The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-26

OF Pope retreating toward CenteTvIlle.
THEY GATHERED IN BEHIND Us;
seeing which Franklin dispatched me with
message to Gen. Smith, who commanded
his rear division, that he wished to see him !;
which order carried to the rear to smith
as soon as / could get there, and had Just
delivered my instructions, and with Smith
had got to the head of his line, when we OBJ
served long line Of dust suddenly rise up
about quarter Of a mile away TO the lsft,
under
CENTERVIILK HIGHTs
As it was suddenly getting dusk, we both
wondered what it could be. At last sug-
gested that l thought it was the rebel cav
airy that had been stealing a march around
Popes left wing to make a charge on POpe's
broken line. and they, on finding us Frank
Inns Corps Of fresh troops filing the tnrn-
pike, had skedaddled themselves, and thus
raised the line Of dust which we saw, but
could not ses the hoIsemen that had made
1t, rs it covered them from sight. Smith
| said that was it,
And 50 1t proved to be- For in the Win
ter Of 1862, 3. vas in Washington, and had
an interview with Capt. W. d. Ball, an Aid
on the rebel Gen. J. f. p. Stuart's staff, who
was in the fight. Hs told me that the rebel
/ cavalry, under Stuart, had been sent around
the left wing Of Pope's army, with orders TO
charge on the rear Of Pope, if they that
came in front should succeed in breaking
his (POpe's) line, and DO their best to capt
u1e or drive him up toward Aldie and the
mountains; and they had gotten into posi-
tlon, just ready to make the charge, when
they discovered the turnpike before them
full OF fresh troops, and they had to get out
Of that the best way they could, and that il
was them running away from there which
had raised that line Of dust that we saw.
While we were yet looking and wonder
ing, with our arms presented in line Of bat
tie, 1t suddenly grew very dark and began
to rain; at the same time
THE UEBROKEE LINE OF PoPH
appeared coming from the battlefield on
their retreat to Centerville, to which place
they marched and encamped; and after
those troops had passed between me and
Smiths line of battle (as had backed off q
little to give room for the column to pass,
behold Smiths troops were gone, where I
| could not tell, and seemed to be left alone
IN the dark so made my way back to Cen
teryille alone as best / could
When / got there ran against an old
wood-eart, and being afraid Of being tramped
on By the moving troops, tied my horse TO
one wheel, and crawled under the cart axle
between the wheels and lay down, and must
have gone 70 sleep instantly, as I remember
nothing after that until after sunrise next
morning. i then got up and found the
troops eneamped all around me.
hunted out FrankIin's headuuarters. and
got nay breakfast, the first bad eaten since
early morning the day before, and he di-
rected me TO go out with his
OFFICER OF THE DAY
along his picket-Iine las his troops were
picketing the line toward the battle-ground },
and find out all could of the condition OF
things out that way, and report to him on
my return. About IL o'clock I returned
and reported all quiet on the battle
| ground, bat that the rebel army was then
marching through the woods TO the north Of
Centerville, and would come down the Little
River turnpike between CenterviIls and
Fairfax Courthouse, and get between US and
Washington.
he Immediately, through Gen. Sumner,
sent that word to Gen Pope, and he (POpe)
directed Gen. Ksarny, with his command,
to march toward Chautilly, where he
| tKearny) there met the rebels just where I
told Franklin they were coming, and Kearny.
with his dashing habit Of running into
danger, got killed.
But his troops attacked the rebels so
vigorously as to put them TO flight with
great loss, and thus won the battle Of Chan
tilly and drove the rebels to seek a crossing
of the Potomac mp about Leesburg, and
gave time 10 unite and reorganize the Union
army and saved Washington from rebel oc-
cupancy.
While the battle Of Chantilly was going
on l started and piIoted the provision trains
of Franklin's Corps back to Alexandria
around through the woods to the south of
the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. the same
road we went up to the first Bull Run battle,
and thus completely avoided all contact with
the rebels, aud saved our trains and provis-
ions from Stuarts cavalry, which was en-
deavOring to capture them
| (To be c0ntinusd)
| Short Breath, paIpitatiOn pain 10 chest