New-York tribune., 1879-12-23

man nd eu ugagc RapDanduuOch
McDowel could discover there were not more tnan IN .M
four gun batteries delivering fire from the enemy SUI
The Federal eunners fired win pircson OH
GER Who by The aid OF his glass from an cxposeu go
tion directed their aim MANY ns .fs The Federal
planted their shots plump among me enemy y, y,nrninc
our compmens although their aim was poor and their
fire harmless The contest was not alone con.no asr ~
Kings arrival near the river detachment Of men nun
beriue less than two hundred were sen. imo ,v's
infantry on the other side. With keen eye for human
game, each marksnan from Ills cover caIeiu'y ,ic
sSery oe arcess n Is excosn was almost certain
death Sometimes the crack of mnsket SOUNDS was ar
ONLY a long intervals, and then IL broke out mo un,
or seemed 10 die away again into silence. Inc nhs ,
from artillery lasted during the greater par, o r ,u
day II was the same, and delivered for the same n
pose as that which had panied US IRON HthpS
Ford northward on our march. IL ilaicneu ahat
more There was, however, something unusual .n, u,
arrested McDowels attention Tue country i'nn, ,ad
phur Springs TO and beyond WaterSp cr %s
cavalry that could perform any service, la 20
powe bis had been watched
by only feeble force OF Federal horsemcn hne ans
The abors nut upon the horses by Pope were a
parent And now, when most iinpernn,s s uu' 'nrted
that their horses were broken down. Indeed 1enersi
Duord reported that his command was disoI @
aud Bayard declared thar his would neither charge nor
stand a charge. Notwithstanding such uninVoraoe s
reports they were however forced no cpm,'ioD i0'
important service, which Will soon DC reNe"eu'
ume will be read with interest by military men, III
which the author describes the contretemps between
himself and General Banks. which placed him III as
awkward position as that of General Fitz Johh
Porter when he received an mpractcable order from
Pope during the engagement at Manassas. Whiie
on the retreat from Fairfax Court House TO the IN
trenchmcnts at Alexandria, General Gordons brig
ade was resting near a running stream IT was late
in the afternoon, near sunset, when they came TO
halt; the troops were very tired; and the ar
tillcry and baggage horses almost used up.
But the overpoworing fatigues of the disastrous
campaign were drawing to close and tho Jadcd
men took heart at the prospect. AT this moment an
officer of General Bankss staff drew up with an
order to Gordon to withdraw his brigade and a
battery from the column and return to falr-
fax for the Government stores which had
been left behind and were now to be loaded
in wagons for conveyance to Alexandra.
General Gordon was at nonplus. There was
nothiug to show whether the order applied to
Fairfax Court House or to Fairfax Station. The
station had been left by the Army only few hours
before. and it was then occupied by the enemy,
whose artillery firing in the guard of the retreat
could be.distinctly heard. In this dilemma. the
brgadier sought an interview with General Banks.
He was near at hand, reposng IN an am
bulance in which way he had followed the
troops from Cedar Mountain, having been dlsa-
bled by an accident after the battle. Upon meeting
General Banks. he found him painfully reticent on
the subject. He did not know when the order
was issued, whether 1t meant yesterday or to-
day nor which of the two Fairfaxes was re-
ferred to, but declined excusing General Cor
don from the service "WIth feeling of con-
tempt" says the author. (which possibly found
some form of silent expression, turned from the
n oha1i N
instructions would have taken me far III the rear
Of our whole army at night alone and unsupported,
made haste to obey. The march of Bankss column
had been resumed. With the consciousness that
every step carried them nearer the nights bivonac
Mt Fort Worth, my poor fellows were bravely
plodding on when / ordered the head of the column
to halt and form in the thick woods that lined the
wav. Tins the narrow road was cleared for the
massage of troops in our rear and until this was
complshed my return was impossible. The feelings
which were predominant in my brigade when the
orders had received became known it would have
been difficult to describe. Some colonies asked
questions in tones which precuded the necessity
for q reply. One colonel especially brave and
sodery shrugged his shoulders above his ears, and
held his tongue. The men could only look de-
ected. and when the way at last was cleared. with
faces turned toward the spot where in the storm
they had passed q sleepless night, they planted
their feet heavily and raised them wearily in the
march. We had not proceeded far. when i'll the
waning light the rear guard of Banks corps
stood in onr pathway. Its commander viewed
my approach with an astonishment which fouId
voice in moment in the emphatic question
.Pray, where are you goingP TO Farfaxv To
Fsirfaxp (Satrical) And how will You get
tbereY why do you ask 2 Can you whip the
whole rebel armyY' Is the whole rebel army at
FairfaxY Look there and judge for YOURSELF re-
plied the commander of the rear guard. Over to-
ward Fairfax Court House. and to the east
ward. the air was filled with smoke. Stuart's
horse artillery supported by all his cavalry, pur-
sued our columns along the Little River Turnpike
and on the road toward Vienna Listening for
some time to the of the artillery and watching
the constantly rising clouds of smoke that seemed
slowly to advance along our parallel road toward
Alexandria, resolved at length that it would not
be practicable TO make further attempt To reach
either of the Fairfaxes until had in person
norted what | had discovered to Banks 1 in-
structed Colonel Ruger, my senior colonel, to re-
main where we were until my return, if he could
hold himself in that position without serious re-
sistance; but in no event to withdraw before the
rear guard.' The upslot Of the whole tragico-
comico affair was that Gordon found Banks well
advanced on the turnpike road to Alexandria he
still insisted on the execution of bis order; II was
nerfectIy dark and Gordon did not attempt the
march TO either Of the Fairfaxes that night; but
the column at a late hour rested near its destina
t;on ot Fort Worth.