CHAPTER XVII

 

 

SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN • CONDUCT OF GENERAL FITZ JOHN PORTER • THE ARMY FALLS BACK • BATTLE OF CHANTILLY • ARLINGTON HEIGHTS • UPTON'S HILL

 

SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN, ON THE PLAINS OF MANASSAS, July 28th, 29th, and 30th - THE next morning, the 28th, we commenced our march at three o'clock, and upon arriving at Gainesville about ten, the head of the column was fired upon by a battery of artillery posted on an elevation to our front and left. The whole column was marvelously soon unwoven, and formed into line of battle and skirmishers advanced, but upon Cooper's rifled guns being brought to bear upon them, they withdrew, but not, however, before some loss had been sustained on our side; the adjutant of the Eighth Reserve losing a leg, and one man being killed and five wounded. This was supposed to be merely a demonstration by the enemy to save a wagon train, which was seen moving off on the Sudley Springs Road. We then resumed our march, striking across the country towards Manassas Junction, in the neighborhood of which a portion of the enemy's forces, under Generals Jackson, Ewell, andA. P. Hill, were posted, the object being to cut off this force to the east, from the main body under General Lee, who were advancing from the west, through Thoroughfare Gap.

About five o'clock in the afternoon, it being ascertained the enemy had moved from Manassas towards Centerville early in the day, we turned off to the left, near Bethlehem Church, and took the Sudley Spring Road towards the Warrenton Pike. About this time a heavy cannonading was heard, which continued until it grew into the thunder of a desperate battle. We had already marched many long and weary hours and miles, but tired and exhausted we pressed on until the musketry firing became distinct, the flashing was seen and the mingling voices of the combatants were heard. It was after nine o'clock that night, after a march of eighteen hours and twenty­eight miles, with many of the men without anything to eat, that we

 

SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN   135

 

arrived upon the battlefield, and stretched our wearied limbs upon the grass to sleep.

Kings' division of our corps had encountered, near Groveton, Jackson's force, whom Kearney had in the afternoon driven out of Centerville, and who were retreating towards Thoroughfare Gap, to from a junction with the main army. About the same time Rickett's division became engaged with Longstreet's Corps, near Thorough­fare Gap, about eight miles farther west. Both actions were severe, but not decisive for either side.

Early the next morning, the 29th, the Reserves were formed and moved forward to meet the enemy. We advanced some distance and passed through a woods into an open plain, where we were drawn up on the left of a vast mass of troops and pushed into a woods beyond. Soon we were ordered back, and then commenced a series of marches and countermarches through the hot sun and under a never ceasing fire of shot and shell, until late in the afternoon, without pulling a trigger. The day was extraordinarily hard on the men of our regiment, who were worn out and weak, they having had but one ration of meat in thirteen days, and but little to eat the day before, and nothing this day.

The day was opened by Sigel attacking the enemy early in the morning, a mile or two east of Groveton. Jackson fell back several miles, but was so closely pressed, that he was compelled to make a stand. He accordingly took up a position with his left in the neighborhood of Sudley Springs, his right a little to the south of Warrenton Turnpike, and his line covered by an old railroad grade which leads from Gainesville in the direction of Leesburg. His batteries, which were numerous, and some of them of heavy calibre, were posted behind the ridges, in the open ground on both sides of Warrenton Turnpike, whilst the mass of his troops was sheltered in dense woods behind the railroad embankment. Heintzelman's corps occupied the right of our line, General Sigel the centre, and the Pennsylvania Reserves, under Reynolds, the extreme left, south of the Warrenton Turnpike. A portion of Reno's force was in the line, and a portion held in reserve, in the rear of the centre.

