Aug

31

August 31, 1862, A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

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by John Beauchamp Jones

AUGUST 31ST.—Fighting every day at Manassas.

Aug

31

All Hail! Splendid Union Triumphs.—The Four Days’ battles.—The Sanguinary Conflicts of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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August 31, 1862, The New York Herald

The news of late from the seat of war has been of such a conflicting character, on account of the expulsion of all correspondents from the army, that we have hardly known what reports to credit. Not until yesterday was any light thrown upon the subject. It came in the first despatch from General Pope to General Halleck, and dated Manassas Junction, August 28, ten P. M. Now we have some of the details of the important events of the last few days. On the 26th inst., General Pope discovered that the enemy was turning his right towards Manassas, and as the division he had ordered to take post there two days before had not yet arrived from Alexandria, he immediately broke up his camps at Warrenton Junction and Warrenton, and marched rapidly back in three columns.

It appears he directed General McDowell, with his own and General Sigel’s corps, and General Reno’s division, to March upon Gainesville by the Warrenton and Alexandria pike, General Reno’s and one division of Gen. Heintzelman’s to march on Greenwich, and with General Porter’s corps and General Hooker’s division he marched back to Manassas Junction.

General Pope ordered General McDowell to interpose between the forces of the enemy that had passed down to Manassas through Gainesville and their main body that was moving down from White Plains through Thoroughfare Gap. All these orders were successfully carried out. General Longstreet, who had passed through the Gap, was driven back to the west side. Our troops sent to Greenwich were for the purpose of Read more

Aug

31

The Situation.

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August 31, 1862, The New York Herald

Our army has immortalized itself, according to all the accounts of the battles fought on the historic Bull Run Friday, from daylight to dark, and renewed yesterday. The official order of General Pope to Major General Halleck, which we publish in another column, gives the story briefly and graphically, and, as substantiated by the detailed accounts which we presently to our readers today from other sources, furnishes a complete description of these eventful battles, the result of which has been to discomfit the enemy and place him in a trap for which he was not prepared. Instead of outflanking General Pope, as Jackson designed, he has found himself, after two days’ hard fighting, surrounded by the forces of Generals McClellan, Pope, Burnside, McDowell and Sigel.

Bull Run has been again the scene of a sanguinary conflict, but this time it has proved the scene of triumph for the Union arms. It is true that the field was won at a great sacrifice, our loss being put down as eight thousand men, and that of the enemy at fully double that number, while the amount of the rebels captured is considerable, though not yet ascertained. The movement of the rebels was a bold and daring affair, and we may well congratulate our generals upon the skill and energy which converted what was designed to be a successful advance upon the national capital into a decided defeat of Jackson’s forces and unmistakable victory for the Union armies. The two maps which we give today will illustrate the scene of the first and the recent battles on the memorable ground of Bull Run.

The wants of the wounded in these conflicts will be promptly attended to. The employees of the different government departments at Washington to the number of nearly one Read more

Aug

31

The Knights of the Golden Circle.

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August 31, 1862, The New York Herald

We publish this morning a long and semi-official account of an organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle. The objects of this organization are said to be to throw obstacles in the way of the government, and to give aid and comfort to the rebellion in every possible way. The exposition which we publish is from the Cairo correspondence of the Chicago Tribune, and purports to be based upon the sworn affidavits of responsible parties. The ceremonies, signs and grips of the order are assumed to be fully explained, and the arrest of a member of Congress and of several other prominent citizens of Southern Illinois is reported. On the whole, the exposition in question is very curious, absurd and interesting, and will well repay perusal.

It strikes us, however, that the attempt to represent this so-called Order as a great conspiracy against the government is silly and pernicious. In our opinion, the Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle is as complete a humbug as the Order of the Sons of Malta, and the two orders very much resemble each other in their signs, grips and ceremonies. Both of these orders were devised by dissipated fellows, with the object of obtaining plentiful free drinks. The pretence that the Knights of the Golden Circle originally intended to filibuster Central America into the Union is just as great a sham and delusion as the pretence that the Sons of Malta designed to filibuster Cuba into the Union. We know all about the Sons of Malta now, and its members freely avow, since the Order has been squelched, that their intention was merely to have a little fun, […..] a few friends, and indulge in oysters and champagne at the expense of the initiation fees. The Knights of the Golden Circle had not better or worse intention. It is perfect folly to represent them as conspirators and rebel sympathizers, and to give them the credit of widespread organization, powerful supporters and numerous adherents. The exposition Read more

Aug

31

All Hail! Splendid Union Triumphs.

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August 31, 1862, The New York Herald

HEADQUARTERS, FIELD OF BATTLE, GROVETON, NEAR GAINESVILLE,
August 30, 1862. TO MAJOR GENERAL HALLECK, GENERAL-IN-CHIEF, WASHINGTON, D.C.:—

We fought a terrific battle here yesterday with the combined forces of the enemy, which lasted with continuous fury from daylight until after dark, by which time the enemy was driven from the field, which we now occupy.

Our troops are too much exhausted to push matters; but I shall do so in the course of the morning, as soon as Fitz John Porter’s corps comes up from Manassas.

The enemy is still in our front, but badly used up.

We have lost not less than eight thousand men killed and wounded, and, from the appearance of the field, the enemy have lost at least two to our one. He stood strictly on the defensive, and every attack was made by ourselves.

Our troops have behaved splendidly.

The battle was fought on the identical battle field of Bull Run, which greatly increased the enthusiasm of our men.

The news just reaches us from the front that the enemy is retreating towards the mountains. I go forward at once to see.

We have made great captures; but I am not able yet to form an idea of their extent.

JOHN POPE, Major General Commanding.

Aug

31

The Hero of the Day. — Sketch of the Life and Services of Major General John Pope.

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August 31, 1862, The New York Herald

This sterling officer, whose series of military operations and brilliant victories in the West have been the theme of praise and comment from press and public, is comparatively a young men, being under forty years of age, having been born in Kentucky, March 10, 1923. His parents early settled at Kaskaskia, Illinois, from which State he was appointed to West Point in 1838. His father, Hon. N. Pope, was for a long period United States District Judge of Illinois, a sound and talented lawyer, high toned and honored member of society, and eminently worthy of such a son as is the subject of this sketch. After a scholastic term of four years at the military institution, young Pope graduated in June, 1842. In his class we find the names of Generals Rosecrans, Seth Williams, Doubleday, and may others of the Union army, and Rains, G. W. Smith, Lovell, Van Dorn, Longstreet and others in the rebel ranks. In July, 1842, the subject of our sketch was appointed Second Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. In August, 1846, he joined General Taylor’s army in Mexico, during its advance upon Monterey, and was brevetted first lieutenant for gallant and meritorious conduct in that battle. As first lieutenant he marched with his companions through the malarious regions of Central Mexico, and was an active participant in the severely fought and dearly bought battle of Buena Vista, where he was again brevetted captain for highly gallant and meritorious conduct. For his gallantry in this engagement, and other distinguished services during the war, he was also presented with a magnificent sword by the State of Illinois.

In 1849 he conducted the exploring expedition which first laid open the fertile regions of Minnesota, and demonstrated the practicability of navigating the Red River of the North with steamers, for which services he received a vote of thanks from the Territorial Legislature of Minnesota. This labor accomplished, we next find him serving in New Read more