man. The very hill reeled beneath us like a drunken As I darted through the men fell on both sides of me. The Fifty-second New-York volunteers, a conscript regiment, chanced from our position to be in front. They wavered, and were falling back on the old regiments, when Colonel Frank, who commanded the Third brigade, rode in their front and rallied them, crying: "Stand boys! follow me. Behind them was the Second brigade-or Irish brigade-who coolly stood to their guns. Colonel Myles, too, rallied the lines. In a moment the panic subsided, and the men stood coolly in their lines, though the shot and shell of the enemy were knocking them over pretty fast. The lincs now fell back behind the crest of the hill, and Rickett's battery, having taken position, returned the enemy's killing compliments with interest, shelling the woods and ravine in which | they were concealed. All this time the rebels were shouting their demoniacal yell all round, and the sharp metallic sound of musketry ran along our picket and skirmish lines. The enemy's battery soon became silent; but the firing increased along our skirmishing lines. The corps now wheeled round its head in the direction of Catlett's Station. It was evident that the enemy meant to contest every inch of ground, and to cut us off from forming a junction with the other corps. The troops had to move in fighting order, every now and then taking up lines of defence. As there was little intermission from fighting all day, I could not ascertain ours or the rebel loss. I saw one rebel colonel mortally wounded. Gregg's cavalry suffered heavily, chiefly the Tenth New-York, which is severely cut up. The Second corps nobly covered the retreat of the army, being successively engaged with the enemy at several different points throughout the day, and most desperately throughout the afternoon and evening. They stood like a wall of iron against the repeated and thundering assaults of the enemy, until our whole army, with all its transportation, was secure, and in a position to meet every attack. THE BATTLE OF BRISTOE STATION. The entire army left the line of the Rapidan, on its retrograde movement on Saturday night, marching along the line of railroad until Wednesday morning, encountering the enemy at times, and skirmishing occasionally, avoiding a general engagement. Å general action might have been brought on at any time between the Rappahannock and our present position; but it was reserved for Wednesday to witness a renewed trial of the capabilities of our brave men in the field. The Second corps had been assigned the arduous duty of guarding the rear of the army, and on the morning of Wednesday, at daylight, took up its line of march in the following order: General Hayes's Third division leading, followed by the First division, General Caldwell, the rear being brought up by General Webb's Second division. On reaching a point near the railroad, some three miles west of Bristoe, the Second division took the lead, followed by the Third, leaving the first at the rear. In this order they marched to Bristoe, on the south side of the track of the Orange and Alexandria railroad, with flankers well out on both sides and skirmishers deployed. In order to understand fully the character of the fight, it is necessary to give the topography of the country in the vicinity of Bristoe. The Orange and Alexandria railroad here runs in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction over a broken and woody country: The town of Bristoe is non est. But a few old chimneys point out the place where the village once was, just at the west of Broad Run, about three miles west of Manassas Junction, and half a mile west of the station. There is a skirt of dense woods, undergrown with thick brush, through which, on either side of the railroad track, a tolerable road has been cut, both of which were used by our army on its march. On the west side of Broad Run the country is hilly up to the woods, and somewhat overgrown with brush. The run crosses the railroad at right angles under a high bridge, at the eastern end of which a dilapidated windmill stands, formerly used for pumping water for the use of the road. On About three fourths of a mile west of Bristoe is Cedar Run, a small stream; but, from its depth of mud and water, difficult to ford. On the north side of the track, about thirty rods west of the bridge, is a solitary house, or rather shanty, which, though insignificant of itself, figures somewhat extensively in the fight. There are here, also, just back of the shanty, three quite prominent hillocks or humps, upon which the rebels had planted batteries. Also there were several like elevations on the south side of the track, upon which the batteries of our own forces were located. West of Broad Run, extending for a few rods, is low ground, rocky and brushy, affording excellent opportunities for sharp-shooters. the east side of