THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN.

485

When the battle ceased on the 29th of August, we were in possession of thefield on our right, and occupied on our left the position held early in the day,and had every right to claim a decided success. What that success mighthave been, if a corps of twelve thousand men who had not been in battle thatday had been thrown against Longstreet’s right while engaged in the severefight that afternoon, I need not indicate. To say that General Porter’s non-action during that whole day was wholly unexpected and disappointing,and that it provoked severe comment on allhands, is to state the facts mildly.

Every indication during the night of the29th and up to 10 o’clock on the morning ofthe 30th pointed to the retreat of the enemyfrom our front. Paroled prisoners of our ownarmy, taken on the evening of the 29th,who came into our lineson the morning of the 30th,reported the enemy retreat- 'ing during the whole nightin the direction of and Aalong the Warrenton pike(a fact since confirmed by Long-street’s report).☆ Generals McDow-ell and Heintzelman, who reconnoi-tered the position held by the enemy’sleft on the evening of the 29th, alsoconfirmed this statement. They re-ported to me the evacuation of thesepositions by the enemy, and thatthere was every indication of theirretreat in the direction of Gainesville .

On the morning of the 30th, as may beeasily believed, our troops, who hadbeen marching and fighting almostcontinuously for many days, weregreatly exhausted. They had hadlittle to eat for two days, and artillery and cavalry horses had been in harnessand under the saddle for ten days, and had been almost out of forage for thelast two days. It may be readily imagined how little these troops, after suchsevere labors and hardships, were in condition for further active marching andfighting. On the 28th I had telegraphed General Halleck our condition, andhad begged of him to have rations and forage sent forward to us from Alex-andria with all speed; but about daylight on the 30th I received a note from

MONUMENT TO THE UNION SOLDIERS WHO FELL ATGROVETON AUGUST 28, 29, AND 30, 1862. FROMA PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN SOON AFTER THEMONUMENT WAS ERECTED IN 1865.

This view is taken from the edge of the railway cut,looking toward the Union lines. The shaft is of brownsandstone, and in design and material is like the monu-ment erected on the Henry hill at the same time. Theshot and shell that were fixed with mortar to the baseand to the top of the shaft, and every vestige of theinclosing fence, have been carried off by relic-hunters.In May, 1884, the monument was partly hidden by thefour evergreens which were planted at the corners.The field behind the railway cut and behind theembankment, east of the cut, was even then strewnwith the tins of cartridge-hoxes, rusty camp utensils,and bits of broken accouterments.— Editors.

According to General Longstreet’s and other of McDowell, Heintzelman, and Porter, with theConfederate reports, their troops withdrew at night necessary cavalry, should move “forward in pur-to their line of battle of the day, occupying the suit of the enemy,” and “press him vigorously allsame positions and in the same order. General day.” The command of the pursuit w r as assignedPope ’s orders for the 30tli directed that the corps to General McDowell.— Editors.