The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-04
ANNALS OF THE WAR.
BWHSTOW s'TATEON-HAYs' BRIGADE
AT EgAPPAHANNOCK BRIDGE.
The Mine Raver rExped1tiom-An Execution
BY AN EX-oFFICER, G. s. A.

In October, 1863 Gen. Lees army two
corps, Ewells and Hills) WIS encamped be-
hind the Rapidan river, where it had been
posted since the return from the Pennsylva-
mia campaign. Un several occasions Gen.
Meade had made feints, as If he designed to at
tack, but at last subsided into state Of
duietness and inactivity in his cantonments
around Steyensburg and Culpepper
On the eighth of October, Gen. Lee having
concluded that his antagonist had finally
abandoned the intention Of attacking him, re-
solved to make grand fianking movement
and place his army between Meade and the
Potomac Though having but two corps,
Longstreets being absent he felt strong
enough to cope with Meade on equal ground.
On the ninth our division (Early's) com
menced the march, and crossing the Rapidan,
Robinson's and Rappahannock rivers, reached
Warrenton at 10 o'clock Oh the morning Of
the thirteenth, near which place the whole
army was collected
Gen. Stuart, intent upon driving before
him Kilpatrick's troopers to prevent them
from discovering the movement of our artuy
had gotten, in the darkness Of night, his
cavalry corps hemmed in between two heavy
DOlHnnS tI Jig enemy 3 lu1nntHY moving
parallel roads. Gen. Meatle Thought at first
that Cen Lee intended attacking him in front
on the Rappahannock and therefore had
massed his army in that vicinity: but finding
that our army was marching still further
North he put his troops in motion. and was
now moving rapidly, by day and night, to
Outstrip the Confederates in the race for Gem
trevlle. One Of the roads over which the
Federals were marching, ran within seven
miles OF Warrenton, and had it not been for
sTUART's MIsHAP,
Gen Lee would have been possessed Of pre-
else Information Of their whereabouts, which
would have enabled him to place himself in
front OF Meade, aud between him and Bull
Bun. Not hearing from Gen. tHbEart, Gen.
Lee remained inactive at Warrenton until the
following morning.
October 14-Information of Stuart's critical
situation having been received by means of
two OF his troopers, in the guise Of Federal
soldiers, penetrating the enemys column and
reaching Gen. Lees headquarters the whole
army was put in motion at daylight. Our
corps (EWelPs), which had been ordered to go
to the rescue Of Stuart's cavalry, had not
marched four miles before it became engaged.
Hays brigade was carried to the extreme left
to support Gordon's We advanced some dis
tance with Gordon, the enemy falling back
under cover of his artillery, OF which he had 81
powerful force Gen. Stuart was thus ena-
bled to escape from his perilous predieament
By that time most Of Meades army had
passed, and we were engaged with the Fifth
corps tWarren's), which brought up the rear
The Federal General evinCed no DISPOSITION to
halt his army and give the Confederates bat
tie, but continued his march with great celeri-
ty towards
BULL RUN,
| behind which stream he seemed very anxious
| to get posted. Our General was greatly dis
| appointed at the nOn-COmbative disposition
| displayed by his adversary on this occasion
for "Marse Robert" had evidently started or1f
with the determination to force Meade into q
fight on equal ground.
Our army was pushed forward in the direc-
ton Of Bristow Station, in the vicinity OF
| which Early's division arrived at o'clock o.
m. Hills corps. moving on o shorter road
had preceded us and was the first TO strike the
enemy at the station Hill was in such q
| hurry 10 anticipate Ewell that he sent forward
only two brgades Cooks and Kirtlands)
against @ whole corps Of Federals posted
| along railroad cut, having 81 heavy force Oi
artillery on commanding hill Immediately
| in rear OF it. These brgades advanced with
! great spirit and bOIdness, charging I'D tC
within a few yards Of the enernys line, but
| were terribly cut up and scattered by the
vastly superior force opposed to them. The
| Federals charged in turn, and captured bat
terry from Hill, which had been left without
| infantry support.
| In this engagement Gen. Carnot Posey
commanding IL famous Mississippi brigade.
was shot in the knee and died a few days after
from the, effects of the wound. He was q
| brave and ChivalrOus soldier, and though In
feeble health and OF weak constitution
| had rnanfully stuck to his command and un-
| complalniDgly borne the trials and hardshpe
Of army life.
| Early's division came up shortly after Hills
| t1aSco, and forming on his right advanced q
mile skirmishing, but not grneralIy engaged
| The wounded of Cooks and Kirtlands gallant
but unfortunate brigades, who remained on the
field Immediately in front Of the station,
groaned and screamed all night, and though
| we could plainly hear their piteOus cries for
! assistance we could not relieve them, owing tC
| the proximity Of the enemys line and the OBJ
| scurity Of the night.
| October 15.-DayIight revealed the unwel.
come fact that
THE FEDERALS HAD ESCAPED
and ensconced themselves behind Bull Run.
| Gen. Lee having failed to draw Gen. Meade
| into battle, resolved to tear up the railroad
leading back to Rappahannock crossing that
his expedition should not be entirely barren
| of results. On the sixteenth and seventeenth
| Of October our division was engaged in this
| work: Our boys had had much experience
| feet in a day was remarkable. The process is
| a simple one. The rails are first pried out OF
| their places, the sleepers and crossties are
put in piles and the rails laid across them, the
ends projecting over the sides Fires are then
kindled under each pile; when the wood work
is consumed the rails are burned to q red heat
| in the middle, and the weight of the project
| ing ends causes them to bend, destroying
| them for further use. During the last year
Of the war machine was used by both
armies by which rails bent In this manner
could be quickly Strengthened and made SER
| viceabEe.
| On the nineteenth Of October Gen. Lees
| army recrossed the Rappahannock and pro-
ceeded to prepare
WINTER QUARTERS.
Our division was not withdrawn from the
neighborhood Of the river until the first of
November, when we camped near Brandy
Station, and went to work constructing huts
in which to pass the winter. But We we're
doomed to remain but a short time In these
comfortable quarters.
November 6.-At sunrise our brigade, under
command Of Col D. B. Penn, of the Seventh
Louisiana Regiment Hays being absent
on duty as a. member Of q court of inquiry
marched to the bridge, crossed the Rappahan-
mock, and relieved the StOnewalI Brigade.
Gen. Walker'sl Of Johnston'6 Division, doing
picket duty at that point