Broad Run, for a hundred rods, is an open plain, with a little point of timber jutting out perhaps twenty rods, and having its north border about eight rods south of the railroad. The roads from the west run across Broad Run as follows: The one on the north side of the track branches about forty rods west of the run, one fork crossing the run about a hundred rods north of the bridge, and goes to Centreville; the other fork crossing the track about twenty rods west of the bridge, and leading to the fork on the south side of the bridge. The road on the south side of the track runs parallel with the railroad; but a branch makes off to the right at Cedar Run, and crosses Broad Run about thirty rods south of the bridge. East of Broad Run, about a hundred rods distant, is a belt of timber perhaps a quarter of a mile wide, east of which the country on the south side of the track is open to Manassas. About half-past twelve o'clock the advance of the Second corps (General Webb's division) reached the eastern edge of the wood looking out toward Broad Run. The rear of the Fifth corps was just crossing Broad Run by the northmost road, when, as suddenly as lightning and as astonishingly as a thunderbolt from a clear sky, boom, boom, boom, came a half dozen discharges of artillery, not a hundred yards away. It was the enemy emerging from the woods north of the railroad by an obscure road, and firing upon the rear of the Fifth corps. A few shells from the rebel battery killed four of the Pennsylvania reserves, and wounded eight others before they could be got over the run to a place of safety on the eastern side. Then a line of rebel skirmishers appeared, cresting the hill on the north of the track, and running obliquely from the road to the upper crossing of Broad Run. General Warren immediately formed his plans, and right beautifully were they carried out. General Webb's division was thrown forward along the line of the south side of the railroad, with its right resting on Broad Run and its left at the wagon road. General Hayes's division was marched by the right flank, and took position to the left of Webb, while Caldwell faced the railroad and awaited action. died out like camp-fires in a heavy rain. Simultaneously with the ripping, tearing, death-dealing artillery, the Union infantry stood hiding thei forms behind a bank of flame and a fog of smoke, cheering as they discharged their pieces, and vainly begging to be permitted to rush over the track to the immediate locality of their adversaries. Then came a lull in the awful music; for the enemy, unable to stand against the terrible storm, had fled to the woods for safety, leaving six of their guns upon the field, one too badly crippled to be brought away. When the enemy ceased playing upon us, and the smoke had lifted so as to exhibit the field, and it was known that the enemy had retired, a detail of ten men from each regiment was made to bring away the deserted pieces. With a cheer that could be heard for miles, the men bounded across the track and climbed the opposite hill, seized the pieces as best they could, wheeled them into position, turned them toward the retreating demons, and fired a parting salvo with the ammunition which had been designed for the Yankees. Then the boys dragged five of them away, shouting as they came to the south side of the track, and placed them in battery, the infantry acting as artillerists and doing wondrous works of carnage. A section of Brown's battery, company A, First Shortly after the Second corps had got into Rhode Island artillery, was thrown across Broad position, the rebels tried their old tactics of massRun and put in position in the open field, where ing and charging. A dense gray body of men it could face the enemy and enfilade his skirmish- were seen forming between the east of the woods ers, the remainder being placed on the hill just and the run on the slope of the hill, north of west of the run and bearing directly upon the the railroad, upon which the artillery and infanmassing enemy. On the hill to the north-west try opened at once, driving the throng back into of Brown was Arnold's famous battery the the woods at a double-quick. After this masame which at Gettysburgh did such terrible ex-nœuvre a second line of skirmishers was thrown ecution among the rebel infantry. Then there forward to the brow of the hill skirting the river, were other batteries not behind their compeers and two regiments of North-Carolina troops-the in the bloody fray. Twenty-sixth and Twenty-eighth-came charg As soon as the rebels discovered that the rearing on our extreme right, over the railroad near of the Fifth corps had crossed to the east of the bridge. Broad Run, and that Warren was preparing for a fight, they developed two batteries in the edge of the wood, and commenced to send their respects to the Second corps. They were close by, their most distant guns being not