The National tribune., 1901-06-20
LEES FIRST:iNVASION
RecoIlections Of the Eastern
Campaigns of the Fall of 1862.
BY GEN. EUGENE POWELL, GOTH OHIO.

BY GEN. EUGENBpPOWELL, GOTH OHIO.
1T
Lees first invasion OF the loyal States
in 90 was on his part one of the most
active campaigns on record; but as his
moves were always met, sometimes
checked, and finally checkmated at An
tietam, bespeaks for the Army of the Po-
tomac great activity also. That invasion
was attended with many battles and a
number OF victories for the Confederates.
Among these were Cedar Mountain,
Second Bull Run, and Harper's Ferry.
Still several secondary affairs occurred
which were decided in favor of the
DniOniSts, and had not these been eclipsed
by the prominence and Importance of
those just mentioned, would have won fer
the troops engaged a widespread and
splendid record. Such to the Unionists
were South Mountain, Crampton's Pass,
HookcrS fight at Kettle Run, and Kear-
nys at Chantilly.
AT South Mountain the troops from
West Virginia under Gen. J. ID. Cox
united for the first time with the main
Army of the Potomac, being merged in
Reno's Corps, and it fell to their lot to
climb that steep mountain-side and by a
Il.
troops, who had been left to hold those
nights and protect Lees army, which had
fallen back towards the Potomac The
assault of these troops under Cox was
executed with great dash and skill, being
exceedingly brilliant and successful
as they carried everything before
them. infiicting heavy loss upon the
Confederates and opened up South Noun
tain Pass to the Union Army, which was
nd
The drawn battle, which soon followed,
was Antietam, the bloodiest and most
desperate of the war for the time of its
duration, and the only great field battle
OF the war, as there both armies from
start to finish were moved upon the open
held, without any attempt at field works,
and as those opposing lines came together
no such other scenes were ever presented
in our war, and it is doubtful if a nearer
approach was ever made to great battle
pictures as these are represented on can
vas and paper than did actual occurrences
at Autietam.
The movements that had Immediately
preceded this invasion. briefly, were as fol-
lows: Lee had driven Mcclellan back from
in front of Richmond, and there was for
d time 4 cessation of hOstilities between
the armies defending Washington and
RIchmOnd, or the armies then endeavor-
ing to capture the Capitol of the United
States, or of the Confederate States, as
one might be disposed to designate those
armies; for at that time it was hard to
determine which was the army that was
10 do the capturing or defending, as the
case might be.
GEN. POPE ~ COMMAND.
That cessation of hostilities was occa-
stoned by the utter exhaustion of those
hut that condition was suddenly
disturbed and the lighting ire aroused in
both armies by the appointment of Gen.
John Pope to the command of such forces
as were then defending or in front of
Washington. Pope put fire and activity
into his own army which was designated
as the Army of Virginia. being composed
Of the forces then under Banks, Mcdowell
and Fremont, and amounting to about
10000 men; but the 'pr6clamations which
he issued put those same qualities into
Lees and McClellan'S armies By the
NapoleOnic or boasting character Of the
maHifestos which he sent forth upon tax
ing command, and it was hard to tell
whether Lees army was more aroused
than was McClellan's incensed by The
threats cast at the one and the reflections
thrown upon the other. The resentment
caused by these orders even pervaded
some Of the organizations of his own COM
mand, and contributed not q little to his
failure as a military chieftain.
l believe, however, that Gen. Pope was
a brave, faithful soldier, patriotic and
officer, and had victory crowned
ms Efforts, his orders even would have
ranked with those Of Napoleon, issued by
him when he assumed command of the
Army of the Alps, known as the Army of
Italy; but owing to his failures they were
the subject of ridicule, as would have been
those of Napoleon had he failed, as in this
world 1t is Il dangerous thing to boast in
advance as to what one proposes to do,
for in the Bible itself there is this in
junction or warning laid upon premature
as it states therein that
not he who puts on his armor should
boast, but only he who has laid his har-
ness aside. So it would have been better
had Pope been less boastful, for as it was
there was not single success to brighten
his campaign or to tighten his fall
At that time l was a great admirer of
Mcclellan, and believed that as an army
and as a people our hopes of success were
bound up in his genius and abilities, and
fully shared in the morose moods as
sumed by some of Pope's troops; but /
cheerfully moved forward under his con-
mand, sharing in the disastrous defeat
at Cedar Mountain, and in all of the priva.
ton of his retreat to Washington, and it
is now Of the greatest satisfaction for me
to realize that | was able to stand by nv
regiment during all Of that time, and as
its commander to have carried it into the
great battle Of Antietam when had ONLY
two line officers-Lieuts Smith and
GaZell-no field or staff officers, and only
about 80 men to stand by our coIors; for
such had been the terrible losses TO
Shieldss troops in following and fighting
Jackson in the Shenandoah
Valley and in this retreat of Pope's, the
other Ohio regiments in this brigade were
in little If any better condition of strength.
The 9th Ohio was commanded by Can't.
Collins and the 7th Ohio by Capt. Crane.
Still, if this was the conditions and
strength of those regiments, never in pro-
portion to their strength did they do as
terrible execution upon any field, or per-
form more heroic work, than was done by
them Mt Antetam
Shortly after the battle of Cedar Noun |
tain Pope fell back to Culpeper, but be |
coming apprehensye that Lee was about |
to attack him there, moved back across
the Rappahannock, with Lees cavalry In |
close pursuit. As soon, however, as Pope |
lad placed that river between himself and |
his enemy, he assumed an aggressive at |
tltude. Then Lee extended his lines fur |
ther up the river, threatening to cross at |
the fords as his advance reached there
Pope's troops moving to prevent such |
crossing, and in the meanwhile from
every knob or elevated point On both sides
Of the river the innumerable batteries of |
those armies were laundering away at
each other, as if a certain crossing was
to be made. Ali of this necessitated in
-ense watchfulness and incessant moving.