Today in History:

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

Page 203 Chapter XXIV. GENERAL REPORTS.

quent and full between yourself and General McDowell whilst you were at Warrenton Junction and he was at Warrenton, and did he ever suggest to you that our whole force should be sent to Salem, and was not the movement to Salem a reconnaissance, made in obedience to your orders, to see what had become of the enemy's column which had passed in front of Waterloo Bridge?

Answer. To the first part of that question I would say yes. The communication was full and frequent. No such suggestion was ever made to me by General McDowell. I myself sent him instructions from Warrenton Junction to push forward a cavalry reconnaissance toward Salem or White Plains.

Question by General McDOWELL. Did General Sigel report to you from near the crossing of the Sudley Springs road with the road from Manassas to Gainesville between 2 and 3 o'clock p.m. of 28th of August.

Answer. He did, by letter.

Question by General McDOWELL. Were not General Sigel's reports, as commander of the First Army Corps, made to you direct, and were not your orders for him sent to him direct from and after the afternoon of the 28th, when he reported to you from near the crossing of the Sudley Springs road and the Manassas and Gainesville roads and he received your order to march to Centreville?

Answer. I understood General Sigel to be under the command of General McDowell on the afternoon of the 28th, and accordingly informed General McDowell that I had given these instructions to General Sigel on his application; but I did not consider that connection to have continued after the corps became separated during the night of the 28th.

Question by General McDOWELL. Did General Sigel report to you that Jackson's army was at Groveton when he sent you the note before referred to, or in any way give you to believe the thought he was in that direction? Will witness please produce the note of General Sigel?

Answer. He made no report of that kind to me.

The witness produced the note referred to, which was read. It is from Major General Franz Sigel to Major-General Pope, dated August 28-2.30 p.m., and is appended to the proceedings of this day and marked A.

Question by General McDOWELL. About what time was it that Jackson left Manassas and what route did he take from that place?

Answer. From information derived at Manassas Junction from prisoners, deserters, paroled prisoners of our own, and our own cavalry reconnaissances I was and am convinced, and in fact sure, as I can be of a thing I have not myself seen, that the larger portion of Jackson's forces left Manassas Junction between 3 o'clock and 9 or 10 o'clock on the morning of the 28th of, August and took the road to Centreville. Our cavalry came up to their rear guard at Bull Run Bridge, on that road, on the afternoon of the 28th, and Kearny's division of Heintzelman's corps followed their rear guard into Centreville and beyond. A large part of his force took the road from Centreville around by Sudley Springs, whilst another part followed the turnpike toward Gainesville from Warrenton, destroying the bridges over Bull Run and Cub Run late on the afternoon of the 28th, and in sight of the foremost of our cavalry. These facts came to me in so many different ways and through so many different sources that I was so well convinced of their truth that the whole movements of the army as ordered on the night of the 28th were based upon them. Jackson himself in person, with a small escort, left Manassas Junction, after visiting, the hospital there, about 11 o'clock on the morning of the 28th and took the road to Centreville. A large part of his cavalry force (I think the larger part from the accounts I received there) left Manassas Junction about the same time and went west of north toward the Warrenton turnpike. A small cavalry force that I had sent out came upon their rear within a mile or two of Manassas Junction.

Question by General McDOWELL. On the 29th of August, after Gen-


Page 203 Chapter XXIV. GENERAL REPORTS.