AKMY OPERATIONS. 



rest under the inviting shadows of the trees. 

 On Sunday night the troops encamped at Dum- 

 fries, which is ahout midway between Fal- 

 mouth and Fairfax. The design of Gen. Lee 

 in massing his troops at Culpepper, to fall upon 

 the right of Gen. Hooker, and intercept his 

 communications by land with "Washington, was 

 thus defeated. A few guns were heard in the 

 direction of Thoroughfare Gap ; but with this 

 exception everything seemed quiet along the 

 lines. On Monday the army advanced to the 

 neighborhood of the Bull Run battle field. The 

 third corps reached Manassas Junction in the 

 morning ; the first and eleventh arrived at 

 CentrevUle ; and the second, fifth, sixth, and 

 twelfth corps came up at night. Thus the 

 whole country south of the Occoquan was left 

 to the enemy. During the march, the cavalry 

 acted on the flanks, and rendered great service 

 in making reconnoissances. Gen. Gregg and 

 his division operated in the neighborhood of 

 Warrenton and "White Sulphur Springs. Gen. 

 DufEe's division, previously Gen. Averill's, 

 moved to the base of the Blue Ridge, near 

 Ashby's Gap. Gen. Buford, with the regulars, 

 occupied Thoroughfare Gap, preventing an ap- 

 proach of the enemy through that passage. 

 Col. Tyler, temporarily in command of Gen. 

 "Wyndbam's brigade, guarded the Orange and 

 Alexandria railroad. The defence of "Wash- 

 ington had been the object of Gen. Hooker's 

 movements thus far, and he occupied the posi- 

 tion which he considered to be best to defeat 

 any designs of the enemy upon that city. It re- 

 mained therefore for Gen. Lee to attack Gen. 

 Hooker in the old intrenchments before "Wash- 

 ington or to move into Maryland. 



On Wednesday, the 18th, a detachment of 

 cavalry, consisting of the 2d and 4th New 

 York, 6th Ohio, 1st Massachusetts, under 

 command of Col. Kilpatrick, and the 1st 

 Maine of Gen. Gregg's brigade, encountered 

 a body of Confederate cavalry, under Col. 

 Rousseau. Col. Kilpatrick was leading the ad- 

 vance of the Federal cavalry, moving from 

 Fairfax Court House to Aldie. The enemy's 

 force, consisting of cavalry and mounted infan- 

 try, coming from the direction of Snicker's Gap, 

 reached Aldie two hours in advance of the Fed- 

 eral force, and, learning of the approach of the 

 latter, posted themselves in commanding posi- 

 tions. Col. Kilpatrick charged upon them and 

 drove them through the town, beyond which 

 a stand was made, at a point where a Confed- 

 erate battery of four guns was posted in the 

 road to Ashby's Gap. The enemy occupied 

 the wooded hills and stone walls toward Snick- 

 er's Gap. Here a desperate contest ensued for 

 three hours, during which repeated charges 

 were made on each side. The arrival of 

 the 1st Maine, Col. 0. S. Douty, gave such 

 strength to Col. Kilpatrick as caused the en- 

 emy to retire. During the retreat toward 

 Ashby's Gap, they were attacked near Middle- 

 burg by the 1st Rhode Island, Col. Duffie, 

 which had come up through Thoroughfare 



Gap. The loss was severe on both sides. Sev- 

 eral prisoners were taken by Col. Kilpatrick. 

 This force defeated was the advance of a larger 

 force of Gen. Stuart, who was moving to the 

 right and rear of Gen. Hooker. 



On Saturday, the 21st, another cavalry con- 

 test took place, which was thus reported by 

 Gen. Pleasanton, who commanded the Federal 

 force : 



i HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, ; 

 CAMP NEAR UPPZRVILLE, 5.30 p. it., June 21st. S 

 Brig, -Gen. 8. Williams: 



GENERAL : I moved with my command this morning 

 to Middleburg, and attacked the cavalry force of the 

 rebels under Stuart, and steadily drove him all day, 

 inflicting a heavy loss at every step. 



I drove him through Upperville into Ashby's Gap. 

 We took two pieces of artillery, one being a Blakely 

 gun, and three caissons, besides blowing up one ; also, 

 upward of sixty prisoners, and more are coming in ; 

 a lieutenant-colonel, major, and five other officers ; 

 besides a wounded colonel, and a large number of 

 wounded rebels left in the town of Upperville. They 

 left their dead and wounded upon the field ; of the 

 former I saw upward of twenty. We also took a large 

 number of carbines, pistols, and sabres. In fact it was 

 the most disastrous day to the rebel cavalry. Our loss 

 has been very small both in men and horses. I never 

 saw the troops behave better or under more difficult 

 circumstances. Very heavy charges were made, and 

 the sabre used freely, but always with great advantage 

 to us. A. PLEASANTON, Brig.-Gen. 



On Monday, June 15th, the day on which 

 Gen. Hooker's army reached the neighborhood 

 of Bull Run, Gen. Milroy retreated from Win- 

 chester and Gen. Tyler from Martinsburg, as 

 above stated. It would have been dangerous for 

 Gen. Lee to have attacked Gen. Hooker in the 

 advantageous position which he now held. Gen. 

 Lee reports as follows : 



The whole army of Gen. Hooker withdrew from the 

 line of the Rappahannock, pursuing the roads near the 

 Potomac, and no favorable opportunity was offered for 

 attack. It seemed to be the purpose of Gen. Hooker to 

 take a position which would enable him to cover the 

 approaches to Washington City. With a view to draw 

 him farther from his base, and at the same time to 

 cover the march of A. P. Hill, who, in accordance with 

 instructions, left Fredericksburg for the valley as soon 

 as the enemy withdrew from his front, Longstreet 

 moved from Oulpepper Court House on the 15th, and, 

 advancing along the east side of the Blue Ridge, oc- 

 cupied Ashby's and Snicker's Gaps. His force had 

 been augmented while at Culpepper by Gen. Pickett, 

 with three brigades of his division. 



The cavalry, under Gen. Stuart, was thrown out in 

 front of Longstreet to watch the enemy, now reported 

 to be moving into Loudon. On the 19th his cavalry 

 encountered two brigades of ours, under Gen. Stuart, 

 near Aldie, and was driven back with loss. The next 

 day the engagement was renewed, the Federal cavalry 

 being strongly supported by infantry, and Gen. Stuart 

 was in turn compelled to retire. 



The enemy advanced as far as Upperville, and then 

 fell back. 



The attention of Gen. Hooker was so oc- 

 cupied by the attempts to seize Thoroughfare 

 Gap, Aldie, and portions of the Orange and 

 Alexandria railroad, as to make it appear to 

 be the intention of Gen. Lee to move upon 

 the Federal army from these points. So skil- 

 fully was this done that the impression pre- 

 vailed in the North that the blow would be 

 struck at Gen. Hooker's army in its position, 