Up to four o'clock very severe skirmishes occurred constantly at various points on our line, being brought on at every indication that the enemy made of a disposition to retreat, the object being to hold them until Porter and McDowell with the rest of his corps could turn their right and rear, when it was confidently expected we would be able to overwhelm or capture the larger portion of Jackson's forces before he could be reinforced. At two o'clock, when Porter and McDowell should have been in the positions assigned them, they

 

136      - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

had not arrived, and peremptory orders were sent by General Pope to Porter, to advance and attack the enemy. At half-past five o'clock, when it was confidently expected that Porter was coming into action in compliance with orders, Generals Heintzelman and Reno, on the right, commenced an assault upon the enemy's left. The attack was made with great gallantry, and the whole of the left of the enemy was doubled back towards his centre, and our forces, after a sharp conflict of an hour and a half, occupied the field of battle, with the dead and wounded of the enemy. In this attack Grover's brigade broke through two of the enemy's lines and penetrated to the third before it could be checked. By this time General McDowell arrived on the field with the balance of his corps, which was pushed to the front along the Warrenton Turnpike to fall upon the enemy, who was retreating towards the pike from the direction of Sudley Springs.

This attack was made by King's division at about sunset, but by that time the advance of the main body of the enemy, under Longstreet, had begun to reach the field, and he encountered a stubborn and determined resistance at a point about three-fourths of a mile in front of our line of battle.

While the attack was being made on the enemy's left, General Reynolds was ordered to threaten their right and rear, which he proceeded to do under a heavy fire of artillery from the ridge to the left of the pike. This battery of heavy guns it was determined to attempt to capture, for which purpose the First Reserves, Colonel Roberts, and our regiment, Colonel McCandless, were sent into a dense woods to the right from which we soon drove the enemy's skirmishers without any loss. Having advanced through the woods to the opening upon the opposite side, we displayed ourselves to attract the attention of the enemy, who soon opened upon us a most terrific fire of shell and grape, to which we could give no response. Having succeeded, however, in drawing the fire from the storming party, we laid down quietly and watched our comrades on the left. Generals Seymour and Jackson, at the head of our brigades, most gallantly led them to the charge, but notwithstanding the steadi­ness and courage shown by the men, they were compelled to fall back before the heavy artillery and musketry fire which met them both on the front and left flank.

The fire for a time was drawn from us, but soon again it returned, the iron hail whistling and bursting over our heads through the woods, tearing the branches from the trees and scattering the bark in every direction. It was here that young Poulson of Company K was killed. As the storming party had been driven back and as there was no further use of our maintaining the position, Colonel

 

CONDUCT OF GENERAL FITZ JOHN PORTER    137

 

McCandless withdrew the regiment in good order from the woods, and we fell back over the fields with the round shot and shell plowing up the ground and bursting over us. If we had had a battery of rifled guns, the result would probably have been different, but Ramson's being smooth-bored, their range was too short. We withdrew to the position we moved from in the morning, the enemy occasionally sending round shot at long range among us.

Whilst this attack was going on, the forces under Heintzelman and Reno continued to push the left of the enemy in the direction of the Warrenton Turnpike, so that about eight o'clock in the evening, the greater portion of the field of battle was in our possession. Bayard's cavalry also made an attack on the extreme left, which ended the fighting for the day, which we could safely now claim as ours.

In regard to the conduct of General Fitz John Porter, the following is extracted from the official report of General Pope:

"Nothing was heard of General Porter up to that time (eight P.M.), and his force took no part whatever in the action, but were suffered by him to lie idle on their arms within sight and sound of the battle during the whole day. So far as I know, he made no effort whatever to comply with my orders nor to take any part in the action. I do not hesitate to say, that if he had discharged his duty, as became a soldier under the circumstances, and had made a vigorous attack on the enemy, as he was expected and directed to do, at any time up to eight o'clock that night, we should have utterly crushed or captured the larger portion of Jackson's force before he could have been by any possibility sufficiently reinforced to have made any effective resistance. I did not myself feel for a moment that it was necessary for me, having given General Porter an order to march towards the enemy in a particular direction, to send him in addition specific orders to attack, it being his clear duty, and in accordance with every military precept, to have brought his forces into action wherever he encountered the enemy, when a furious battle with that enemy was raging during the whole day in his immediate presence. I believe - in fact, I am positive - that at five o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th, General Porter had in his front no considerable body of the enemy. I believed then, as I am very sure now, that it was easily practicable for him to have turned the right flank of Jackson, and to have fallen upon his rear; that if he had done so, we should have gained a decisive victory over the army under Jackson, before he could have been joined by any of the forces of Longstreet; and that the army of General Lee would have been so crippled and checked by the destruction of this large force as to have been no

