The National tribune., 1900-08-02

Aqua Greek, Alexandra ana the CAPITAL,
after which the several commanders were
10 move in the direction of Rappahannock
Station, Manassas Junction and Warren
ton, respectively, from the landing men
toned.
As l cannot follow the movements of
the other corps, | will take up that of our
own Ghe Fifth Corps from Aqua Greek.
under the immediate command Of Fitz-
John Porter. 1t moved forward in n
northwesterly direction, Ostensibly to join
Pope, who had but a short time before
been assigned by the President to the
command of the army in that part of Nir-
ginia between Washington, the Upper Po-
tomac, Fredericksburg and Culpepcr.
PoRTER's BEHAVIOR.
To the Jealous and patriotic General,
having the love Of country and the honor
of its flag at heart, it ought to matter not
what Pope may have previously said de-
rogatory to the Army of the Potomac.
However. it seems that Porter was one of
the general officers who had taken the
matter to heart and consequently was
somewhat derelict in his movements toward
joining Pope at the earliest possible mo-
ment Instead, for five days, and only
40 miles distant from Pope, the Fifth
Corps was kept busy running in and out
of line of battle against an imaginary en-
emy. And when the corps did finally
reach Rappahannock Station. at sundown
of an evening, it remained there till next
morning on the plea of the roads being
blockadcd by wagons. When, on the
morning of Aug. %, the corps did move up
10 Manassas Junction, reporting to Gen.
Pope direct at about IL o'clock in con-
junction with the division of Mcdowell,
it was then and there decided as to the
parts the two commands should take in
the battle about to commence. The COM
mands took diverging roads at the June
ton, Mcdowell the Sudley Springs road
and Porter the road leading west to Thor
oughfarc Gap. arriving there at about
p. H.. to find that LongstreetS Corps was
moving up the Valley to join Lee and
Jackson, and after 4 shot or two had been
thrown at the Gap the Fifth Corps, at
least 1900 strong, was marched back q
distance of about u mile, when the men
stacked arms and lolled about the Or
chards of the place. picking fruit, the bal
ance of the afternoon. This nOtwithstand-
ing the fact that at three different times
orders came from Pope to move up and
go into action in the battle Of Groveton on
Aug %. Porter remained with his COM
mand until about : o'clock the next morn
ing, when he moved his 1900 fresh
troops up TO the old fighting ground of
Bull Run. to which place Pope had fallen
back to defend the Capital from the dan
ger menacing it from the columns of Lee,
Jackson and Longstreet.
IUDt
How much aid this fresh corps of men
gave to Pope was very doubtful; the lead
ing officer being jealous of the man, gave
him little or no support when placed in
position TO do so. Nevertheless, Sykes
Division did considerable work during the
two hours it was in action. and did not
reach Centreville from the field till next
morning, Aug. 81.
The results of the second field of Ma
llp raya.cpl from
that of July 81, 1861; so much so that the
contending armies did not take up posi- |
ton in the same direction as did those of
the first field.
In falling back late in the evening Miss
Dix, daughter of the General of that |
name, could be seen riding over the field !
with Gen. Sigel, directing matters per-
tanning to hospital service on the field.
The following day found Centreville one
vast throng of very much dissatisfied SOL |
diers. When Gen. Pope and staff ap-
peared in the midst of the Army of the
Potomac, the men hooted and Jeered at
him. l merely wondered at such breach
of discipline in the American army. Had
Regulars been guilty OF such conduct their
punishment would be instant and severe |
and justly so. Pope. supported on the
29tb and Both as he should have been By |
leading Generals of the Army of the Po- |
tomac, Porter in particular, would have !
defeated Lee and caused his army to make |
a retrograde movement for Richmond.
On discovering that Lee was marching |
for the Potomac with view to the in |
vasion of Maryland, the Army of the PO- |
fomac was put in motion in the same di- |
recti9n, taking q northeaSterly route. The |
first night on the march the entire army
was astounded to find that Mcclellan had
once more been assigned TO command 1t. |
Nothing of note occurred till the battle |
of Antietam was on, Sept. II. The Fifth |
,I I,-l
hind Antietam Greek, and to the left of
the Sharpsburg Pike, facing south. About |
p. N. the ID L. s., commanded by Capt. |
j. S. Poland. moved forward TO the Sunk |
en- Road in front of the cornfield, as skir-
mishers, Mt 10 PAGES apart, accompanied |
by light battery. Other regiments of
Regulars were deployed immediately after.
While going over the open field the line |
was pretty hOtly peppered by battery |
formed in seInicircle in three sections |
ON q ridge south OF the cornfield, but after |
the Regulars gained the Sunken Road |
and nothing to inspire them in taking |
proper aim, the rebel battery was 81 |
fenced.
A Iudicrous incident Of the skirmish |
line Of the I'd was that while the regi- |
ment lay fiat on the ground, firing away |
at the JOhnnies, Capt. Poland, six feet |
tall, stood little to the rear of the line |
as erect as statue, with his bugler Hal |
pinl lying at his feet ready to sound n |
call, when, to the amazement of those |
near, the Captains flask was struck at one |
of the corners by a grapeshot. As the |
contents let loose Halpin rose up, and put |
ting both hands together, palms upward, |
conducted what he could in that manner to |
his lips, admonished as he was by the Cap |
tain, that he would be killed if he didn't |
lie down, to be answered by the bugler:
Captain, it is the best water | ever |
tasted and surely you can't deny me the |
drink"
This same courageous Captain, Intrepid |
soldier and gentleman by training and in |
etinct, died at Ashville, y. c., in 1898 |
BrigadierGeneral of Volunteers and Col |
onel of the 18th u. S., to which place |
he was taken for the benefit of his shat |
tered health through long and faithful |
service to his country. He was a native |
of Princeton, Ind, and graduate of the |
Military Academy Mt West Point.
Early morning of Sept. 10 found the !
Fifth Corps crossing the Potomac at !
Shepherdstown Ford; that is, the three di- !
visions of infantry.
Just at the point Of entering the water, |
one of the men suggested TO Musician |
ScanlOn, who was riding a mule. TO let |
AdJt krOntinger have the animal TO ride |
over on; but the drum boy, not taking the |
hint, was repaid by the mule by n dousing |
IN mid-stream. having been thrown by the |
1ong-cared brute.
Having attained the Virginia shore.