over nine hundred yards from the line ef the Union infantry. They had the advantage of us at first; for they, knowing our position and having their batteries ready planted, were able to open upon us before our line could be formed or our batteries planted, and they knew and appreciated their advantage, and right heartily did they improve it. For full ten minutes they rained their bullets and hailed their shells with demoniac fury; but not a man of the gallant old Second quailed, not a gun was dropped, not a color dipped; but like Spartans they faced their foe, as if each man felt that upon himself rested the responsibility of crushing the rebellion. But the rebels did not long maintain their advantage, for Brown and Arnold lost no time in getting their batteries placed, which, when accomplished, made short work of all opposition. Rebel lines of infantry skirmishers melted away like wax over a hot fire, and the rebel batteries This post was held by Colonel Heath, commanding the brigade, which was the first of the Second division, and consisted of the Nineteenth Maine, Fifteenth Massachusetts, First Minnesota, and Eighty-second New-York. Our boys waited for their " erring Southern brethren," who came on with a yell until they reached the track of the railroad, when a volley, and another, and another, sent them homeward at a pace which defies illustration. The brigade of Carolinians, which was commanded by Brigadier-General Heth, broke and fled, hiding themselves behind the rocks and bushes along the stream. This brigade of NorthCarolinians was Pettigrew's old brigade, and the men prided themselves on their prowess. But the men opposed to them were too well versed in fighting to be intimidated, and they gave the lauded heroes the best turn in the shop. It was laughable to see them extricate themselves from their dilemma. They did not dare to rise from behind their cover when once hid; for no sooner would a head appear from behind a log, or rock, or bush, then a Minié would whistle it back to death. Run they dared not, fight they could not, and the only alternative left them was to surrender at discretion, which they did by creeping out upon all fours without their guns, and piteously asking our boys, like Crockett's coon, "not to fire, as they would come in." The captured of this brigade numbered about five hundred, and General Heth will have to recruit before taking it into action again. from falling into the hands of the Yankee mudsills. Our infantry and artillery would be powerless to help, as a shot from either would be as likely to kill one of our own as one of the rebel troops. But the selected men went off in the direction of the prizes, reached them, seized them, turned them toward the foe, fired a parting salute, from such as the enemy, in his haste, had left loaded, then commenced dragging them away by hand. When the enemy found that the Second corps was ready and able to hold its ground, and had They had not gone far, however, when the no notion of leaving, a fact they discovered after rebels flocked out of the woods, and came down about five hours' hard fighting, they withdrew to at a charge toward them, seeing which the boys the cover of the dense wood in their rear, only dropped the artillery, grasped their smaller arms firing with their artillery when they could work and drove the Butternuts back to the pines. themselves up to the fighting point sufficiently They then came back and dragged off their capto enable them to thrust a gun out of the edge tures in safety. of the wood. Then they would fire, and the flame and smoke would act as a target for our gunners; so the firing would be irregular and inconstant; now chiming in, peal on peal, like the reverberations of a thunder-clap, then only a shot or two for several minutes. The brunt of the fighting was done by General Webb's and General Hayes's division, with the artillery; but it was only so because General Caldwell, who was on the left, was employed in watching a heavy force of rebels which was massed in the woods across the railroad immediately in his front. At dark the fighting ceased, and darkness found us in full possession of the field, the rebels having fallen back to and beyond the woods, having suffered the loss of six pieces of artillery, two battle-flags, two colonels killed and one taken prisoner; probably five hundred killed and wounded, whom they left upon the field, and about seven hundred and fifty pris oners. Among the rebel slain and left were Colonel Ruffin of the First, and Colonel Thompson of the Fifth North-Carolina cavalry. The battle-flags captured were that of the Twenty-sixth NorthCarolina infantry, captured by the Nineteenth Maine, and that of the Twenty-eighth North-Carolina, taken by the Eighty-second New-York. The battery captured consisted of one large Whitworth gun, two fine Rodmans, and three brass field-pieces. One of these, however, was so badly