Today in History:

1029 Series I Volume XII-II (Supp.) Serial 17 - Second Manassas Part II (Supplemental)

Page 1029 Chapter XXIV. CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

Question. It was at Warrenton Junction that you found General Porter?

Answer. It was near Warrenton Junction; I suppose three-quarters of a mile from Warrenton Junction; a half a mile or three-quarters southeast of the Junction, I should judge.

Question. What was the object of your visit to General Porter that night?

Answer. A report had been brought in by scouts of our regiment that General Longstreet, with his regiment, would probably cross the run near Weaversville, south of Catlett's. Knowing but little, or being almost entirely uninformed of the position of the rebel army, I went to inquire whether it was possible for him to be there, and to inform General Porter of it, as he commanded the largest body of troops in the neighborhood.

The examination by the accused here closed.

Examination by the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. You speak of the difficulty of crossing the railroad bridge over Cedar Creek. Was not that creek fordable?

Answer. Yes, sir. I believe the was a ford a few hundred yards above the bridge. I do not know but what it was fordable at almost any point.

Question. You speak of the difficulties you encountered in you ride that night, which delayed your arrival at Warrenton Junction. What was the character of those difficulties? Did you, in point of fact, lose you way, or did you simply ride slowly on account of the darkness?

Answer. The difficulty arose from not knowing exactly where to find General Porter. Wherever I saw an encampment or lights, I went and inquired. There were a large number of wagon trains on the other side of he stream. I went up to several wagon trains, and asked them if they knew where General Porter's headquarters were.

Question. And the delay resulted in that way?

Answer. Yes, sir; from the difficulty of finding General Porter's headquarters, not knowing exactly where they were located.

Question. At what hour did you return to Catlett's Station?

Answer. I think I occupied about an hour in returning. I think it was about 1 o'clock when I returned.

Question. When returning, having no occasion to look for General Porter, or anything to interrupt your progress, did you, or not, proceed directly to Catlett's Station, without encountering any obstacle growing out of the darkness of the night?

Answer. No, sir. I stopped several times at the wagon trains that lay the road between the ford of Cedar Run and our encampment at Catlett's Station. I had been told that our regimental train was one of those lying in the road, and I wanted to find it; and in stopping there, inquiring of the wagons. I experienced great difficulty in finding it. In one train the horses were unhitched from the wagons, and were standing at the wheels or at the tongues of the wagons, where they were fed, I suppose; and, in many instances, no wagoner could be found. It was my desire to find our own regimental train, which caused some delay.

Question The point of the question is, whether your delay in returning was at all occasioned by the darkness.

Answer. It was, indirectly, occasioned by that, inasmuch as I could readily have found our wagon train if the night had not been dark.

Question. I wash to know, supposing you had passed over that road in the day-time--say the evening previous-and had been directed to return directly from Warrenton Junction that night, without having occasion to stop and make inquiries of any kind, whether the darkness


Page 1029 Chapter XXIV. CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.