BANKS PUSHES ON TO CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

175

from Richmond, had reached Gor- | serve his communications with Gen. donsville, rendering its capture by King at Fredericksburg, ordered' a cavalry impossible. Pope at once concentration of his infantry and ordered Hatch, through Banks, to artillery upon Culpepper, his headmove westwardly across the Blue quarters, and pushed forward CrawRidge from Madison, with 1,500 to ford's brigade toward Cedar (or 2,000 picked men, and swoop down rather Slaughter's) Mountain: an upon and destroy the railroad west-eminence commanding a wide prosward of that barrier. Hatch com-pect to the south and east, and which menced this movement; but, soon should have been occupied and fortibecoming discouraged, gave it up, fied by our forces some days before. and returned, via Sperryville, to Madison. Pope thereupon relieved him from command, appointing Gen. Buford, chief of artillery to Banks's corps, in his stead.

6

At length, Pope, having joined his army, ordered Banks to move forward to Hazel Run, while Gen. McDowell, with Ricketts's division, advanced from Waterloo Bridge to Culpepper, which Crawford's brigade of Banks's corps had already occupied for several days. Buford, with his cavalry, held Madison C. H., picketing the upper fords of the Rapidan, and as low down as Barnett's Ford; while Bayard was posted on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, near the Rapidan river, picketing the fords from Barnett's as low down as Raccoon Ford. The enemy crossing a considerable force in the vicinity of the junction of Buford's and Bayard's pickets, both Generals reported their advance; but it was some days before it was determined whether they were intending to advance in force on Madison C. H., or toward Culpepper C. H. On the 8th, the Rebels pressed Bayard's pickets, and his force fell back toward Culpepper C. H., followed by

the enemy.

Banks, by order, advanced promptly from Hazel Run to Culpepper; but Sigel, still at Sperryville, instead of moving at once, sent to ascertain by which route he should come; thus losing several hours, and arriving too late to be of use. Gen. Banks, by order, moved forward next morning toward Cedar Mountain, supporting, with the rest of his corps, the advance of Gen. Crawford, under verbal orders from Pope, which were reduced to writing by his Adjutant, in these words:

8

"CULPEPPER, Aug. 9th-9:45 a. M. "From Col. Lewis Marshall: Gen. Banks

will move to the front immediately, assume ploy his skirmishers if the enemy approachcommand of all the forces in the front, dees, and attack him immediately as soon as he approaches, and be reenforced from here."

Calling on Pope as he left Culpepper, Banks asked if there were further orders, and was referred to Gen. Roberts, Pope's chief of staff, who was to accompany him and indicate the line he was to occupy; which he took: Roberts saying to him repeatedly before he left, "There must be no backing out this day;" words needing no interpretation, and hardly such as should be addressed by a Brigadier to a Major-General com

Pope, under instructions to pre- manding a corps.

Stonewall Jackson, with his own | its numbers, he advanced four guns division, following Ewell's, had to the front, and opened fire upon reached Gordonsville July 19th, Crawford's batteries; his own diviand, sending thence for rëenforcements, had received A. P. Hill's division, increasing his force to some 25,000 men; with which he advanced, driving back our cavalry and reaching Slaughter's or Cedar feet above the valley, whence their Mountain this day." From the fire was far more effective than

splendid outlook afforded by this mountain, he saw his opportunity, and resolved to profit by it. Pushing forward Ewell's division on the Culpepper road, and thence to the right along the western slope of the mountain, but keeping it thoroughly covered by woods which concealed

sion, under Winder, being thrown out to the left as it arrived, still under cover of the woods. Ewell's batteries were successfully posted at the foot of the mountain, some 200

ours. Meantime, Hill's division was arriving, and being sent in to the support of whatever portion of the Rebel line was weakest, until not less than 20,000 veterans, with every advantage of position and shelter, formed the Rebel line of battle; against which Banks's 6,000 or 8,000

BANKS DEFEATED AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

177

advanced, at 5 P. M., across open fields | son claims to have taken 400 prisand up gentle acclivities, thoroughly oners, 1 gun, and 5,302 small arms, swept by the Rebel cannon and mus- with a loss on his part of 223 killed, ketry. including Gen. C. S. Winder, 2 Lt.Colonels, and a Major; with 1,060 wounded: among them Cols. Williams and Sheffield, 3 Majors, and 31 missing; total, 1,314.

