Today in History:

967 Series I Volume XII-II (Supp.) Serial 17 - Second Manassas Part II (Supplemental)

Page 967 Chapter XXIV. CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

Question. Who else, as you recollect, was present at the time?

Answer. General Sykes and General Butterfield were either present or came in a very few minutes after. I do not know which.

Question. State what occurred at the time of the receipt of the order, or immediately afterward, between the accused and yourself and the other generals.

Answer. General Porter said to us that he had received this order to march at 1 o'clock that night. We immediately spoke of the condition of our troops-they being very much fatigued-and the darkness of the night, and said that we did not believe we could make any better progress by attempting to start at that hour than if we waited until daylight. After some little conversation, General Porter said, "Well, we will start at 3 o'clock; get ready." I immediately left his tent, and went back to my division and made preparations for moving.

Question. Did the generals then present, yourself included, express in strong terms the difficulty of moving as early as 1 o'clock, or earlier than 3 o'clock?

Answer. Yes, on account of the difficultly of marching at night. It was a very dark night; it was cloudy, threatening to rain, and did rain before morning.

Question. About what time did the march or movement of troops commence?

Answer. At 3 o'clock, or very near that time. That was the hour designated.

Question. About what time was reveille that morning?

Answer. It must have been an hour, or an hour and a half, previous-long enough to let the men get their breakfast. I do not know the precise hour.

Question. In order to have moved at 1 o'clock that night, at what hour must the reveille have been beaten?

Answer. If we had moved at 1 o'clock, the men would probably have been kept up all night-have broken their whole night's rest. That was what I wished to avoid; and I think the other officers did also. Reveille would have been beaten by 12 o'clock, I suppose. Some of the men did not get into camp until dark.

Question. When you moved at 3 o'clock, did you encounter difficulties and confusion in your movements in the darkness?

Answer. Yes, sir; until we had the benefit of daylight there was a great deal. Directly in front of our camp was a little stream of water, or swale, that made it difficult to get started.

Question. After starting at 3 o'clock, did your own command, and, so far as you know, the rest of the corps, make the best of their way and push on as fast as possible toward Bristoe Station?

Answer. Yes, sir; General Sykes' division led that morning. When the head of my division got to the railroad, which was, perhaps, a mile from where we started, we waited there for General Sykes' division to pass us, and we were there until some time after daylight.

At this stage of the examination the court adjourned to 11 a. m. tomorrow.

WASHINGTON, D. C., December 27, 1862.

The court met pursuant to adjournment.

Present, Major General D. Hunter, U. S. Volunteers; Major General E. A. Hitchcock, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General Rufus King, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General B. M. Prentiss, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General James B. Ricetts, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General Silas Casey, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General James A. Garfield, U. S. Volunteers; Brigadier General N. B. Buford,


Page 967 Chapter XXIV. CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.