ARMY OPERATIONS. 



135 



from the west, thus attacking them on three 

 sides. The contest, as has been stated, com- 

 menced early in the morning on the part of Gens. 

 Sigel and Reynolds, and was continued rather 

 feebly until the afternoon, when Gen. Ileint- 

 zelman's corps joined Gen. Sigel, and soon 

 after Gen. Longstreet had joined Gen. Jackson. 

 Here Gen. Grover's brigade of Gen. Hooker's 

 division made a brilliant bayonet charge 

 through two lines of the enemy and into a 

 third one, losing thirty per cent, of its force in 

 twenty minutes. Gen. McDowell also brought 

 his whole corps into the field in the afternoon, 

 and, as Gen. Pope says, ' taking a conspicuous 

 part in that day's operations." Gen. Porter, 

 reduced by the withdrawal of Gen. King's divi- 

 sion, was on the direct road to Gainesville, 

 along the railroad from Manassas Junction, 

 holding in check a large force of the enemy's 

 right wing, strongly posted to guard the Hank 

 of that portion confronting Gen. Pope's right. 

 About 7 P. M. Gen. Heintzelman's right division 

 under Gen. Kearny turned the enemy's left to- 

 ward Sudley Springs and went into action, driv- 

 ing them back fully a mile. Thus the day ended 

 successfully for the Federal arms. The entire 

 force of Gen. Pope, except Gen. Banks's corps, 

 was thus engaged with the two wings of Gen. 

 Lee's army. The loss on this day by Gen. Pope 

 was reported at eight thousand, which was an 

 overstatement. Both parties slept upon their 

 arms that night on the same spot, near the old 

 battle ground of Bull Run. The contest was re- 

 newed the next day, the 30th. The object now 

 with Gen. Pope was, if possible, to maintain his 

 position. The design of the enemy appeared to 

 be to accumulate such a force on his right as to 

 crush the Federal left and occupy the road to 

 Centreville in its rear. Gen. Lee, of the Confed- 

 erate army, thus reports the action of this day: 

 " The enemy, being reenforced, renewed the at- 

 tack on the afternoon of the 30th, when a general 

 advance of both wings of the army was ordered, 

 and after a fierce combat, which raged until 

 after nine o'clock, he was completely defeated 

 and driven beyond Bull Run. The darkness 

 of the night, his destruction of the stone bridge 

 after crossing, and the uncertainty of the fords, 

 stopped the pursuit." The only additional 

 force brought into this part of the field on this 

 day by Gen. Pope was the corps of Gen. Porter, 

 which was moved from the extreme left to the 

 centre, travelling a distance of six miles. Gen. 

 Pope, in his report, thus describes the conflict of 

 the 30th : " The enemy's heavy reinforcements 

 having reached him on Friday afternoon and 

 night, he began to mass on his right for the 

 purpose of crushing our left, and occupying the 

 road to Centreville in our rear. His heaviest 

 assault was made about five o'clock in the after- 

 noon, when, after overwhelming Fitz John 

 Porter, and driving his forces back on the cen- 

 tre and left, mass after mass of his forces was 

 pushed against our left. A terrible contest, 

 with great slaughter, was carried on for sever- 

 al hours, our men behaving with firmness and 



gallantry under the immediate command of 

 Gen. McDowell. When night closed our left 

 had been forced back about half a mile, but still 

 remained firm and unshaken, while our right 

 held its ground. Gen. Franklin, with his 

 corps, arrived after dark at Centreville, six 

 miles in our rear, whilst Sumner was four miles 

 behind Franklin. I could have brought up 

 these corps in the morning in time to have re- 

 newed the action, but starvation stared both 

 men and horses in the face, and, broken and 

 exhausted as they were, they were in no con- 

 dition to bear hunger also. I accordingly retir- 

 ed to Centreville that night in perfect order." 



It appears that the contest with artillery 

 commenced early in the day, and but little 

 damage was done on either side. Early in 

 the afternoon an attempt was made to break 

 the line of Gen. Porter stationed on Gen. 

 Pope's centre. This was unsuccessful, but 

 caused a severe loss to Gen. Porter. In the 

 latter part of the afternoon the enemy's forces 

 were concentrated upon the corps of Gen. 

 McDowell on the left of the centre. The bat- 

 teries there, Lapine's 5th Maine, Thompson's 

 Xew York, and Howell's, not being sufficiently 

 supported by infantry, were soon captured, and 

 McDowell's troops were driven irresistibly 

 back. The right and centre still maintained 

 their positions, but the disaster on the left, and 

 the apprehended design of the enemy to occu- 

 py the road to Centreville in their rear, made 

 it necessary for them to fall back. In doing 

 so the bridge across Bull Run was destroyed. 

 The field of battle with its dead and wounded 

 was left in the hands of the enemy. The 

 right wing of the army was this day command- 

 ed by Gen. Heintzelman, and did not give one 

 inch of ground to the enemy until ordered so to 

 do after the repulse received by the left wing. 

 The losses on both sides were severe, but have 

 never been officially made public. The report 

 of Gen. Pope was made before the reports of his 

 subordinate officers were received. These, in 

 consequence of his absence in the West, had not 

 been made near the close of the year. The 

 entire loss of Gen. Pope was estimated at be- 

 tween 15,000 and 20,000. 



At Richmond the following despatch was 

 received from Gen. Lee : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIROIXIA, GBOTK- ) 

 TOWN, Aug. 30, P. M., via Kapidan. / 



To President Davis : 



This army achieved to-day, on the plains of Manas- 

 sas, a signal victory over the combined forces of Gens. 

 McClellan and Pope. On the 28th and 29th each wine, 

 under Gens. Longstreet and Jackson, repulsed with 

 valor attacks made on them separately. We mourn 

 the loss of our gallant dead in every conflict, yet our 

 gratitude to Almighty God for His mercies rises higher 

 each day. To Him and to the valor of our troopg a 

 nation's gratitude is due. R- E. LEE. 



This was followed on the 2d of September 

 by the following Message of President Davis to 

 the Confederate Congress : 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Con- 

 federate States : 

 I have the gratification of presenting to Congress 



