Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-04-29

as if destined. as General Pope at tn
time believed. for Front Royal and tn
Shenandoah, but really making for
widely different destination. At nigh
of the 25th Jackson CamPed at the Httl
village of Salem, midway between Ma
nassas Gap. in the Blue Ridge. and Thor
oughfare Gap in the. Bull Run Noun
tains. Next morning early. turning
squarely to the right, he pushed eastward
, through 1horoughfare Gap to Hay
market and Gainesville, and before darl
, struck the Alexandra Railroad at Bris-
tow Station, directly IN P9be's rear, on
tile line Of his communication. So swift
and unexpected had been this daring
movement that two trains of cars going
eastward from Warrenton arrived al
Bristow just in time to fall an easy. prey
to the enemy.
Jackson's position, though perilous,
now gave him every opportunity for mis-
chief, and he proceeded to improve it to
the utmost. Without moments delay
he started detachment down the rail-
road and broke it again at Kettle Run,
only six miles east of WarrentOn Juno
ton. AT the same instant another de-
tachment under Stuart moved up the
railroad with intent to seize Manassas
! Junction, where Pope had established a
sort of supply depot, containing at this
time about two million dollars worth of
army stores. One of our trains which
| had barely escaped capture at Bristow,
dashed up the road in advance of Stuart,
and passing the Junction at full speed,
rushed into a southern bound train load
! ed with soldiers, which was standing on
the track at the Rull Run bridge, demol-
ishing several cars, killing three soldiers
and wounding several. Stuart came on
as rapidly as he could considering the
WEAKNESS of his men, who had been
marching all day, and the darkness of
the night. Before midnight (Aug. z6thl
| he reached the Junction and, strange to
say, completely surprised its feeble gar
rison, which consisted of the nth New
York battery and four or FIVE companies
of infantry. The fruits of this capture
were 8 guns, 800 prisoners, I7s horses,
10 locomotives, 7 loaded trains and a
vast quantity of provisions, clothing,
and all kinds of quauermasters hospital
and ordnance stores.
At Bull Run bridge, four miles east of
Manassas, was Col. Scammon with the
nth and 18th Ohio regiments, of Gen.
Cox's division, recently from West Vir-
ginia. Learning from a few of our men
who had escaped capture, of the surprise
and rout at Manassas, Scammon pushed
his little force Immediately for that place
and attacked Stuart at daylight (Aug.
z7th), but was repulsed and driven back
to Bull Run bridge. Here he attempted
to make stand, but by noon was driven
off again and retreated down the rail
road, leaving Stuart entire master of the
situation. The rebel cavalry now went
ralding at will and pursuing the line of
railroad, broke it up as far east as Burke's
Station, within ten or fifteen miles of
Alexandria.
In the meantime Brig. Gen. Geo. w.
Taylor, with New Jersey brigade of
FranSlin's division, having been sent
forward from Alexandria, pushed for
Manassas hoping to restore our lost for
tunes. But Jackson was fully prepared
for this, and having leisurely brought up
his main body from Bristow to Manassas,
easily drove off Taylor, who lost leg in
the encounter.
So much for the enemy's supposed de-
parture for Front Royal and the Shenan-
doah Within forty-eight hours from
the time his movement had been first OBJ
served, Jackson had swept clear around
Pope's right, fallen upon his communi-
cations directly in rear and within twen-
ty-fve miles of his main body, and had
broken up the railroad from Bristow
eastward to the very precincts of Alex
andria and Washington.
Where, meanwhile, was the much
promised and long-looked for Army of
the Potomac !? On that army, supposed (
to be Fastening forward to re-enforce !
him, Pope had mainly relied for the pro-
lection of his rear. AS early as the 2Ist
Halleck had assured him that within A8
hours he should have troops enough to |
hold the line of the Rappahannock. On
the 24th Col. Haupt, the Railroad Su- !
perintendent at Alexandria, had sent
word that 10000 men would be sent for |
ward that afternoon or the next morn /
ing. Had these promises and assur-
ances been carried into effect, it is easy
to see that ackson's raid would have
been at least fatal to himself if not i'm !
possible. As early the 22d, Pope had /
directed General Sturgis, commanding at
Alexandria. to see personally that strong
detachments were posted along the rail- |
road from Manassas Junction to Cat !
let's. With thirty or forty thousand
veterans from the Army of the Potomac
moving at various points along the rail-
road to the front, Pope reasonably sup
posed that he had little OCCASION in any
event, to be anxious for his communica- |
tions. !
But his confidence was misplaced. On
the 25th. Heintzelman's corps reported
to him at Warrenton Junction, and on
the 10th Fitz John Porter's at Bealton.-
These two corps numbered in the aggre-
gate only 5000 men. Franklin's corps
and Sumner S, together with the divisions
of Cox and Sturgis, had reached Alex !
andria on the 25th and were expected to |
push to the front Immediately. Depend |
ing upon their arrival, Pope Ton the 5th)
directed one of the strongest divisions
to take post at Manassas and hold that |
point, at the same time requesting Cen
eral Halleck to push Franklin with all |
speed to Gainesville. Had these dispo- |
sitions been made Jackson would at
least have been intercepted and his raid
thwarted. But, after the two corps above
named-Heintzelman's and Porter s
Pope received no further assistance from
the army OF the Fotomac. 1 he division
of Reynolds, already mentioned, Joined
him on the 23d. This and the forces of
Heintzelman and Porter, making an ag-
gregate Of 20, 500 men, constituted tie
0nLy Requirements P16e recezveZ iz this
ca0tbaigE from 1zcCZeAlan. They were,
indeed, the only part of the 81 900 vet
eran troops which embarked at Harri-
sons Landing that took any part in the
campaign whatever. So far as the rest
of McClellan's army is concerned it
might as well have remained on the
peninsula, for all the practical service it
rendered.
The condition of Pope's command,
after the accessions just named, we give
in his own language:
From the 18th of August until the morn
ing Of the 27tn the troops under my COM