Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-05-09
lFnm the old 0nardl
THE SECO.v'D .W.f.t.fsS.fS.
ny JOHN EsrEN COOKE


tol station on the Orange railroad,
about four miles from Manassas, came
tbe long. continuous thunder Of artil-
lery.
II was Ewelrs. That commander
had been sent to hold the front, while
Jackson proceeded to destroy the
great depot at Manassas, and he was
scarcely in position when the head Of
General Pope's advancing army struck
him. 1t was commanded by General
Hooker whom Jackson was TO over
whelm at Charlottesville.
A rough wrestle followed Ewell
threw forward three regiments, open
ed with artillery, and attacked so
boldly that General Pope seems to
have believed that. he had in front Of
him the entire Confederate force. He
consequently paused, hurried forward
his main body, and prepared for bat
lie. Ewell continued to roar defiance
with his artillery, to show an unmoved
front. Pope advanced a heavy force
Ewell advanced to meet it; the two
columns seemed about to close in de-
cisive struggle, when flames were seen
10 rise from the bridge over Broad
Run, between the opponents, and when
the smoke drifted away, Ewell had
disappeared, laughing grimly, doubt
less, after his fashion, at the result.
He had kept General Pope off OF
Jackson's rear, while Manassas was
burning; that point was evacuated ;
when General Pope rushed in on the
next morning, his great adversary
had disappeared. Nothing greeted
him bat burning store houses and
blaekened ruins, from which a few
cavalry vedettes retired at his APP
proach, disappearing in the woods.
The bread, meat, and forage Of his
army was heap of ashes
This destruction of his stores was
truly unfortunate for the Federal
commander; but that was not all.
His enemy had vanished Where
was heg General Pope had fully ex.
pected to find him at Manassas; and,
on the preceding day, had written to
McDowell "If you will march prompts
ly and rapidly at the earliest moment
down upon Manassas Junction, we
shall bag the whole crowd"
But "at the earliest dam" Of the
2sth Jackson had disappeared, leaving
General Pope greatly bewildered in
reference to his whereabouts The
cotemporary opinions expressed by
the subordinates of that officer are
not complimentary.
"All that talk about bagging Jack
SON." wrote. General Porter, "was
bosh. That enormous gap, Manassas,
was left open, and the enemy jumped
through" "Jacksoh's forces he ad-
ded, "were reported to be wandering
around loose, but ! expect that they
know what they arc doing, which is
more than any one here, or anywhere.
knows" On the 2sth, General Pope
is declared to have fastened toward
Centreville, "not knowing at the time
where was the enemy"
And yet that enemy ought 70 have
been looked for lChcre he ought to hare
been. He ought TO have been where
be could form a junction with Lee,
.hen approaching lhoroughfare-that
is to say, near Groveton. Thither, in
fact, jackson had moved after the
destruction of Manassas, on the night
of the 9th, thus escaping General
Pope, who rushed into the great
smouldering pandemonium during the
forenoon OF the 2sth, only to find that
the bird had flown.
Let us glance now at the situation
oD that August morning. Never was
anything more dramatic. Cam.
paigns are often dull, halting, and
inconsequential. This one was rapid,
fiery, with day linked to day by great
events-the whole tending, as though
driven by the Greek Necessity, with
her iron wedge, toward the bloody
catastrophe. jackson had advanced
from tho Rappahannoek, as rapid and
resistless as some halciul meteor; and
the meteor had fallen upon Manassas,
the great storchouse Of the Federals,
aud consumed it. Then warned OF
bis danger, General Pope had hasten
ed back, intent on hurting his great
column against the audacious intruder,
and crushing him in the very hour OF
his triumph. He would "bag the
whole crowd" if he could only reach
Manassas on the 2Sth. He reached it
on the 2Sth, but the game had flown.
Then, on that morning, Pope was
at Manassas jackson at Groveton,
with his left at Sudley; Lee was ad-
vanoing toward Thoroughfare Gap
with the veteran corps OF Longstreet ;
unless Pope could crush Jackson be-
fore Lee arrived, he must engage the
whole southern army. As TO fright
ening the man of Kernstown, Port
Republic, and Cold Harbor into fall
retreat, that was hopeless That
trained and resolute gladiator had
only fallen back far enough to get
out OF his adversary's clutches for the
moment; no. too far to render posi-
Ole junction with Lee, if a little time
only little time were given him.
Al bay on the old battlefield of Ma
nassas, the dangerous game awaited
the attack Of the buntsman, ready to
show his teeth, and resist a toufrdncc.
The precious hours hurried on now
every instant counted; the meresi
novice in war could have told General
Pope that the great, the Indispensable
thing was to interpose force between
Lee and jackson, hold Thoroughfare
Gap, and thus fight the southern ar
mn In dntnH Rnt annnn nril lnnnn