giving q
history OF the recent campaign OF Gen. Lee,
ana she light ia which the Yankees view it. It
| is more connected and Ineligible than aay we
| have Jet seen published. After Meade had as.
eertalned to his satisfaction that Gen. Lee was
endeayorirg so flank hina, thers commenced a
| race between the two armies. Ga Tuesday
ooth armies were pushing forward az fast as
they could, parallel to each other, and separat.
| ed bylbut half dozen miles or less.
The rebels passed through Warrenton, and
citizens here tell me that they occupied the
whole Of Tuesday in doing this, their train be-
ing extremely long.
We passed some miles to the right, crossing
Cedar Run at place named Auburn, Eve miles
due East OF Warrenton.
AT Warrenton Gen. Lee formed the bold de
sign of sending one of his corps (Hilrs) by a
rapid dttour to seize the heights Of Cen treville
while his other (Ewelps) should fall upon our
flank and rear.
1t wa, on Wednesday morning, when our
whole army passed Cedar Run at Auburn,
Gen. Warren's corps (second) bringing up tae
rear. To this commander was assigned the du
ty OF covering the trains of the army, which
were much delay ed in the crossing by the poon
toons.
Ihe OCCASION was now an extremely critical
one. Eseil mad begun pressing severIy on Oh
Auburn, the rear guard fought with portion
OF his fore. A double necessity was upon Gen.
Meade; first, he must move with extreme ee-
lerity to reach CentreviIle in 40 vance Of Hill,
who had the start of him, and was on the short
er line; secondly, he must keep back the ene-
Hy from his trains in she rear.
Hill's corps reached Bristoe about siuoalta-
neous with Warrsn-in fact, had just got ahead
OF him sufficiently to form a line OF battle,
which he did perpendicular to the railroad.
The position was the most perilous one in
which a column can be placed-marehing by
the flank and met by the enemy ia line eff bat
tie. Gen. Warren was equal to the emergency.
The tfoops were brought up at a run--the first
division (Caldwell's) having come up thus for
mile aud half, laden with eight days rations.
The troops which had been marching on the
left of the railroad were brought quick over to
the right, and Gen. Warren, seeing that the en-.
sns had neg Iected to occupy the cut and em-
bankment of the railroad, on the instant jump
ed his men, unseen into it. More prudeecs on
the part of the rebel commander, or
less sagacity ON the part OF the Union csmman
der, would have prevsd the destruction of that
corps.
The rest OF the army had all gone ahead. The
lst corps lNswtoE' - had already reached Ma
nassas. The last one but Warren's--namely,
taneously with Warren's coming up, aud just
"a he got engaged with the enemy, he received
from Sykes the comforting intelligence that he
was moving off slowly and in good order
Gen. Warren had formed bis troops under
cover Of the cut and em bankment of the rail-
road, constituting the ready made breast works.
On the left he placed . defensive crosehet.-t
Down rushed the ensay, chargin on this flank,
when suddenly the troops under cover rose up
At close range, poured voilsy after volley. of
deadly fire into the advancing and presently re.
treating rebels. After tweaty minutes 6gnt the
enemy were glad to make off, leaving thous> |
and dead and wouaded and fivs hundred pris-
1Asrs ia our hands It was well :. that night |
same ou as it it did, for just az the sun set Ew
al, who had been following IN War; ems rear, |
,ame up, but had only time to form line of bat
lie when the darkness interrupted further oper- |
atoms, and the rear guard was able to pass on |
and join the main body of the army.
: The repulse at Bristoe completely dlsconcsrt
id Lees plans, so far as they embraced the
riew of getting on the concentrations of Gen.
Meade or rsachiEg Centreville before him. Lee /
,ad NO longer with him that unmatched execu-
Ave officer, Stonewall Jackson, unsqualted at a
rapid march. Hill proved slow and feeble, and
instead of striking the head of the Uaion coll
unan. he struck its rear, and got badly handled
IN consequence -...@. ss.e.ss.Fe .ss -
! Ffom this moment Lee abandoned all pur-
pose of giving battle, and never advanced the
main body of his army much beyond Bristoe.
folloyv Il