 

138 (Drawing not included)

 

THE ARMY FALLS BACK    139

 

longer in condition to prosecute further operations of an aggressive character. I speak thus freely of the strange failure of General Porter, not because I am more convinced of its unfortunate results now than I was at that time, but because a full investigation of the whole subject, made by a court-martial has fully justified and confirmed that opinion."

Our loss during the day was estimated by General Pope at from six to eight thousand killed and wounded, and Generals Hooker and Kearney, who had been over the whole field, separately estimated the loss of the enemy at from two to one, and from three to one of our own.

The weary and hungry boys had just thrown themselves upon the ground to sleep, when orders came for our brigade to go on picket. Picket on the battlefield means to be in line of battle within a short distance of the enemy, and to be prepared at any moment for an attack in force. We silently moved off to a woods on the edge of which we were concealed, with pickets about twenty yards in advance of us. In our front, and within hearing of their voices, were the foe reposing on their arms. A sleepless night was passed, but at last dawn came and we were relieved and marched back to the division.

The men of our regiment were now absolutely suffering for food, and were worn down by constant marching, fighting and loss of sleep, and unfit for the battlefield, until they had rest and rations. Many of them were so utterly exhausted that it was necessary to send them to the rear, as they could not continue with us. The brave boys who had been without food for two days, and had hardly murmured before, now commenced complaining, and four of them came to appeal to the Colonel. McCandless heard their story, which he knew was too true, and turning to his saddlebags, drew forth two buns which he had just received from an aide, and breaking them in half, distributed them, remarking, "Now, I have fed the regiment." The men seeing this, complained no more.

Soon after we marched to the right of the Warrenton Pike, and a few boxes of crackers were distributed among us, giving to each man about five. We then hurried into line and moved forward, crossing Young's Creek, where we found a number of wounded men who were collected and sent to the rear. Moving forward, we were deployed as skirmishers to the left of the "Bucktails," over a rising piece of ground flanked on either side by heavy woods. As we advanced a pretty but sad sight presented itself. It was the dead of the preceding day, most of whom at this point were the Fourteenth Brooklyn, dressed in their large flowing red trousers and blue jackets. Through the gray of the morning they resembled Zouaves sleeping

 

140      - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

peacefully upon the ground, and interspersed with them as we ap­proached nearer, we could see the blue coats and gray jackets taking their last sleep also. This was the pretty sight, but when we crept up stealthily among them on our bellies watching for the foe, it was sad to gaze upon their cold pale faces, and think of the happy ones at home that would soon be steeped in anguish for the loss of the brave but still hearts that lay around us.

After feeling for the enemy for some time they were found occupying a store and some outbuildings about three hundred yards in advance of us, from which they kept up a brisk fire. Leaving a portion of the skirmishers to occupy their attention, McCandless moved with the balance to the left, and under cover of the woods crept up upon them, but the scamps were too wide awake to be caught, they skedaddling before we could flank them. Taking up a position in the buildings and the extreme edge of the woods, a sharp fire was opened by both sides across a broad field, beyond which the enemy were posted in a woods, with their sharpshooters in the trees, from which they were dropped in a lively manner by volleys from squads of our men who marked every tree from which smoke issued. While at this work Captain Connors received a severe wound from a rifle-ball passing through his right breast. At the same time a brave little "Bucktail," who was going "to try my luck," got knocked over.

