Aug. 27, 1862. |
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action.
He immediately dispatched!
Stuart with his cavalry, supported by two infantry regiments under General Trimble, to Manassas Junction, with general instructions to “throw his command between Washington City and the army of General Pope, and to break up his communications.”
This order was obeyed, and while Jackson was destroying Bristow Station, Stuart, before midnight, surprised the post at Manassas Junction, captured three hundred men, eight guns, and a large quantity of public property, and an immense amount of stores.1 Some of the surprised party at the Junction fled to Union Mills, on Bull's Run, where Colonel Scammon, with the Eleventh and Twelfth Ohio, of General Cox's division, was stationed, and gave the alarm.
Scammon immediately advanced upon the Junction, but after a severe skirmish at dawn, he was driven across Bull's Run, and made to retreat toward Alexandria by an overwhelming force, for Jackson had advanced with the rest of his command to the Junction, leaving General Ewell, with the Fifth Virginia cavalry, under Colonel Rosser, at Bristow Station.
The Confederates, elated by their success, swept over the country along the line of the railway as far as Burke's Station, a few miles from Alexandria, and then around by Fairfax Court-House,2 almost to Centreville.
In the mean time Brigadier-General George W. Taylor, with the First, Second, Third, and Fourth New Jersey Infantry, of Franklin's division, had moved out from Alexandria by railway, to assist Scammon, and recover what was lost at the Junction; but the Confederates were too strong for him. His troops were soon routed, and in the conflict he lost a leg.
Pope and Lee were now both in a most critical position.
The communications of the former with his re-enforcements and supplies were cut; and in the moving army of the latter, between Longstreet and Jackson, there was a gap of two marches, which Pope might occupy to Lee's mortal hurt.
But Pope was not in a condition to take advantage of the occasion; yet he made a skillful use of the means at his command.
He ordered
McDowell with Sigel and Reynolds, to hasten to Gainesville that night, and there intercept Longstreet at the head of Lee's main column; and Reno was directed to move in parallel roads to Greenwich, followed by Kearney's division of Heintzelman's corps, with orders to communicate with, and support McDowell if necessary.
Pope, in the mean time, had moved along the railway towards Manassas Junction, with Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps.
He directed Porter to remain at Warrenton Station until Banks should arrive there to hold it, and then to
1 They captured 175 horses, 200 new tents, 10 locomotives, 7 trains loaded with provisions and munitions of war, and a vast amount of commissary and quartermaster stores.
2 This vicinity. was the scene of many gallant deeds during the earlier part of the war, when the two armies were posted near it. We have already (page 487, vol. I.), noticed the gallant dash into the village of Fairfax Court-House, by Lieutenant C. H. Tompkins, with a handful of cavalry, at the beginning of the war; but one of the most brilliant feats in that neighborhood was performed at Burke's Station, by only fourteen members of the Lincoln (New York) cavalry, under Lieutenant Hidden, on the 9th of March, 1862, at about the time of the evacuation of Manassas. General Kearney had ordered the gallant Hidden to move forward cautiously with his little squad of men and “feel the enemy's position.” They came suddenly upon 150 of the Confederate cavalry at Burke's Station. There was a strong temptation for a dash. The lieutenant and his men could not resist it, and that gallant young leader at their head fell upon the astounded foe with cheers and shouts. Some fled and others fought desperately. The victory finally rested with the Nationals, but at the cost of the life of Hidden. His comrades bore back his dead body, with eleven, of the Virginia cavalry as prisoners. Kearney, who saw the whole movement, declared it to be one of the most brilliant he had ever seen, and took each man by the hand on his return, and complimented him for his bravery.
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