134 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



rear. It was the advance of the same force, a 

 portion of which had repulsed Col. Scammon 

 and Gen. Taylor in separate actions during the 

 forenoon. That portion of the force had ceased 

 to follow them beyond Sangster's Station, as 

 they would thereby have been drawn away 

 from the main body, and also from the support 

 of Gen. Lee's army marching upon White 

 Plains and Thoroughfare Gap, and because 

 Gen. Pope was falling back upon them. Upon 

 the approach of Gen. Hooker's force to Bris- 

 tow's Station the Confederate forces fell back 

 about one and a half miles across Kettle Run, 

 and formed upon its left bank. Their main 

 body was at Manassas, a little farther in the 

 rear, to which their line of battle extended. A 

 severe action ensued, which terminated at 

 dark. Gen. Ewell's force was driven from the 

 field, with the loss of his camp equipage and 

 about three hundred killed and wounded. Gen. 

 Hooker's division had brought with them only 

 forty rounds of ammunition, and at night there 

 were only five rounds to the man left. Upon 

 learning this fact, Gen. Pope immediately sent 

 back orders to Gen. Porter to march with his 

 corps at one o'clock that night, so as to be with 

 Gen. Hooker at daylight in the morriing, the 

 28th, with Morell's division, and also directed 

 him to communicate with Gen. Banks the or- 

 der to move forward to Warrenton Junction. 

 All trains were ordered this side of Cedar Run, 

 and to be protected by a regiment of infantry 

 and a section of artillery. Owing to insur- 

 mountable obstacles and the limited time given 

 him to make the march, Gen. Porter did not 

 arrive as early as expected. 



The position of Gen. Jackson after the defeat 

 of E well on the night of the 27th was dangerous. 

 "Without reinforcements he must retreat before 

 the powerful foe in front. Only two routes were 

 open for him. The one by which he had come, 

 which was through Gainesville and Thorough- 

 fare Gap ; and the other toward Centreville. 

 If he attempted the first one, he would meet 

 the forces of Gens. McDowell and Sigel, and 

 the Pennsylvania reserve under Gen. Reynolds, 

 who were already at Gainesville, whither they 

 had been ordered two days previous by Gen. 

 Pope. His only course of safety was to fall 

 back toward Centreville, which he did that 

 night, and took position on the farther line of 

 Bull Run. At noon on the 28th Manassas was 

 occupied by the troops of Gen. Pope, and on 

 the same day Gen. Heintzelman's corps, con- 

 sisting of the divisions of Gens. Hooker and 

 Kearny, pushed on to Centreville, and enter- 

 ed the place soon after the rear of Gen. Jack- 

 son had retired. At this time Gen. Reno, who 

 had cooperated with Gen. McDowell, had 

 reached Manassas Junction, and Gen. Porter 

 was at Broad Run, where he had been or- 

 dered to halt. It was now of the utmost im- 

 portance to Gen. Lee that Gen. Jackson 

 should be reenforced, or he might be cut off. 

 Foreseeing the danger, Gen. Lee had ordered 

 Gen. Longstreet to proceed on the 24th from 



Warrenton by way of Thoroughfare Gap, a 

 pass in the Bull Run mountains, fifteen miles 

 west of Centreville, and unite with Gen. Jack- 

 son. The advance of Gen. Longstreet appears 

 to have reached Thoroughfare Gap on the 

 evening of the 28th, and encountered Gen. 

 Ricket's division, which retired that night to 

 Bristow's Station. The enemy was thus free 

 to join Gen. Jackson both by Thoroughfare 

 and Hopeville Gaps. The advance of Gen. 

 Jackson retiring to join Gen. Longstreet en- 

 countered, near Gainesville on the Warrenton 

 turnpike, Gen. Gibbon's brigade of King's divi- 

 sion or all of King's division which was a 

 part of Gen. McDowell's force. The division 

 behaved handsomely, and suffered severe loss. 

 The contest closed with the darkness, and the 

 division retired to Manassas Junction before day 

 of the 29th. The road was open for the union 

 of Gen. Longstreet with Gen. Jackson, and the 

 junction was effected on the morning of the 

 29th, at 10 A. M., in person and with large force. 



Hopeville is about three miles northeast of 

 White Plains, on the road from White Plains 

 to Aldie. The road across the mountains is 

 some three miles north of Thoroughfare Gap. 

 Gen. Halleck in his report says : " McDowell 

 had succeeded in checking Lee at Thoroughfare 

 Gap ; but the latter took the road from Hope- 

 ville to Haymarket, and hastened to the relief 

 of Jackson, who was already in rapid retreat." 



The next morning found Gen. King's division 

 fallen back from Warrenton turnpike toward 

 Manassas Junction. It had been driven back 

 by the forces of Gen. Jackson. The passage 

 of the Gap was no longer disputed, and re- 

 enforcements to Gen. Jackson were passing 

 through during the whole day. Gen. Lee, in 

 his despatch to Richmond, says that Gen. Long- 

 street reached Gen. Jackson on the 29th. The 

 posture of affairs was now changed. The over- 

 whelming forces of Gen. Lee were at hand, and 

 it became a question with Gen. Pope what the 

 consequences to him might be. He seems to 

 have apprehended the facts. He cautioned 

 Gen. Porter, in his order, not to go farther in 

 his march to effect a junction with Gen. Heint- 

 zelman than might be necessary, adding, " as 

 he might be obliged to retire behind B-ull Run 

 that night for subsistence, if nothing else." It 

 is worthy of notice that the movements of Gen. 

 Jackson for the last two days had been in the 

 direction of Thoroughfare Gap, in order to be 

 nearer the approaching reenforcements, which 

 he was confident would surely come. Soon 

 after daylight on the next morning, the 29th, 

 the contest began on the part of Gens. Sigel and 

 Reynolds's divisions of Gen. McDowell's corps 

 and the Confederate forces. The divisions were 

 on the west toward Gainesville. The plan of 

 Gen. Pope was for Gen. Heintzelman, with Gens. 

 Hooker, Kearny, and Reno, to proceed from 

 Centreville toward Gainesville and attack the 

 enemy on that side, and Gen. Porter, with 

 Gen. King's division, to make another attack 

 from the south, and Gens. McDowell and Sigel 



