Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-10-21
THE REBELLION.
GENERAL MEADE FALLS BACK.
A FIGHT NEAR BRISToE STATION.
Gen. Meade Master of the Situation.
THE REBELS DEFEATED,


army and destroy our trains, but in both cases
signaly failed. Just at day break between
Gatiett Station and Aboin, Stuart and A. P
Hill made simultaneous attack upon Gen.
Gregg's cavalry and the Second Army Corps
Almost the first intimation given of their pres
ence, was the opening of batteries upon the
Second Corps. Our troops were speedily
placed in position and the enemy repuised
with considerable loss.
Late in the afternoon Hill made another
dash to cut of the ID corps. He first attack
ed the of the 5th cavalry, killing three of
the Penn sylvania Reserves and wounded Is
or 20 more. When the head of the I'd corps
had reached Kittle Run, near Bristoe's Hill,
they made terrible onslaught on both corps.
The I'd corps was on the eastern side of the
railroad track and used the road embankment
al several points for breastworks with decided
advantage. The enemy charged at one time
mp the embankment, when portion of the I'd
charged in turn, capturing 700 or 800 prison
ers and one battery. Several charges were
made and each time the enemy forced back
with great slaughter, leaving their killed and
| wounded.
! a rapid artillery fire was kept up on both
sides until long after dark, when the enemy
gave up aud retired. y full list of the killed
and wounded has not been obtained, but it is
not large. Capt. Ball, of the Sd Minnesota,
was wounded in three Places ard under the
| most aggravating circumstances. When the
! enemy charged up the railroad, finding them
selves in very dangerous place, they waved
! their hands in token of surrender. At this in
! slant Capt Ball sprang upon the embankment,
and volley was fired at him, three shots tax
| ing effect. The Minnesotians returned the
| fire, and many rebels suffered death in retail.
alton for this act of treachery
Our trains are all safe. Some artillery prac
tice was going on this morning near the Rap
pahannock Station, but without much damage
The lst Maine cavalry, Col. Smith, which was
cut of on Monday night near Jefferson across
the Rappahannock, reached Bristoc's station
| Wednesday night. The regiment escaped
with the loss of a squad OF sent to com
municate with General Gregg about twenty in
all. Our army behaved handsomely.
The rebel army under Lee is certainly all
across the Rappahannock and massed at Bris-
toe on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad,
and extending to a short distance north of the
| old Bull Run battle ground. In this position,
they made desperate attempt under cover of
darkness to accomplish what they have failed
to do all the way from the Rapidaa, that of
turning Gen. MEADE's right flank.
The fighting was mostly by artillery and the
! Second Corps, under General Warren gallant
ly resisting the enemy and driving him from
the field, capturing rebel battery and sever
al hundred prisoners. Tie loss, however on
our side, is greater than was at first anticipa-
ted. 1t must not be supposed that Meade has
retreatcd in front of Lees army. The retro
grade movement has been on parallel lines to
prevent Lee 10y rapid marching from tarning
Meade s right flank, and intercepting his rear.
Now that the situation is such that the rebel
army failed, to accomplish this, they show no
disposition to give battle on our immediate
front. They have probably presumed the
weakness of our army by sending reinforce
ments elsewhere, but they will ascertain the
full fact if they dare to give battle. An en-
gagement on the old Bull Run battle ground
was thought to be imminent, but the enemy
has only kept up skirmshing. Gen. Meade
| is master of the situation, Notwithstanding
Lee attempted in the night to get between the
| Army of the Potomac and the Capitol.
All of our supplies, stores and transporta-
tion were safely brought away from Culpep.
per, and the raioad destroyed, so that it can
now be of no use to the enemy. 1t NAV be
stated now that arrangements for sending sup
! plies to the reaF were completed several days
before the rebels advanced.
One of the evening papers states that oc-
currences in the field for the past few days
have created very general impression among
military men, that the rebels have called to
LEES assistance almost their entire force re-
Gently at Charleston as well as their force re-
Gently in North Carolina and Lower Virginia,
as he would scarcely venture to put the Rap
pahannock in his rear unless his army had
been greatly increased since Longstreet left
it for the West with his two divisions
General Meade had been well advised of
| Lees purpose TO attempt his current move
ment on the right flank of our army. This is
evident in the celebrity with which Meade has
moved his army so as to confront Lee in a
position of his (MEADE's,) own choice, at the
same time losing nothing of stores or anu
milton.
Last night, the 14th from the manner in
which LEE drew his attacking force, it was
evident that he did not anticipate for it the
reception it received. AS brilliant as was his
movement to dash between our army and
Washington the manner in which it was anti