468
COLLISION ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, BETWEEN REYNOLDS’S DIVISION AND JACKSON’S RIGHT WING.
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The view is from tlie north side of the turnpike (from awar-time sketch), east of Gainesville , and looking towardGroveton, The smoke along the woods indicates theposition of the Confederates, who fell hack towardGroveton, while lieynolds turned off to the right towardManassas . During the battles of Friday and Saturday
(the 29th and 30tli), the lines were nearly reversed.Jackson was then to the left, looking south towardManassas , and Longstreet’s lines, facing like Reynolds’sin the above picture, but extending farther to theright, and confronting McDowell and Porter (see maps,PI). 473 and 482).— Editors.
ward Hooker, Kearny, and Reno upon Centreville, | and sent orders to Porterto come forward to Manassas Junction. I also wrote McDowell the situationand directed him to call hack to Gainesville any part of his force which hadmoved in the direction of Manassas Junction, and march upon Centrevillealong the Warren ton pike with the whole force under his command to inter-cept the retreat of Jackson toward Thoroughfare Gap. With King’s divisionin advance, McDowell, marching toward Centreville, encountered late in theafternoon the advance of Jackson’s corps retreating toward ThoroughfareGap.Ji Late in the afternoon, also, Kearny drove the rear-guard of Jackson
trated near Groveton. General Pope says in hisreportI reached Manassas Junction . . . about12 o’clock . . . less than an hour after Jackson,in person, had retired.” Jackson was, however, onthe old “battle-field of Manassas ” at 8 A. M., asappears from the order of that date to A. P. Hill ,and about noon when he sent orders to Taliaferroto attack the Federal troops (evidently Reynolds),supposed to be marching on Centreville, but actuallymoving from Gainesville to Manassas under Pope’sfirst orders. Jackson says: “My command hadhardly concentrated north of the turnpike beforethe enemy’s advance reached the vicinity of Grove-ton from the direction of Warrenton.” In theabove sketch, Meade’s brigade and Cooper’s bat-tery are seen deploying for action. — Editors.
4 At 1: 20 or 2 p. M. Pope repeated his orderssent “ a few minutes ago ” to McDowell to marchtoward Gum Springs, distant 20 miles in the direc-
tion of Aldie Gap. The note sent “ a few minutesago,” reached McDowell at 3 : 15 P. M. The ordersto march on Centreville were dated 4:15 P. M., andMcDowell appears to have received the secondwhile preparing to execute the first, — Editors.
j) Jackson says: “Dispositions were promptlymade to attack the enemy, based upon the ideathat he would continue to press forward upon theturnpike toward Alexandria; but as he did notappear to advance in force, and there was reasonto believe that his main body was leaving the roadand inclining toward Manassas Junction, my com-mand was advanced through the woods, leavingGroveton on the left, until it reached a command-ing position near Brawner’s house. By this timeit was sunset; but as his column appeared to bemoving by, with its flank exposed, I determined toattack at once, which was vigorously done by thedivisions of Taliaferro and Ewell.”— Editors.