broken up as to be worthless, and was left upon the field. The others were brought away, and to-day have been sent to Washington. I ought not to pass over the capture of these guns without mentioning an incident which illustrates the valor of our men to a remarkable degree. After the enemy had been driven from their guns by the artillery and infantry combined, General Warren ordered a detail to be made of ten men from each regiment of the corps to bring off the pieces. This was done in order to debar any one regiment, brigade, or division from arrogating to itself the particular honor of their capture. The work to be done was a hazardous one; but the boys shouted as they started at a double-quick. The woods in the rear of the battery were full of graybacks, who, in all probability, would attempt to prevent their pets VOL. VII.-Doc. 35 I have heard some cheering on election nights, but I never heard such a yell of exultation as rent the air when the rebels' guns, caissons, and equipments were brought across the railroad track to the line of our infantry. During the afternoon, while the heavy cannonading was going on, General Meade sent the Fifth corps, under General Sykes, to reënforce the Second, but they did not reach the field before dark, and then the fortunes of the day were closed and they could be of no service. General Warren had won his victory and vindicated the wisdom of the power which made him a MajorGeneral. The victory was signal and complete. I am reliably informed that the rebel Colonel Thompson stated that General Lee's object was to head us off before reaching Centreville, and supposed that when he made the attack upon Warrren he was at the head of the entire army with his corps. Consequently he only threw forward one portion of A. P. Hill's corps, numbering in all about twelve thousand men, with four batteries of artillery, in order to hold us in check until the other corps of Ewell, together with the two remaining divisions of Longstreet's corps, could come up. I presume the story is true; but they have found out their mistake. After the fight had closed, we buried all our dead, brought off all our wounded, and came over Broad Run in perfect order and safety. We have not lost a dollar's worth of property by capture. Our forces are now safely and securely posted; our trains all parked in convenient and safe retreats, and the army is in excellent spirits. Among the casualties in the above described battles were the following on the Union side. In battery B, Second Rhode Island artillery, Chester Hunt, killed; Martin V. B. Eaton, leg shot off; John Kelley, wounded slight; Lieutenant Perrin, slight; Edward Howard, slight. Captain Ball of the Third Minnesota was wounded in three places and under the most aggravating circumstances. When the enemy charged up the railroad, finding themselves in a dangerous place, they waved their hands in token of surrender. At this instant Captain Ball sprang to the top of the embankment, and a volley was fired at him, three shots taking effect. The Min nesotians returned the fire, and many a rebel suffered in retaliation for this act of treachery. The First Maine cavalry, which was cut off Monday night near Jefferson, reached Bristoe Station Tuesday night. They lost twenty men, who were sent to communicate with General Gregg. Our men behaved handsomely. The following is a list of the casualties: Killed-Colonel James E. Mallon, Forty-second New York, commanding Third brigade, Second division, Second corps. Wounded-Captain S. M. Smith, Seventh Michigan infantry, Inspector-General of General Webb's staff; four captains of Forth-second New-York; Lieutenant William B. Driver, Nineteenth Massachusetts, slight; Lieutenant J. I. Ferris, Nineteenth Massachusetts, slight; Captain Frank Wessels, Judge Advocate, Second division, Second corps; Captain Thomas Sinclair, First Minnesota, slight; Lieutenant J. D. Gray, First Minnesota, slight; Lieutenant Stevens, Fifteenth Massachusetts, slight. The Fifteenth Massachusetts lost two killed and eight wounded; Nineteenth Maine, one killed and twelve wounded; First Maine, one killed, twenty wounded, and one missing; Eighty-second New-York, seven killed and eighteen wounded. The above were in First brigade, Second division. The casualties in the Third brigade, Third division, were four killed, eighty-five wounded, and twenty-five missing. In the Fourth brigade Third division, the loss was fourteen, in killed, wounded, and missing. General Tile, of the Tenth Pennsylvania reserves, was wounded in head and foot. Among the rebels slain were Colonel Ruffin, of the First, and Colonel Thompson, of the Fifth North-Carolina cavalry. The battle-flags captured belonged to the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-sixth North-Carolina infantry. The battery captured consisted of one large Whitworth gun, two fine Rodmans, and three brass field pieces; one of