THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN.

47 ‘

To my great disappointment and surprise, however, I learned toward day-light the next morning (the 29th) that King’s division had fallen hack towardManassas Junction, and that neither Sigel nor Reynolds had been engaged orhad gone to the support of King. The route toward Thoroughfare Gap hadthus been left open by the wholly unexpected retreat of King’s division, dueto the fact that he was not supported by Sigel and Reynolds, and an immedi-ate change was necessary in the disposition of the troops under my command.Sigel and Reynolds were near Groveton, almost in contact with Jackson;Ricketts had fallen back toward Bristoe from Thoroughfare Gap, after offer-ing (as might have been expected) ineffectual resistance to the passage of theBull Run range by very superior forces; King had fallen back to ManassasJunction; Porter was at Manassas Junction or near there; Reno and Hookernear Centreville; Kearny at Centreville and beyond toward Groveton ; Jack-son near Groveton with his whole corps; Lee with the main army of theenemy, except three brigades of Longstreet which had passed Hopewell Gap,north of Thoroughfare Gap.

The field of battle was practically limited to the space between the oldrailroad grade from Sudley to Gainesville if prolonged across the Warrentonpike and the Sudley Springs road east of it. The railroad grade indicatesalmost exactly the line occupied by Jackson’s force, our own line confrontingit from left to right.

The ridge which bounded the valley of Dawkins’s Branch on the west, andon which were the Hampton Cole and Monroe houses, offered from theMonroe house a full view of the field of battle from right to left, and theMonroe house being on the crest of the ridge overlooked and completelycommanded the approach to Jackson’s right by the Warrenton turnpike. Tothe result of the battle this ridge was of the last importance, and, if seizedand held by noon, would absolutely have prevented any reenforcement ofJackson’s right from the direction of Gainesville . The northern slope of thisridge was held by our troops near the Douglass house, near which, also, theright of Jackson’s line rested. The advance of Porter’s corps at Dawkins’sBranch was less than a mile and a half from the Monroe house, and the roadin his front was one of several which converged on that point.

The whole field was free from obstacles to movement of troops and nearlyso to manoeuvres, with only a few eminences, and these of a nature to havebeen seized and easily held by our troops even against very superior numbers.The ground was gently undulating and the water-courses insignificant,while the intersecting system of roads and lanes afforded easy communica-tion with all parts of the field. It would be difficult to find anywhere inVirginia a more perfect field of battle than that on which the second battle ofBull Run was fought.

About daylight, therefore, on the 29th of August, almost immediately afterI received information of the withdrawal of King’s division toward ManassasJunction, I sent orders to General Sigel, in the vicinity of Groveton, to attack

Jj Reno appears not to have been at Centreville at this time, since General Pope’s headquarters“near Bull Run” were between him and Centreville at 3 a. m. on the 30th.— Editors.