As it was desirable to ascertain more fully the strength of the enemy in our front, we were ordered to advance, and with loud cheers we crossed the field that intervened between us and the foe, driving them before us, and pressing on about four hundred yards when we halted. In the meantime a masked battery was discovered to our right and front about three hundred yards, and a large force of infantry and artillery on our left and rear about twelve hundred yards distant. By this time the Third Reserve, Colonel Sickel, came to our support, but McCandless seeing the critical position we were in, ordered us to retire, which we did with the utmost deliberation and order, some of the men stopping to destroy muskets left upon the field by the enemy. A fine brass howitzer was also found in the road, which would have been brought off had not the spokes of its wheels been cut. Taking up our former position we laid down and were quiet for about an hour without the enemy molesting us in the least.

It was now near two o'clock and the day thus far had been remarkably quiet, nothing but a little skirmishing going on. Up to ten o'clock in the morning every indication pointed to the retreat of the enemy from our front along the Warrenton Pike in the direction of Gainesville. Our line was formed with Heintzelman's corps on the right, Reno's next, Sigel's next, and Porter's on the left and the

 

PLAINS OF MANASSAS      141

 

Warrenton Pike, and the Reserves on the extreme left, south of the turnpike, they being the pivot in the attack which Porter's corps

was to make on the enemy's right wing, then supposed to be on the pike and in retreat. About this time, two o'clock, Porter's corps supported by King's division of McDowell's corps, attacked the enemy along the pike, and at the same time, Heintzelman and Reno on the right were ordered to push forward to the left and front towards the pike, and attack the enemy's flank.

It was soon after this attack, that our line of skirmishers fell back over the field, and when General Reynolds saw it he inquired of Colonel McCandless why he had withdrawn, and upon being informed the enemy were on our left, he replied it was impossible. Putting spurs to his horse he boldly dashed through our skirmishers to the left and passing into the open ground beyond, he found a line of skirmishers of the enemy nearly parallel to our line covering the left flank, with cavalry formed behind them, perfectly stationary, evidently masking a column of infantry, formed for attack on our left flank when our line should be sufficiently advanced. The skirmishers hoping for a rich prize opened fire upon him, but he ran the gauntlet and gained the division, losing an orderly who followed him.

It was now apparent that the enemy was not falling back, but massing his troops on the south of the pike to turn our left flank, and General Reynolds upon communicating the fact to General McDowell was directed by him to form his division to resist this attack, the dispositions for which were rapidly completed. Our line fell back over the same ground we advanced on in the morning, crossing the creek, and joining our division which was drawn up on the Ball Hill in rear of a heavy woods. Our guns to the right of us were soon engaged with a battery, whose range they soon got, and forced to withdraw.

Farther to our right and front, in the woods covering the right of the field we first skirmished over in the morning, Porter's corps was hotly engaged with the enemy, and from the number of brigades we saw going into the woods some hours before we had strong hope they would be able at least to hold their ground, as they were fresh troops, having arrived upon the field that day. But Porter's attack was not with the vigor or persistency it should have been, and soon it retired in considerable confusion.

The Reserves were then ordered across the field to the rear of Porter, to form a line, behind which his troops might be rallied, but before the rear of our column had left the position the threatened attack by the enemy's right began to be felt, and the rear brigade,

 