these, however, was so badly broken up as to be worthless, and was left upon the field. Besides the rebels killed, whom I have mentioned, there was Brigadier-General Cooke, a son of General Philip St. George Cooke, of the Union army. His body was left on the field. After the fight had closed, we buried all our dead, brought off all our wounded, and came over Broad Run in perfect order and safety. We have not lost a dollar's worth of property by capture. Our forces are now safely and securely posted, our trains all parked, and the army in excellent spirits. The rebel Colonel Thompson states that it was General Lee's object to head us off before reaching Centreville, and supposed when he made the attack upon General Warren he was at the head of the entire army with his corps; consequently he only threw forward one portion of D. P. Hill's corps, numbering in all about twelve thousand men, with four batteries of artillery, in order to hold us in check until the other corps of Ewell, together with the two remaining divisions of Longstreet's corps, could come up. Probably our entire loss in killed and wounded will not reach two hundred, while that of the enemy will not fall short of five hundred, besides the prisoners captured. We lost none in battle except the killed and wounded, though it is probable a few stragglers fell into the hands of the rebels, between Warrenton Junction and Bristoe. GENERAL MEADE'S ORDER. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, The Major-General Commanding announces to the army that the rear guard, consisting of the Second corps, was attacked yesterday while marching by the flank. The enemy, after a spirited contest, was repulsed, losing a battery of five guns, two colors, and four hundred and fifty prisoners. The skill and promptitude of Major-General Warren, and the gallantry and bearing of the officers and soldiers of the Second corps, are entitled to high commendation. By command of Major-General MEADE. (Signed) S. WILLIAMS. RICHMOND EXAMINER ACCOUNT. RICHMOND, Oct. 26, 1563. No connected account has yet been published of the movements of our army during the recent campaign in Northern Virginia. From the information in our reach, we make up a hasty and imperfect narrative. It would appear to have been General Lee's plan to send A. P. Hill's corps by a route west of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad to Manassas Junction, there to cut off Meade's retreat, whilst Ewell's corps followed on the right flank of the retreating enemy, and would be ready to fall upon his rear when he should be brought to a stand. In furtherance of this plan, Hill left Madison county on or about the eighth instant, and moved toward Sperryville. On the same day Ewell crossed the Rapidan at Raccoon Ford. At this place occurred the first cavalry fight, in which we drove the enemy back, but not without sustaining considerable loss. Here Newton and other gallant officers fell. Meade having apparently seen through the designs of General Lee, began his retreat simultaneously with our advance, and, having the benefit of the railroad, and moving on a direct line, it is no matter of surprise that he managed to frustrate them. On Sunday, Hampton's cavalry, under the im mediate command of Stuart, moving in advance of Ewell's corps, reached Culpeper Court-House, and, moving along the railroad, encountered the enemy at Brandy Station. The battle took place on the farm of John Minor Botts, one of the charges of our cavalry being made through his front yard. We may here remark that the property on the farm of this extraordinary individual, of whom the government of the Confederate States stand in such fear, had been religiously respected by the Yankees: whereas the country around was little better than a wilderness, his fences and crops were untouched. But that Sunday night wrought a change in its condition. | men, immediately stepped forth to undertake any Three thousand confederate cavalry bivouacked thing their General might order. Stuart ordered there after the battle, and fed their horses in his them to put on infantry knapsacks, and, shoulcorn-field. The next morning there were very dering muskets, to advance in the darkness to the few fence-rails and very little corn left. The road, fall into the enemy's column, and crossing men could be heard to say while building high it, to make their way to Warrenton, and say to their fires: "Pile on, boys, they are nothing but General Lee that he was surrounded, and he d-d old Union rails." Botts came down Mon- "must send some of his people to help him out." day morning and said he would like to get a cer- Eddins and his two gallant comrades obeyed tificate of the quantity of corn used and rails orders, and reached Warrenton in safety. burnt. He was dismissed very cavalierly, and told that we had no time to attend to such matters. At daylight Wednesday morning, Stuart was informed, by