Today in History:

157 Series I Volume XII-I Serial 15 - Second Manassas Part I

Page 157 Chapter XXIV. GENERAL REPORTS.

to qualify your testimony, that General McDowell was not attentive enough as relates to yourself; that you cannot understand for what reason he has left his position on the 28th, in the evening, &c. Have you or have you not any official or personal knowledge of the orders given to General McDowell, or of those given by him to his corps, prior to the 29th, after you received order from him to march to Manassas?

Answer. I have no knowledge about the orders given to General McDowell on the night of the 28th, or the evening of the 28th, after I had received this order to march to Manassas, and i also did not receive any knowledge of orders given to General McDowell during the day of the 28th. I do not know what orders he has given to his corps.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Do you know anything of the movements of King's division on the night of the 28th, after the engagement; where it went or by whose orders it moved?

Answer. I know that I sent and officer to the place where King's division was during or shortly after the engagement, and that he could not find it there any more. I do not know by what orders they moved or had moved and where they went.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Who was the officer you sent to see General McDowell on the 28th and who reported to you that General McDowell would be in a certain house in Centreville? What time of the day was this?

Answer. The officer whom I sent toward Groveton to King's division was, I believe, Captain Dahlgren. This must have been at night, and the officer who spoke about the headquarters of General Pope and General McDowell was, I believe, Captain Koenig.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Did captain Dahlgren report having seen General McDowell on this occasion?

Answer. I think he reported that he did not see him and that he could not find him.

Question by General MCDOWELL. You have stated you considered yourself under General McDowell's orders during the battle at Bull Run and that you saw General McDowell come on the field in the evening of the 29th. State if you, on that occasion, reported to him or gave him any information.

Answer. I did not report to him because I saw General McDowell at a distance going to General Pope's headquarters, while I was going to the left of our position, and my presence was needed very much there. I thought that General McDowell would get all the information necessary from General Pope, with whom I was in direct communication during the battle of the 29th.

Question by General MCDOWELL. When did you consider yourself as no longer under General McDowell's command?

Answer. I regarded myself bound to obey all his orders sent to me until I was separated from his corps at Fairfax Court-House and marched to Vienna. This was on the last of august or the 1st of September.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Did you report to him or send an officer to him to report for orders on the night of the 29th, on the morning of the 30th, or the night of the 30th? Did you do so at Centreville?

Answer. I do not believe that I reported personally to General McDowell, and I do not know whether I have sent an officer to him on the night of the 29th or on the 30th. I was under the impression that General Pope and General McDowell's headquarters were at Centreville, and that General McDowell was in close connection with General Pope, and could receive information of all communications sent by me to General Pope, of whom I had a better knowledge where was, and besides this I thought that if General McDowell had to give me any orders he would send them to me.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Did General McDowell send you any orders on the 29th or the 30th or after the 30th?


Page 157 Chapter XXIV. GENERAL REPORTS.