142      - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

under Colonel Anderson of the Ninth Reserve (the gallant Colonel Jackson having been taken sick on the field early in the day), with three batteries of artillery, were obliged to form on the ground on which they found themselves to oppose it. With the remaining two brigades we hurried on across the field to the right under a heavy fire of round shot and shell, passing by the Robinson house across a road. Our course being diverted by the difficult nature of the ground, and the retreating masses of the broken columns, among the troops of Heintzelman's corps, much time was lost and confusion created, which allowed the enemy to sweep up with his right, so far as almost to cut us off from the pike, this left but the Third Brigade, the three batteries of artillery of the Reserves, Tower's two Brigades and McLean's to resist the advance of the enemy on our left. This attack on the Ball Hill was too severe for the troops to hold it long under the hot fire the enemy maintained upon it, and after heavy loss, little by little they were compelled to yield it. It was here that the most severe loss of the Reserves was sustained, both in men and material; Kern losing his four guns, but not until wounded and left on the field; Cooper, his caissons. Colonel Harding, Twelfth Reserve, was here severely wounded. The brigade sustained itself most gallantly, and though severely pushed on both front and flank main­tained its position until overwhelmed by numbers, when it fell back, taking up new positions wherever the advantages of ground permitted.

Our two brigades and battery took up a position on the brow of a hill, near a road, from which we overlooked a large portion of the field, and Porter's troops commenced forming behind us, but on ac­count of the position at the Ball House being forced by the enemy, we were ordered over to the extreme left, and took up a position on the Henry House Hill. There we were formed in column of brigade, with Ransom's battery of Napoleons in our front, who were throwing their shells at long range upon the heavy masses of the enemy, who were advancing upon us. Here, under a most terrible shower of shell we remained for nearly an hour, with the brave boys falling around us, but all in good heart, hoping yet to gain the day. While here, an act of heroism was performed that has seldom been sur­passed upon any field. A shell dropped a few feet in front of the left of our regiment, which naturally recoiled from it, when the fiery missile was seized by a noncommissioned officer and hurled into a hole.

At last we saw line after line of our troops giving way, as the enemy came sweeping on in dense columns, shouting their victorious huzzahs as they advanced. If this position was lost, our left wing would be turned and the enemy would interpose his force between

 

PLAINS OF MANASSAS      143

 

the main body of our army and Centerville, on the Warrenton Pike, at the crossing of Bull Run Creek, and the result would be fearful. Therefore, it was necessary for us to maintain it at all hazards. On­ward the well-dressed lines of the enemy advanced, when, "forward Reserves!" shouted the gallant Reynolds, as he dashed the spurs into his horse's sides, and led the charge, followed by a mass of liv­ing valor, whose loud cheers drowned the roar of battle. The columns met, like the meeting of contending waves of the ocean, bubbling up and foaming over  but the rear ranks pressed on, trampling the wounded and the dead under their feet, till faltering and trembling, the gallant enemy were hurled back upon the denser masses that supported them, and were advancing through the woods. The scene at this moment was the most magnificently grand man ever beheld. In the van, towering above the masses, rode the gallant Reynolds, waving aloft a standard shot from its staff. Near him was the cool headed Meade, who in the heat of battle almost became excited as he urged the men forward, and next followed Seymour with his brigade, who by the gentle waving of his hand restrained the ardor of his men and preserved the distinctness of the lines.

Onward we pressed, pushing the enemy into the woods, when their reserve of five or six lines deep opened upon us a withering fire, while several batteries of artillery that had obtained our exact range, poured into us their flaming missiles, which bursting in our midst, produced fearful havoc. At the same time, the enemy from their vastly superior numbers were able to turn our left flank into which they poured a rapid and destructive fire of musketry. The struggle here became most fearful, and it was a long while before our lines could be forced back. But at last, slowly and in good order we yielded the ground, and fell back to our original position, near which we reformed and again held the foe at bay, reinforced by a brigade of regulars, under Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan. After dark, having been forced back about three-quarters of a mile, but still cov­ering the turnpike, we withdrew, but not until our ammunition had become almost exhausted, and almost the whole army had been withdrawn from the field. The Third Brigade soon afterwards rejoined us, and in the early part of the night we marched toward Centerville, and bivouacked with Sykes' division upon the east bank of Cub Run.

When we were forced to yield the ground to the enemy, Colonel McCandless, whilst most gallantly urging the men on, received a severe wound in the right thigh, near the groin, and seizing the flag he attempted to push on with it, but was taken from the field by main force, by Captain Mealey, and the flag saved.*

____________________________________________________________________________

* See Appendix A.

