AEMY OPERATIONS. 



109 



these orders in part, but had pushed a cav- 

 alry force to Williamsport and Falling Waters, 

 where they destroyed the enemy's pontoon 

 bridge, and captured its guard. Buford was 

 at the same time sent to Williamsport and Ha- 

 gerstown. The duty above assigned to the 

 cavalry was most successfully accomplished, the 

 enemy being greatly harassed, his trains de- 

 stroyed, and many captures of guns and pris- 

 oners made. 



"After halting a day at Middletown to pro- 

 cure necessary supplies and bring up trains, the 

 army moved through South Mountain, and by 

 the 12th of July was in front of the enemy, who 

 occupied a strong position on the heights near 

 the marsh which runs in advance of Williams- 

 port. In taking this position, several skir- 

 mishes and affairs had been had with the ene- 

 my, principally by the cavalry and the eleventh 

 and sixth corps. The 13th was occupied in 

 reconnoissances of the enemy's position and 

 preparations for an attack. But on advancing 

 on the morning of the 14th, it was ascertained 

 that he had retired the night previous by the 

 bridge at Falling Waters and ford at Williams- 

 port. The cavalry in pursuit overtook the rear 

 guard at Falling Waters, capturing two guns 

 and numerous prisoners. Previous to the re- 

 treat of the enemy, Gregg's division of cavalry 

 was crossed at Harper's Ferry, and, coming up 

 with the rear of the enemy at Charlestown and 

 Shepardstown, had a spirited contest, in which 

 the enemy was driven to Martinsburg and Win- 

 chester, and pursued and harassed in his re- 

 treat. 



" The pursuit was resumed by a flank move- 

 ment of the army, crossing the Potomac at 

 Berlin and moving down the Loudon Valley. 

 The cavalry were immediately pushed into sev- 

 eral passes of the Blue Ridge, and having learn- 

 ed from servants of the withdrawal of the 

 Confederate army from the lower valley of the 

 Shenandoah, the army (the third corps, Maj.- 

 Gen. French, being in advance) was moved into 

 Manassas trap, in the hope of being able to in- 

 tercept a portion of the enemy in possession of 

 the Gap, which was disputed so successfully as to 

 enable the rear guard to withdraw by the way 

 of Strasburg. The Confederate army retiring 

 to the Rapidan, a position was taken with this 

 army on the line of the Rappahannock, and the 

 campaign terminated about the close of July." 



On the 14th, Gen. Meade sent the following 

 despatches to Washington : 



HEADQUARTERS AKMT OF THE POTOMAC, ) 

 July \lth- 8 p. M. J 



H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief : 



My cavalry now occupy Falling Waters, having 

 overtaken and captured a brigade of infantry, 1,500 

 strong, two guns, two caissons, two battle-flags, and a 

 large number of small arms. The enemy are all across 

 the Potomac. GEO. G. MEADE, Major-General. 

 HEADQUARTEES ARMY OP THE POTOMAC, I 

 July Uth 8.80 P. M. J 

 Major- Gen. Halleck, General-in-Chief : 



My cavalry have captured five hundred prisoners, 

 in addition to those previously reported. Gen. Petti- 

 grew, of the Confederate army, was killed this morn- 



ing in the attack on the enemy's rear-guard. His body 

 is m our hands. G. G. MEADE, Major-General. 



The first of these despatches was subsequent- 

 ly denied by Gen. Lee, as follows : 



HEADQUAETEBS ABUT NOBTHEBN VIBOHUA, ) 

 July 21. 18C3. f 



Gen. S. Cooper, Adft and Inspector- General C. S. A. . 

 GENERAL : I have seen in the Northern papers what 

 purports to be an official despatch from Gen. Meade, 

 Btating that he had captured a brigade of infantry, two 

 pieces of artillery, two caissons, and a large number 

 of small arms, as this army retired to the south bank 

 of the Potomac on the 13th and 14th instant. This 

 despatch has been copied into the Richmond papers ; 

 ana as its official character may cause it to be believ- 

 ed, I desire to state that it is incorrect. The enemy 

 did not capture any organized body of men on that oc- 

 casion, but only stragglers and such as were left asleep 

 on the road, exhausted by the fatigue and exposure of 

 one of the most inclement nights 1 have ever known at 

 this season of the year. It rained without cessation, 

 rendering the road by which our troops marched to- 

 ward the bridge at Falling Waters very difficult to 

 pass, and causing so much delay that the last of the 

 troops did not cross the river at the bridge until 1 

 A. M. on the morning of the 14th. 



While the column was thus detained on the road, a 

 number of men, worn down with fatigue, laid down in 

 barns and by the roadside, and though officers were 

 sent back to arouse them as the troops moved on, the 

 darkness and rain prevented them from finding all, 

 and many were in this way left behind. Two guns 

 were left on the road ; the horses that drew them be- 

 came exhausted, and the officers went back to procure 

 others. When they returned, the rear of the column 

 had passed the guns so far that it was deemed unsafe 

 to send back for them, and they were thus lost. No 

 arms, cannon, or prisoners were taken by the enemy 

 in battle, but only such as were left behind, as I have 

 described, under the circumstances. The number of 

 stragglers thus lost I am unable to state with accuracy, 

 but it is greatly exaggerated in the despatch referred 

 to. 

 I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, 



E. E. LEE, General. 



v 



This despatch of Gen. Lee was subsequently 

 contradicted by Gen. Meade in the following 

 statement, which is important, as containing 

 the details of some of the operations to harass 

 the retreat of the Confederate army across the 

 river : 



HEADQUARTERS ARMT OF THE POTOMAC, ) 

 August 9th, 1863. ) 

 Major- Gen. Balleck, General-in-Chief : 



My attention has been called to what purports to be 

 an official despatch of Gen. .R. E. Lee, commanding the 

 rebel army, to Gen. S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector- 

 General, denying the accuracy of my telegram to you, 

 of July 14th, announcing the result of the cavalry af- 

 fair at Falling Waters. 



I have delayed taking any notice of Lee's report un- 

 til the return of Brig.-Gen. Kilpatrick, absent on leave, 

 who commanded the cavalry on the occasion referred 

 to, and on whose report from the field my telegram 

 was based. I ngw enclose the official report of Brig.- 

 Gen. Kilpatrick, made after his attention had been 

 called to Lee's report. You will see that he reiterates 

 and confirms all that my despatch averred, and proves 

 most conclusively that Gen. Lee has been deceived by 

 his subordinates, or he would never in the face of the 

 facts now alleged have made the assertion his report 

 claims. 



It appears that I was in error in stating that the 

 body of Gen. Pettigrew was left in our hands, although 

 I did not communicate that fact until an officer from 

 the field reported to me he had seen the body. It is 

 now ascertained from the Richmond papers that Gen. 

 Pettigrew, though mortally wounded in the affair, 



