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part of which had already marched to join
General Pope, and it was reported that the rest would soon follow.
The captured correspondence of
General Pope confirmed this information, and also disclosed the fact that the greater part of the army of
General Cox had been withdrawn from the
Kanawha Valley for the same purpose.
Two brigades of
D. H. Hill's division, under
General Ripley, had already been ordered from
Richmond, and the remainder, under
D. H. Hill in person, with the division of
General McLaws, two brigades under
General Walker, and
Hampton's cavalry brigade, were now directed to join this army, and were approaching.
In pursuance of the plan of operations determined upon,
Jackson was directed, on the twenty-fifth, to cross above
Waterloo, and move around the enemy's right, so as to strike the Alexandria and Orange Railroad in his rear.
Longstreet, in the mean time, was to divert his attention by threatening him in front, and to follow
Jackson as soon as the latter should be sufficiently advanced.
Battle of Manassas.
General Jackson crossed the
Rappahannock at Kinson's Mill, about four miles above
Waterloo, and passing through
Orlean, encamped on the night of the twenty-fifth near
Salem, after a long and fatiguing march.
The next morning, continuing his route with his accustomed vigor and celerity, he passed the
Bull Run Mountains at Thoroughfare Gap, and proceeding by way of
Gainesville, reached the railroad at Bristoe Station after sunset.
At
Gainesville he was joined by
General Stuart, with the brigades of
Robertson and
Fitz-Hugh Lee, who continued with him during the rest of his operations, vigilantly and effectually guarding both his flanks.
General Jackson was now between the large army of
General Pope and the
Federal capital.
Thus far no considerable force of the enemy had been encountered, and he did not appear to be aware of his situation.
Upon arriving at
Bristoe, the greater part of the guard at that point fled; two trains of cars coming from the direction of
Warrenton were captured, and a few prisoners were taken.
Notwithstanding the darkness of the night and the long and arduous march of the day,
General Jackson determined to lose no time in capturing the depot of the enemy at
Manassas Junction, about seven miles distant, on the road to
Alexandria.
General Trimble volunteered to proceed at once to that place, with the Twenty-first North-Carolina and the Twenty-first Georgia regiments.
The offer was accepted, and to render success more certain,
General Jackson directed
General Stuart to accompany the expedition with part of his cavalry, and, as ranking officer, to assume the command.
Upon arriving near the junction,
General Stuart sent
Colonel Wickham, with his regiment, the Fourth Virginia cavalry, to get in rear of the enemy, who opened with musketry and artillery upon our troops as they approached.
The darkness of the night and ignorance of the enemy's numbers and position made it necessary to move cautiously; but about midnight the place was taken with little difficulty, those that defended it being captured or dispersed.
Eight pieces of artillery, with their horses, ammunition, and equipments, were taken; more than three hundred prisoners, one hundred and seventy horses, besides those belonging to the artillery, two hundred new tents, and immense quantities of commissary and quartermaster's stores fell into our hands.
General Jackson left
Ewell's division, with the Fifth Virginia cavalry, under
Colonel Rosser, at Bristoe Station, and with the rest of his command proceeded to the junction, where he arrived early in the morning.
Soon afterward a considerable force of the enemy, under
Brigadier-General Taylor, approached from the direction of
Alexandria, and pushed forward boldly to recapture the stores that had been lost.
After a sharp engagement, the enemy was routed and driven back, leaving his killed and wounded on the field,
General Taylor himself being mortally wounded during the pursuit.
The troops remained at
Manassas Junction during the rest of the day, supplying themselves with every thing they required from the captured stores.
In the afternoon the enemy advanced upon
General Ewell at
Bristoe, from the direction of Warrenton Junction.
They were attacked by three regiments and the batteries of
Ewell's division, and two columns, of not less than a brigade each, were broken and repulsed.
Their places were soon supplied by fresh troops, and it was apparent that the
Federal commander had now become aware of the situation of affairs, and had turned upon
General Jackson with his whole force.
In pursuance of instructions to that effect,
General Ewell, upon perceiving the strength of the enemy, withdrew his command, part of which was at the time engaged, and rejoined
General Jackson at
Manassas Junction, having first destroyed the railroad bridge over
Broad Run.
The enemy halted at
Bristoe.
General Jackson's force being much inferior to that of
General Pope, it became necessary for him to withdraw from
Manassas and take a position west of the turnpike road from
Warrenton to
Alexandria, where he could more readily unite with the approaching column of
Longstreet.
Having fully supplied the wants of his troops, he was compelled for want of transportation to destroy the rest of the captured property.
This was done during the night of the twenty-seventh, and fifty thousand pounds of bacon, one thousand barrels of
corned beef, two thousand barrels of salt pork, and two thousand barrels of flour, besides other property of great value, were burned.
Taliaferro's division moved during the night by the road to
Sudley, and crossing the turnpike near
Groveton, halted on the west side, near the battle-field of July twenty-first, 1861, where it was joined, on the twenty-eighth, by the divisions of
Hill and
Ewell.
Perceiving during the afternoon that the enemy, approaching from the direction of
Warrenton, was moving down the turnpike towards
Alexandria, thus exposing his left flank,
General Jackson advanced to attack him. A