 

144      - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

Lieutenant James C. Justus, who, though sick, had continued with the regiment from Harrison's Landing, was taken from the field utterly prostrated, and sent to Washington.

On account of Company G being detached, and the number of sick and those who had given out from exhaustion and want of food, we entered that day's battle with but one hundred men.

In the official report of General Reynolds, the loss of our division is put down at six hundred and fifty-three men, and the conduct of our regiment and Colonel McCandless is complimentarily noticed, as also in the reports of Generals Seymour and McDowell.

Of our Generals and Division, General Pope says: "Brigadier­General John F. Reynolds, commanding the Pennsylvania Reserves, merits the highest commendation at my hands. Prompt, active, and energetic, he commanded his division with distinguished ability throughout the operations, and performed his duties in all situations with zeal and fidelity. Generals Seymour and Meade, of that division, in like manner, performed their duties with ability and gallantry and in all fidelity to the Government and to the army."

Early on the 31st, our division marched to Centerville and halted on the right of the road. It had been raining through the night and during the morning until ten o'clock, it was very heavy. The houses in the town were crowded with our wounded, and the road thronged with soldiers of every arm of the service, trying to find their respective commands. Wagons were moving to and fro, Generals, aides, and orderlies were galloping about, and squads of prisoners sent to the rear, and long trains of ambulances were pushing towards Washington. Omnibuses, carriages and other vehicles lined the roads and covered the fields in every direction, the Government having impressed all they could find in Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria, and sent them out for the wounded. Large droves of horses, tied to long ropes, were also sent from the Government employees, and many citizens also came out, and emptied their pockets of all the tobacco and post stamps they had, as those articles were in great demand among the soldiers.

About eleven o'clock the division was marched about two miles down the pike and halted, when coffee and crackers were issued, and we soon got our fires burning. This was a perfect godsend to us, every mouthful of coffee we drank seeming like so much life passing into us. We remained here a couple of hours, when we marched back to Centerville, and halted until near dark, and had salt beef served up to us, it being the second time we had meat during sixteen days. Just before dark our division was sent out to relieve General Reno, who occupied the position of Cub Run, our artillery shelling the woods

 

TO FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE         145

 

as we advanced. Our position was on a range of high hills, covered with heavy woods, and dense undergrowth, in which we rested on our arms all night, the enemy not disturbing us, excepting for a while when we were taking our position, when they sent their little bees humming around our ears. It was a long night of watching for our wearied men, through the rain, but at last the welcomed morning came and we were relieved and marched back beyond Centerville. As we came in we passed hundreds of ambulances and army wagons going to the field after the wounded, a flag of truce being arranged for that purpose.

That morning, September the 1st, we were mustered for pay by Captain James N. Byrnes, upon whom the command of the regiment devolved, he being the senior officer; all our field officers being wounded. The day before was the proper day, but it was impracticable.

It having been ascertained that the enemy were attempting to turn our right, and cut off our communications with Washington, by moving a large force on the Little River or Aldie Turnpike, towards Fairfax Court House, our army was stretched along the Warrenton and Alexandria Pike, from Centerville to beyond the Court House. At noon we moved off down the pike, marching on the fields along the sides of the road which was filled with continuous strings of wagons, moving both ways. A little before sunset, just as our division had passed in front of Chantilly, an attack was made by the enemy on the troops in our rear, and we were put in position in a large open field in reserve. The battle raged furiously for some time, the shot and shell falling among us, but doing little damage to our division. In the midst of it a terrific thunderstorm occurred, and it appeared as if heaven and earth were contending for the mastery. But the darkness of night terminated the conflict, the enemy was driven entirely back from our front, but the gallant Generals Kearney and Stevens fell. We then moved off a short distance and bivouacked on the outskirts of Fairfax Court House, it continuing to rain all night.