the cracking of our skirmishers' muskets, that Lee had received his message, and was sending "some of the people" to help him. As Lee's advancing columns attracted the enemy's attention, Stuart, from the rear, opened on them with grape and canister. The enemy were much disordered by the cannonade from so unexpected a quarter, and, taking advantage of the confusion, Stuart limbered up his guns, and, with with cavalry and artillery, dashed through the hostile ranks and rejoined General Lee. The enemy suffered a loss of one hundred and eighty killed in this affair. The last division of the enemy halted and bivouacked opposite Stuart and within one hundred and fifty yards of his positon-so close that Monday our cavalry came up with the enemy we could hear the Yankees pouring out oats to at Jefferson, on the road from Culpeper Court- feed their horses. During the night two of House to Warrenton. There an obstinate fight Meade's staff straggled into our lines and were took place, which resulted in the enemy being taken prisoners. One of them, a gay young feldriven across Hedgeman's River to Warrenton low, said to Stuart, "All right, General, we sup Springs, from which place the enemy were also with you to-night, you dine with us to-morrow,' driven after a battle. In each of these battles intimating that Stuart would, by that time, be a we took several hundred prisoners. Ewell's prisoner. corps, having changed its line of march, reached Warrenton on Tuesday morning. Meade's army was at this time across the Rappahannock, and believed to have halted at Warrenton Junction, and between that point and Catlett's Station. Two thousand cavalry were sent down from Warrenton to reconnoitre in the direction of Catlett's. On arriving near the latter place, Tuesday evening, they found the enemy were moving heavy columns of infantry along the railroad toward Manassas; and they thereupon immediately turned to retrace their steps toward Warrenton; but on reaching a road which crossed their route, leading from Warrenton Junction to Manassas, they found that the enemy were also moving infantry in large masses along this road. They were thus completely hemmed in. Night came on as they reached this road. The heavy tramp of the enemy's infantry and the rumble of their artillery sounded right in front of them. General Stuart withdrew his little force into a thicket of old field pines, hoping that the enemy would pass him by unnoticed, and leave his road to Warrenton clear. The enemy were moving so near our position that every word of command, and even ordinary conversation, could be distinctly heard by us. Our situation was extremely critical; any accident, the accidental discharge of a pistol, would have disclosed our position, and then, in view of the overwhelming force of the enemy, nothing awaited us but destruction or surrender. Stuart gave his officers and men to understand that surrender was not to be thought of, but that the enemy was to be fought to the last. A council of war having been called, it was resolved, as the best thing that could be done under the circumstances, to desert the nine pieces of horse artillery, and for the cavalry in six columns to endeavor to cut their way through the enemy. But after some reflection, Stuart resolved not to abandon his artillery, and struck upon a device for informing General Lee, who was at Warrenton, of his situation. He called for three volunteers to undertake a desperate enterprise. Crockett Eddins, of this city, and two other young What We That evening Hill's corps reached Bristoe Station just after Meade's army had passed that point. What appeared to be a small portion of the enemy was discovered behind a long embankment of the railroad, and two brigades of Heth's corps were ordered to dislodge them. Then followed the battle of Bristoe, which has already been mentioned in these columns. appeared to be a trifling force of the enemy turned out to be two full army corps, lying in ambush to gobble up any inconsiderate brigades that might attempt to dislodge them. An hour's experiment convinced our men that a formidable force was in their front, and they withdrew. had three or four hundred men killed and wounded in the fight. The enemy admit a severe loss, but they left but few dead upon the field. Before the main body of our army could get up, the battle was over. That night our men were drawn up in line of battle, but when the day broke on Thursday morning, the enemy was gone. Our forces followed them as far as Manassas Junction, and resting here a day, began a retrograde movement toward the Rappahannock. Our cavalry on Thursday crossed Bull Creek, near the foot of Bull Run Mountain, and made a reconnoissance as far as Centreville, where they were driven back by the enemy's infantry. Thus ended this famous retreat and pursuit. Our army returned to the Rappahannock, having lost in the campaign about one thousaud men, |