The National tribune., 1907-11-28

higher, and his men hoped that another
vigorous blow or two would bring them
the crowning success which they so ar
IDENTIFY wished. There was little thought
of making direct attack upon the
Union army in its new position at Cen
terville. The savage determination with
which it had fought over the Manassas
battlefields could only augur bloody dis
aster to an attack upon it in compact
array il the strongest position it had
yet assumed
Lee spent the gloomy, rainy Aug. 81
In reorganizing and accommodating. He
found that the rains had swollen Cub
and Bull Runs SO that, even had he so
minded, he could not have crossed them
extensively. Something had to be done,
however, and therefore bright and early
on the morning of Sept 1 Jackson set
out to renew the manuver by which
Pope had been forced back from the
Rapidan. Followed by Longstreet, he
crossed Bull Run beyond the Union
right, and then went by crossroads to
the Little River turnpike, fine high
way running from Aldie Gap thru Fair
fax Court House to Alexandria. He
hoped that his former good fortune
make such stroke upon Pope's sup
plies at Fairfax Court House as would
throw him back with great demoraliza-
tion from the constant retreats.
Jackson's men outmarched those of
Longstreet, SO that quite a gap was
opened up between them, and again
Jackson acted as if in contempt of the
generalship of his opponents. Pope had
anticipated such a movement as this,
and early on the morning of Sept. 1 had
ordered Sumner to push a reconnoiS-
sance toward Little River pike, in the
execution of which JackSon'S movement
was discovered. Thereupon Pope made
between the Little River pike and the
road from Fairfax to Centerville. Gen.
Hooker was sent to Fairfax Court House
to bring UP all the troops in that vicini-
ty and push forward to Germantown
Mcdowell was to move as far as Diff
cult Creek, and connect on his right
with Hooker Reno was to push for
ward north of the road in the direction
of Chantilly. and what was supposed to
be the enemy's flank. with Heintzel-
mans Corps in support.
Fighting in a Thunderstorm.
At 5 o'clock on the afternoon of Sept.
!, and in the midst of terrific thun-
derstorm, Jackson's advance encounter
ed Hooker's, Stevens's and Renos Divi-
sions adyantageously posted on the Lit
tie River pike, half way between Chan
tilly and Germantown. The Little River
road crosses a ravine at right angles,
bounded on the east by Ok Hill, and
which extends for a considerable dis
tance north and south of the pike. The
ravine covered the hill like a ditch does
q parapet.
jackson opened the fight with a noisy
but harmless cannonade against Hook
er, who lay directly across the road, and
then deployed three divisions-Starkes
Lawton's and d. H Hill's-to the right
of the road, and pushed them forward
Hill forged across the ravine thru the
torrents of rain, but Reno received the
attack with a firm countenance, AMI
after sharp fighting for a brief time re-
pulsed the two brigades which had at
tackled. Jackson sent out three more
brigades to their assistance, and finally
part of Lawton's Division, under the
pressure of which Stevens's small divi-
sion gave way and its commander was
killed. As it fell back it uncovered
Reno's fanks, who had to follow
Kearny came up at this opportune time
according to his habit of appearing on
the battlefield at the moment and place
when and where most needed. He sent
Birney's fine brigade in, following it
with the rest of his division as 1t came
up, and Kearny, advancing alone to re-
connoiter the ground in front, ran into
the enemy's troops, discovered his mis-
take, and in attempting to escape was
shot and killed. Darkness came on.
which, added to the rain, stopped the
fight, with the enemy everywhere re-
pulsed. Two of Hills divisions had suf-
fered severely, and his Brigadier-Gen-
erals said that it was the sharpest ac-
ton, for the length Of time. in which
they had been engaged. All that any
of them claimed was that they had
succeeded in holding their positions,
which was equally true of that portion
OF Pope's army opposed to them.
Death of Kearny and Stevens.
The heaviest loss on our side was that
of two magnificent division command
ers. Kearny and Stevens. These men