National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-31
Graphic Details Of the Confederate Movements
Against Pope.
Viewing Great Battle From an Over
looking Hilltop,
A Confederate Privates Story Of The Fight Lost
Through Fitz-John Porters TreaChery.
Tho Splendid Charge That Decided the
Bloody Struggle.

Alter the battle OF Cedar mountain Gen.
Banks retired beyond the Rappahannock,
closely followed by Gen. Jackson, who did
not, however, attcmpt to cross tho river, con-
tenting himself for the time being in demon
strations ut the several crossing places in his
front from Waterloo bridge down. Long
streets corps was right upon tho heels of
Jackson's. As soon as one of Jackson's
divisions unmasked one of the lower fords in
the general movement of his corps
to the left one of Longstreet's divisions
took its place, demonstrating against
Pope's positions with even more Of noise and
fury, until at last Longstreet occupied the
entire ground along the river front, while
Jackson was stealing along behind tho hills
on his rapid march around tho right flank
and to the rear Of Popes army. The entire
movement had been ably and successfully
conducted, with the loss only of few men
from cannot shot When the news arrived
that Jackson had captured Manassas, with
Pope's supply trains, the corps of Longstreet
was put in motion to the left, and,
crossing one of the upper fords of
the Rappahannock, and mado forced
march for Thoroughfaro gap, in the Bull Run
mountains, in the effort to join jackson, who
was understood at that time to be holding his
own near Groveton, though under q heavy
pressure. The foot of the gap was reached by
the leading division early in the afternoon of
the twenty eighth of August and it was
found to DO occupied by strong force of the
enemy. Preparations were at once made to
clear the gap of the opposing force, but 1t was
near nightfall before the job was completed.
1t would have been an easy matter
to have Joined Jackson that night, as
far as the length of the march was
concerned, but it may have boen that we
ulp haNf bod init not In
complished tho object The next morning
shortly after sun up the corps passed through
the doflle, and We wondered why it had been
yielded so easily, for at the narrowest part
the federals had thrown up substantial line
of brcastworks and it seemed as If a division
of men ought to have successfully resisted
five times their number in so strong n posi-
ton. The gap would have been finally
stormed, no doubt, by Longstreets troops, but
il would have been bloody work for them had
the general commanding the opposing force,
Gen. Ricketts, been resolutely bent on defend
ing tho pass to the last moment.
When the command had cleared the noun
tain barrier the noise of the battle then going
on at Grovoton burst upon our ears, and the
quick step was taken up all along the column.
Before noon the leading division was in COM
munication with Jacksons right wing, with
the others coming rapidly up and close be-
hind. Just here, by way of DEPRESSION, it
may be said that owing to the internal in
competency of the chief .quartermaster no
shoes had been issued to the army of General
Lee for months, and when it started from
Richmond on this long march the defect was
found to be of serious proportions. 1t is tho
naked truth that General Lee in the ensuing
Maryland campaign left behind as stragglers
Mt least one-thrd of his available forco
because that one-third could not keep
up with the main body with sore and
Oh font HAVING (iOrlnngVi1la IL
was attempted to remedy the matter by de-
failing shoemaker for each brigade, to cut
from the green hides of cattle slaughtered q
kind of sandal to shoe the barefooted. Now,
these did very well except on the rocky turn.
pike, and except when they became hard and
dry, when they were veritable instruments OF
torture, blistering the feet and abrading the
skin. The writer was one of the unfortu-
natss supplied with the devilish invention
above stated, and as consequence was
awarded seat in an ambulance on the
morning OF the twenty-ninth, with
his feet sore, bleeding, and swollen to
twice their natural size. On the arrival OF
Kemper's brigade, Pickett's division Ito
which the writer belonged), then commanded
by Col. NJ. ID. Corse, of the 18th Virginia, at
Gainesville, the writer not being considered
in fitting trim to take his part in the coming
battle, was detailed to act in the important
and respectable though not very martial
position of company COOK. The able-bodied
regular cook whom he thus displaced cheer
fully took his place in the ranks and by the
same hour the next afternoon had passed
over to the silent majority. The writer has
never been able to look any Of that mans
family in the face since that day without feel
ing somehow as ii he was in measure re-
sponsble for his death.
But to our tale. AS mentioned above, by noon
all of Longstreets corps was well up to the
n,,l tfI IN, nf hot IA
And hero it may be said of Longstreet that,
although he was Il bulldog fighter when
once the fight was opened, he was the slowest
general OF large command in the confederate
army to begin fight. His mind and percep-
tions were slow and heavy. He had none OF
that keennes of faculty which takes in the pos
sibilities of battlefield alta glance, and which
instantly moves to mako the best of them-a
faculty which was the chief characteristic of
Jackson. When Longstreet was ordered
to execute movement it was his GUS
tom TO reconnoiter and reCOnnoiter and
dilly-dally, thus losing precious time
which he had afterward to make up by hard
knocks and pouring out the blood OF his men,
when swifter and earlier action would have
obviated auy such necessity. Ho never took
chances if he could avoid it, This defect in
his generalship was especially shown on the
second day of this battle, and afterward more
fatally for the south in tho battle Of Gettys-
burg. However, by 2 o'clock p. M, the corps
was well deployed to the right across
the Manassas Gap railroad, and the county
road leading from Gainesville to Manassas
junction, the left OF the line making an
obtuse angle with the right of Jackson's line,
which was extended along an old unfinished
railroad rs fur as Sudley Springs. There was
desultOTy fighting with cannon and musketry
all along the line that afternoon, but no
regular battle was Joined and toward sun
down, when the writer and his companion
cooks arrived with the wagon contal ming
food for our regiment ON the line
of battle, except for tho continued
rattle of tho skirmishers and an
occasional cannon shot, both the painting
giants seemed to lay resting, rs If to gather
strength for the fierce struggle which was to
come for them on tho morrow, III was OK
)ectod that tho battle would open at carly
lawn, and so it did, in "A measure, but ii was
In desultory manner and IL was well on to-
wards midday before both sides buckled
down seriously TO their work. Tho writer,
having finished about 10 n. m. his
share in baking the hoo cakes to
refresh his comrades after the battle, was
consumed with burning desire to SEQ what
was going ON at the front; so, after getting u
passport from the medical director at the
field hospital Cthe dear old doctor died in
Alexandria few days ago-Dr. NJ Nj. Lewis
to show that he was no maligner, and bor-
rowing q government mule from Chief Com
missary Chichester he set out for the
point where Kemper's brigade had
been stationed the evening before
At this nOint, which was about u half mile
from where tho left of Longstreets limo
Joined Jackson's right, tho ground rose up
into high ridge, and from tho summit II
splendid Wow of tho whole battle field was
obtained, except whero the sight was cut oil