Gen. Pope had remained throughout the day at Culpepper, neither desiring nor expecting a serious en

Had victory been possible, they would have won it. Early's brigade of Ewell's division held the road, and was so desperately charged in front and on its right flank, that it held its ground only by the opportune arrival of Thomas's brigade of Hill's division; while the left of Jackson's di-gagement, and assured from time to vision, under Taliaferro, was so as- time that only skirmishing was going sailed in flank and rear that one on at the front; until the continuous brigade was routed and the whole roar of cannon assured him, soon flank gave way, as did also Early's. after 5 o'clock, that the matter was But the odds were too heavy; and, grave. Ordering forward Ricketts's though our men proved themselves division, he arrived with it on the heroes, they could not defeat three field just before dark, and directed times their number, holding the foot Banks to draw in his right wing upon of a mountain and covered by woods. his center, so as to give room for The best blood of the Union was Ricketts to come into the fight; but poured out like water, but in vain. the Rebels, though victorious, adGen. Geary, who, with five Ohio re-vanced with great caution, and, findgiments and the 28th Pennsylvania, ing themselves confronted by fresh made the most desperate charge of the day, was himself wounded, with most of his officers. Gen. Crawford's brigade came out of the fight a mere skeleton. The 109th Pennsylvania, 102d New York, and several other regiments, left half their number dead or wounded on that fatal field. Gens. Augur and Carroll were severely wounded; as were Cols. Don-ize. nelly, 46th Pa., Creighton, 7th Ohio, and Majors Savage, 2d Mass., Armstrong, 5th Ohio, and Pelouze, Banks's Adjutant. Gen. Prince was taken prisoner after dark, by accident, while passing from one part of his command to another. Our loss in killed and wounded could hardly have been less than 2,000 men. We were not so much beaten as fairly crowded off the field; where Jack-Our cavalry pursued him to that

VOL. II.-12

batteries, recoiled, after a sharp artillery duel, and took shelter in the woods. Ricketts's guns continued vocal until midnight; but of course to little purpose. Meantime, Sigel's corps began to arrive, and was sent to the front abreast of Ricketts's; Banks's corps being withdrawn two miles to the rear to rest and rëorgan

But there was no more fighting. Jackson clung to his mountain and his woods till the night of the 11th; when, aware that King's division had just come up from Fredericksburg, and that Pope was about to strike at his communications, and thus compel him to fight on equal terms, he, leaving a part of his dead unburied, retreated rapidly across the Rapidan.

During that night, Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, with 1,500 Rebel cavalry and 2 guns, having crossed the Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge and Hart's Mill during the preceding day, pushed on unobserved to Warrenton, surprised Gen. Pope's headquarterstrain near Catlett's Station, during the

stream, picking up a number of barely 7,000 men had reached him. stragglers. He had resolved to recross the RapGen. Reno, with 8,000 of Burn- | pahannock on the night of the 22d, side's corps, having joined" him, and fall upon the flank and rear of Gen. Pope advanced his infantry to the long Rebel column constantly Robertson's river and Raccoon Ford, passing up the river; but, during with his center at and around Cedar that night, a heavy rain set in, which, Mountain, and began again to operate before morning, had drowned all the with his cavalry on the enemy's com- fords and carried away the bridges in munications, until satisfied that the his front, rendering his meditated whole Rebel Army of Virginia was blow impossible. rapidly assembling to overwhelm him; one of his cavalry expeditions having captured J. E. B. Stuart's Adjutant, bearing a letter from Gen. Lee," at Gordonsville, which clearly indicated that purpose. Holding his advanced position to the last, so as to afford time for the arrival of McClellan's army, he commenced" a re-intense rain and darkness; capturing treat across the Rappahannock, which was effected in two days without loss; and, though the Rebels, of course, followed sharply with their cavalry, reaching the river on the morning of the 20th, they found the fords so guarded and fortified that they could not be forced without heavy loss; so, after three days of skirmishing and artillery-firing at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station, they commenced a movement up the stream, with intent to turn our right.

Pope, still under orders to maintain his communications with Fredericksburg, was unable to extend his right farther without too much weakening his center, and telegraphed again and again to Washington that he must be rëenforced or retreat. He was assured, on the 21st, that, if he could hold on two days longer, he should be so amply strengthened as to enable him to assume the offensive; yet, on the 25th,

"August 14.

Pope's field Quartermaster and his dispatch-book, with a quantity of uniforms and personal baggage, burning the wagons, and trying to burn the railroad bridge over Cedar Run; but the tremendous rain then falling defeated this design. Stuart claims to have reached the Rappahannock at Warrenton Springs, on his return next day, with 300 prisoners and many horses, here crossing unharmed, after a night's bivouac and a little skirmishing. Pope's actual headquarters during this raid were near Rappahannock Station; but our army trains were parked around Catlett's, and guarded by 1,500 infantry and five companies of cavalry; so that Stuart's cheap success inflicted on us more disgrace than injury-a disgrace which the intense darkness and pouring rain explain, but do not excuse.

Still, the enemy confronting us in ample force at Rappahannock Sta12 Dated August 15. 13 August 18.

POPE PREPARING TO FIGHT.

tion, Sulphur Springs, and Waterloo | them before advancing. Supported