The next morning our appetites were sharpened by the sight of several beeves driven in to our butchers, but before the hides were fairly taken off of them orders were received to march, but the boys cut some good slices from them and took along. Marching down the road, we passed through Fairfax to Anandale, where we turned to the left, and after a halt of an hour we moved on past Ball's cross roads to near Arlington Heights, where we bivouacked for the night. On the road we passed large numbers of wagons, artillery and fresh troops. The new regiments were easily distinguished by their white faces and full knapsacks, the one of which Old Sol had tanned for us, and the other we had learned to do without.

 

146      - OUR CAMPAIGNS -

 

During the day there was some artillery fighting in the direction of Vienna, but before nine o'clock at night, all the command was inside the intrenchments of Washington, excepting three corps on the Vienna and Chain Bridge Roads, that did not arrive until the next day.

It may as well be stated here that General Banks was stationed along the railroad, charged with the safety of the wagon and railroad trains, and as during no time on the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st of August, the road was interrupted between Bristoe Station and Alexandria they were withdrawn with very little loss.

The next morning, the 3d, we moved about three miles to near the Arlington House, the late residence of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, where we lay in the woods until four o'clock the next afternoon, when we marched to Upton's Hill.

Here terminated our campaign with the army of Virginia, under General Pope, which, though short, was arduous and severe, and its failure is not to be attributed to the want of generalship on the part of the commanding general or his subordinates. The conduct of General Fitz John Porter, on the 29th, when the golden opportunity of crushing a divided foe was lost, proved fatal to the army the next day, and so clear a case was made out against him, by General Pope in his report, as to leave no doubt upon the subject. He was subsequently dismissed from the service by a court-martial, and disqualified from ever holding any office of honor or trust under the Government.

It may seem impossible to some that General Porter could be guilty of so dark a crime, but it must be remembered that the heart of man is now governed by the same impulses it ever has been from the earliest record, and that history furnishes many instances of men sacrificing their fortunes, lives, souls and even country, to avenge an insult their pride could not brook. The only explanation we know, of the conduct of Porter, was the unfortunate address to the Army of Virginia, issued by General Pope upon assuming command, in which he indirectly insulted General McClellan and his counsellors of the Army of the Potomac.

General Pope estimated his forces on the morning of the 30th as follows: "McDowell's corps, including Reynold's division, twelve thousand men; Sigel's corps, seven thousand men; Reno's corps, seven thousand; Heintzelman's corps, seven thousand men; Porter's corps, which had been in no engagements, and was, or ought to have been, perfectly fresh, I estimated at about twelve thousand men, including the brigade of Piatt, which formed a part of Sturgis' division, and the only portion that ever joined me. But of this force the bri­-

 

PORTER'S CONDUCT          147

 

gades of Piatt and of Griffin, numbering, as I understood, about five thousand men, had been suffered to march off at daylight on the 30th to Centerville, and were not available for operations on that day. This reduced Porter's effective force on the field to about seven thousand men, which gave me a total force of forty thousand men. Banks' corps, about five thousand strong, was at Bristoe Station, in charge of the railroad trains, and of a portion of the wagon trains of the army still at that place."

Of these the General says: "As may be supposed, our troops, who had been so continually marching and fighting for so many days, were in a state of great exhaustion. They had had little to eat for two days previous, and the artillery and cavalry horses had been in harness and saddled continually for ten days, and had had no forage for two days previous. It may easily be imagined how little these troops, after such severe labor, and after undergoing such hardships and privations, were in condition for active and efficient service."

In our regiment early on the 29th, it was well known that some trouble existed between Generals Pope and Porter, and that the latter would not render a cordial cooperation. This was the common conversation among the officers and men, who had gathered it upon the field, and we may here remark that among old troops it is almost a matter of impossibility to conceal the object of any extraordinary movements from them. There are always among the many thousand eyes that are watching, some who can divine the truth.

---