The National tribune., 1901-06-20


thought they had left a few hours before
sleeping soundly in the quiet of their
camp, n little further down the river As
the heads of these columns would thus
meet they would be brought to n sudden
halt by volleys from the infantry and
laundering discharges from their artillery
Night was thus made more irksome and
perilous than was the day. So rapid and
continuous were these movements upon
our part that little il any provisions were
issued to the troops, for the simple reason
that there were no provisions TO issue, as
the retreat from Culpeper had been so
sudden and the pursuit by the enemy so
rapid and energetic that our wagon trains
of every description had had to take n
road far in our rear and follow in
parellcl lines OF march as best they could
but where those wagons were, where head
quarters were, or where any commanding
othcer was, no one appeared to know or
seemed to care; still, the standing word of
command and order of march was push
on up the river"
In the meanwhile one column of the
enemy, that under Stonewal Jackson, had
by wide detour been pushing ahead up
that river at rate of speed that had dis
counted all of our efforts as the object
Of the enemy in our immediate front had
been to detain us along that river bank in
u,
ahead he got with vengeance
sToNEWALL JACKsoN's FLANK MOVEMENT.
Pope's army was startled by the intelli-
gence that Jackson had crossed the river,
having passed entirely around our right
flank; had captured the railroad station
at Manassas junction, with all of the
trains there, standing loaded with provi-
slons, ammunition, clothing, etc, for our
army. That station was supposed to have
been safe, as it was far in our rear, and
Napoleon, when he came down off of the
Alps, could not have surprised his enemy
more than did this intelligence to Pope's
worn-Out and half-starved soldiers; but
Pope satisfied himself and inspired his
troops with the information that he had
now got Jackson Just where he wanted
MIN, and all we had to do was to crush
him before the other parts of the Con
federate army could come to his relief But
there has often been Il wide margin be-
tween that which one oftimes proposed to
do and that which he actually accom-
plishes; and so it was with Pope; and
JackSOn'S troops having torn UP the rail
road tracks, destroyed the cars and pos
sessed themselves of all of the stores that
they could either eat or carry. made n
miserable wreck of all that was left, and
then marched away, unmolested, in the
direction of Groveton, and there calmly
awaited the arrival of their reinforcements
and to see what Pope was going to do
about it.
During this time Longstreet's command
had entered Thoroughfare Gap en- route
to Jackson, but before the head of his
column emerged therefrOm a division OF
Popes army stood in front of it to dis
pute their further passage. This placed
our troops between Jackson and Long
ct rnf.ta flry
Pope and one of the utmost peril for Jack
son, as Pope was rapidly concentrating his
troops in front of Jackson, with view of
him with all of his forces and
resources.
In the meantime McCleIlan's army had
taken transports at their several stations
along James River for the purpose Of
again confronting Lee, and had disem-
barked Mt the most convenient points
along the Potomac, under orders to rein
force Pope. Thus were the armies of Nc
Clellan and Pope to be united. Who was
to command the army thus united we did
not know. The question, think, was not
fnliy determined upon. The impression
was that the majority OF the troops were
to be Withdrawn from Mcclellan and as
signed to Pope, thus making him the com
mander in the field, and all that was
necessary to have effcctually done this
and to have made Pope the most con-
spicuous and commanding military per-
sonage Of that day was victory; but, I'M
fortunately for us, victory over the vet
Grams of Lee, Jackson and Longstreet,
sighed for and sought after, was
q very difficult matter to achieve
The first of McClellan's troops to reach
Pope and render earnest, effective service
were those under Kearny and Hooker.
and so eager were these troops to heed
such pressing call that they came on
without artillery or transportation of any
kind
THE DESPERATE FIGHTING AT KETTLE
RUN.
Hooker, while thus moving, struck n
large force Of the enemy at Kettle Run.
near BristOe Station, and by an imme
fiate, dashing charge drove them pell-mell
back upon their own main column. If
was my province, with n small scouting
party, to pass over this ground where this
;harge of HOokers had been made shortly
after it occurred, and although the dead
were being buried, the wounded removed,
and Hooker's troops in pursuit of the
beaten enemy, still, the field was covered
With innumerable evidence of the strug-
gle; as broken guns, torn knapsacks. bent
md twisted bayonets, as well as the other
belongings of a soldier, were scattered and
'trewn in the greatest confusion, and the
grass trOdden and weeds beaten down info
The earth, told where the closed masses
lad rushed upon one another, and where
land-to-hand struggles had taken place.
These evidences, although but mute me-
nentoes of the fight, indicated that the
Toes that had here met again were upon
heir mettle, and that desperate and deter
mined fighting must follow.
In the contemplated movement of
POpe's upon Jackson's isolated force near
Iroveton, he had not been able to gather
lis forces and move with the celerity that
he occasion demanded and success
against Jackson required, as Longstreet.
lpon finding his head of column in
Thoroughfare Gap confronted by Union
roOps, and being unable to deploy in that
narrow pass, did not turn back or lose his
wits, but promptly moved some of his
rOops up over the steep sides of that gan
md into other openings beyond, and was
hus able to present a more extended front
md obtain positions from which he could
ieplOy and strike his enemy to better ad-
Upon these dispositions of Longstreet's
orces being effected, the Union forces
ave up their hold upon the mouth of
rhoroughfare Gap, and fell back upon
'0pe, whose main army was near Center |
lille. Thus was LOngstreet let loose, with |
access to the country, and |
permitted to join Jackson, who was still |
waiting him near Groveton The iunc-
ion of these forces, which was speedily |
made, brought the armies of Lee and |
'ope face to face upon Bull Run BATTLE
eld, and upon this fated field, as in 81,
Jackson was a most cOnspicu-
us figure and actor, and up to the hour