George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

Third, we have the orders communicated to Banks through Roberts, Pope's chief-of-staff, now available to us in the form of sworn testimony before the McDowell Court of Inquiry. General Roberts testifies: “Early in the morning of the ninth of August I was sent to the front of the army with directions, when Banks should reach a position where the night before I had posted Crawford's brigade, that I should show to Banks positions for him to take to hold the enemy in check if he attempted to advance towards Culpeper. I had been to the front on the 7th and 8th, and had reported to Pope my impressions that a large force of General Jackson's would be at Cedar Mountain, or near there, on the 9th. . . . General Pope authorized me, before going to the front, to give any orders in his name in relation to holding the enemy there until his [Pope's] forces could come up, to any of the officers that might be in the field senior to me. I understood his object was to hold the enemy in check there that day, and not to attack until the other troops of his command should arrive and join General Banks.” ¹

And again: “When I first came on the field, I met and went to the front with him [Banks], showing him positions where the enemy had batteries already posted, and showed him positions which his corps should take, to their advantage, and hold these positions, as I thought, if attacked. I then told him that General Pope wanted him to hold the enemy in check there until Siegel's forces could be brought up, which were expected that day, and all his other forces united to fight Jackson's forces.” ²