Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-03-25
THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
Why the Pursuit Of the Federals b,
the C0nfederates was Checked.

OA-NCAN~-e
Hon. Jon. c. Ferriss, Nashville, Tenn.
NEw ORLEANS, March 18th, 1876.
Dear IL avail myself of the first |
oprortune moment to answer your let |
ter of the 18th uIt., inquiring of me,
as in command at the time, why the |
pursuit of the Federals Immediately |
after their route at the battle of Ma
nnassas, July Dist, 1861, was suddenly
checked and the Confederate troops
recalled towards Manassas?
| viii FIRST stats, though with Gen.
cJos. ~. Johnston consent / exercised
the command during the battle, at its
close. after I had ordered all the
troops on the field In pursuit, / went
personally to the Lewis House and re-
linquished that command to him.
[ then started at gallop to take inn
mediate charge of the pursuit on the
Centreville turnpike, but was soon
overtaken by a courier from Manassas
with a note addressed to me by Colonel
Thomas G. Rhett, of Gen. JohEston's
staff, who had been left there in the
morning to forward that Generals
troops as they might arrive by rail from
Winchester COL Rhett thereby in
formed me that strong body of Fed
eral troops had crossed the Bull Run
at Union Mills ford, on our right. and
was advancing on Manassas, our depot
OF supplies, which had been necessari-
~ left very weakly guarded. l hurried
back to the Lewis House to commune
cate this important dispatch to Gen
Johnston, and both of us believing
the information to be authentic, un-.
dertook to repair to the threatened
quarter with Ewell's and Holmes
brigades, at that moment near the Lew
is House, where they had Just arrived,
too late to take part in the action
With these troops | engaged to attack
the enemy vigorously before he could
effect Judgment on our side of Bull
Run, but asked to be reinforced as
soon as practicable by such troops as
might be spared from the Centreville
pursuit.
Having reached the near vicinity of
Union Mills pond without meeting any
enemy, | ascertained, to my surprise,
that the reported hostile passage was
false alarm. growing out of some move
ments of our own troops "a part of
Gen. ID. r. Jones brigade, who had
been thrown across the Bull Run in
the morning, pursuant to my offensive
plan of operations for the day, and,
upon their return now to the south
bank of the Run, were mistaken,
through their similarity of uniform,
for the Federals. | returned to inter
cept the march of the two brigades
who were following me toward Union
Mills, as it was quite dark when met
them, and they were greatly jaded by
their long march and eountermarch
during that hot July day, / directed
them to halt aud bivouac where they
were. Hearing that President DAVIS
and Genaral Johnston had gone to
Manassas, returned and found them
between half-past nine and ten o'clock
at my headquarters.
rms will explain to you why the
partial "retrogade movement" to
which, you refer was made, and why
no sustained vigorous pursuit of Nc
DowelPs army was made that evening.
Any pursuit of the Federals next
day, toward their rallying point at and
around the Long Bridge over the Po-
tOmac, could have led to no possible
military advantage, protected as that
position was by system of field works.
No movement upon Washington by
that route would have been possible,
for, even if there had been no such
works, the bridge mile long-was
commanded by Federal ships of war,
aud few pieces of artillery, or the
destruction of small part Of the
bridge, could have made it's passage
impracticable.
Our only proper operation was pas
sage of the Potomac above into Mary
land, at or about Edwards Ferry, and
march upon the rear of Washington,
and, with the hope of undertaking
such Il movement, l had caused re-
connoisance of the country and shore
(South of the Potomac in that quarter
to be made in the month of June, but
the necessary transportation, even for
the ammunition, essential to such
movement, had not been provided for
my forces, notwithstanding my applica-
tion for it during more than a month
beforehand, nor was there twenty-four
hours food at Manassas for the troops
brought together for that battle.
| remain, yours very truly,
TT