136 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



two despatches from Gen. Robert E. Lee, command- 

 ing the army of Northern Virginia, communicating 

 the result of the operations north of the Rappahan- 

 nock. 



From these despatches it will be seen that God has 

 again extended His shield over our patriotic army, and 

 has blessed the cause of the Confederacy with a second 

 signal victory on the field already memorable by the 

 gallant achievement of our troops. 



Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the skill 

 and daring of the commanding general who conceived, 

 and the valor and bravery of the troops who executed, 

 the brilliant movement whose result is now communi- 

 cated. After having driven from their intrenchments 

 an enemy superior in numbers, and relieved from siege 

 the city of Richmond, as heretofore communicated, 

 ourtoilworn troops advanced to meet another invading 

 army, reenforced not only by the defeated army of 

 Gen. McClellan, but by the fresh corps of Gens. Burn- 

 side and Heintzelman. 



After forced marches, with inadequate transporta- 

 tion, and across streams swollen to unusual height, by 

 repeated combats, they turned the position of the ene- 

 my, and, forming a junction of their columns in the 

 face of greatly superior forces, they fought the decisive 

 battle of the 30th, the crowning triumph of their toil 

 and valor. JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



At "Washington, on Saturday, the 30th, the 

 "War Department invited the citizens to go out 

 to the battle field and assist in taking care of 

 the wounded soldiers. A large number re- 

 sponded to the invitation. From three to seven 

 o'clock P. M. the streets swarmed with people 

 and conveyances loaded with blankets and 

 baskets and rolls of lint. Every public carriage 

 and vehicle was impressed into the service. 

 A thousand persons at least went out. More 

 would have gone on Saturday morning, but 

 the invitation was recalled, and passes re- 

 fused. The entire movement turned out as ill 

 advised. Very few persons were allowed to go 

 far enough to find the wounded they sought, 

 and some were made prisoners by the Confed- 

 erates. The movement thus begun at "Wash- 

 ington instantly extended through all the prin- 

 cipal cities of the Northern States. In Boston, 

 Massachusetts, which will serve as an illustra- 

 tion of the others, the greatest excitement pre- 

 vailed on Sunday, the 31st. A despatch had 

 been received on the previous evening from 

 Washington, by Gov. Andrew, asking that 

 the surgeon-general of the State should send 

 on twenty surgeons with hospital supplies as 

 soon as possible. This demand was made pub- 

 lic at an early hour in the morning, with the 

 notice that contributions would be received at 

 Tremont Temple. Those notices were also 

 read from pulpits, which is the usual manner 

 of advertising on Sunday in New England, and 

 many congregations were immediately dismissed 

 to procure contributions. At an early hour 

 these contributions began to be rece ; ved at the 

 Temple, and continued to pour in during the 

 whole day old sheets for bandages, shirts, 

 dressing gowns, pillows, liquors, jellies and 

 sweetmeats of all kinds in a word, every va- 

 riety of article which could suggest itself to a 

 kind heart as necessary to the comfort of the 

 wounded soldier. Bundles and packages of 

 every conceivable size and shape were momen- 

 tarily arriving. Ladies brought bundles, who 



were never seen to carry bundles before, and 

 stout gentlemen in gold spectacles were seen 

 driving heavy laden carts through the streets, 

 or lending a hand at the boxes. All these ar- 

 ticles were received at the side doors of the 

 Temple and taken within, where corps of pack- 

 ers inclosed them in boxes, which were then 

 taken out of the main entrance to the express 

 wagons, which crowded the streets. Thus twen- 

 ty-one hundred cases were packed, and all sent 

 forward by the evening train, except about one 

 hundred and fifty. At the same time subscrip- 

 tions were taken at stands on the sidewalks, 

 and over five thousand dollars collected. 



Meantime the following correspondence took 

 place between Gens. Pope and Lee : 



CENTKEVILLE, August 31, 1862. 



SIB: Many of the wounded of this army have been 

 left on the field, for whom I desire to send ambulances. 

 Will you please to inform me whether you consent to 

 a truce until they are cared for? 

 I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN POPE. 

 Mnj.-Gen. U. S. Army, Commanding. 

 To Commanding Officer Confed. forces, near Groveton. 



HEADQUAETEBS ABMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, ) 

 Augtut 81, 1S62. J 



Maj.-Gen. Pope, U. 8. A., Commanding, &c. 



Sm: Consideration for your wounded induces me to 

 consent to your sending ambulances to convey them 

 within your lines. I cannot consent to a truce nor a 

 suspension of the military operations of this army. If 

 you desire to send for your wounded, should your am- 

 bulances report to Dr. Guilet, Medical Director of this 

 army, he will give directions for their transportion. 

 The wounded will be paroled, and it is understood that 

 no delay will take place in their removal. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



R. E. LEE, General. 



On Sunday, the 31st, the Confederate army 

 was put in motion toward the Little River 

 turnpike for the purpose of turning the right 

 of Gen. Pope. During Sunday night and Mon- 

 day morning, Gen. Pope, anticipating this de- 

 sign of the enemy, changed his front by caus- 

 ing his right wing to fall back to the heights 

 of Germantown. Thus when the enemy reach- 

 ed Ox Hill on Monday, he discovered Gen. 

 Pope's army in his front on these heights. The 

 ultimate design of the enemy was to cut the 

 rear of Gen. Pope in the direction of Fairfax 

 Court House. The Little River turnpike runs 

 from Middleburg to Alexandria, and intersects 

 the Centreville turnpike about a mile east of 

 Fairfax Court House. Germantown is a small 

 village between Fairfax Court House and Cen- 

 treville, and about one fourth of the whole dis- 

 tance beyond the former. 



Meanwhile, during the conflict on Friday and 

 Saturday, Gen. Banks, with his command, was 

 covering the extreme left of Gen. Pope's line, 

 to keep off reenforcements for the enemy, and 

 to be used as a reserve. He crossed to Bris- 

 tow's Station, on the railroad four miles beyond 

 Manassas Junction, and on Sunday was ap- 

 proached by a large Confederate force, before 

 which he fell back and joined Gen. Pope. The 

 bridge at Bristow's Station having been destroy- 

 ed by the enemy at the time of their attack 

 upon it, and that over Bull Run not having 



