CHAPTER V.

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN-BATTLES OF SOUTH MOUN

TAIN ANTIETAM--SHEPHERDSTOWN FORD.

As night, with its mystic shadows settled over the battle-field of Bull Run, the army was directed to retire to Centreville. The march is described by the historian in an article written for The Century Magazine and published in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, as follows:

"The last volley had been fired, and as night fell upon us, the division of regulars of Porter's corps was ordered to retire to Centreville. It had fought hard on the extreme left to preserve the line of retreat by the turnpike and the stone bridge. We were gloomy and despondent, and about 'tired out'; we had not had a change of clothing from the 14th to the 31st of August, and had been living, in the words of the men, on 'salt-horse,' ' hardtack,' and 'chickory-juice.' As we filed from the battle-field into the turnpike leading over the stone bridge, we came upon a group of mounted officers, one of whom wore a peculiar style of hat which had been seen on the field that day, and which had been the occasion of a good deal of comment in the ranks. As we passed these officers, the one with the peculiar hat called out in a loud voice:

"What troops are these?'

"The regulars,' answered somebody.

Second Division, Fifth Corps,' replied another.

"God bless them! they saved the army,' added the officer, solemnly. We learned that he was General Irwin McDowell.

"As we neared the bridge, we came upon confusion. Men, singly and in detachments, were mingled with sutlers' wagons, artillery, caissons, supply wagons, and ambulances, each striving to get ahead of the other. Vehicles rushed through organized bodies, and broke the columns into fragments. Little detachments gathered by the roadside, after crossing the bridge, crying out the numbers of their regiments as a guide to scattered comrades. "And what a night it was! Dark, gloomy, and beclouded by the volumes of smoke which had risen from the battle-field. To our disgust with the situation was added the discomfort of a steady rain setting in after nightfall. With many threats to reckless drivers, and through the untiring efforts of our officers-not knowing how, when, or where we should meet the enemy again,we managed to preserve our organization intact, keeping out of the road as much as possible, in order to avoid mingling with others. In this way we arrived at Centreville some time before midnight, and on the morning of the 31st of August we were placed in the old Confederate earthworks surrounding that village, to await developments.

"It was Sunday! The morning was cold and rainy; everything bore a look of sadness in unison with our feelings. All about were the disjecta membra of a shattered army. Here were stragglers plodding through the mud inquiring for their regiments; little squads, just issuing from their shelterless bivouac 'on the wet ground; wagons wrecked and forlorn; half-formed regiments, part of the men with guns and part without; wanderers driven in by the patrols; while every one you met had an unwashed, sleepy, downcast aspect, and looked as if he would like to hide his head somewhere from all the world.

"During the afternoon a council of war was held in the bivouac of the regular division, at which I noticed all the prominent generals of the army. It was a long one, and apparently not over-pleasant, if one might judge of it by the expression on the faces of the officers when they separated. The information it developed, however, was that the enemy was between the Army of the Potomac and Washington; that Kearny was then engaged with him at Chantilly, and that we must fall back towards the defenses of the city. Dejection disappeared, activity took the place of immobility, and we were ready again to renew the contest. But who was to be our leader? and where were we to fight? These were the questions that sprang to our lips."

General McClellan, upon his arrival at Alexandria from the Peninsula, was directed to remain at that point and forward his troops to General Pope as fast as they arrived, and, fully complying with these orders from Washington, found himself stripped of everything but a small camp guard of less than 100 men; and this was the extent of his command at the closing scene of the second battle of Bull Run.

About 5 P.M. of the 30th, Captain Martin's battery, which had followed General Griffin's brigade to Centreville, was ordered by General Griffin to proceed from that place to the battle-field; but it did not arrive in season to be of any service, and was therefore directed to return to Centreville, where, the next morning, it was placed in battery by General Morell, and remained until the morning of September 2d, leaving its position at 1.30 A.M., and then moved towards Washington, arriving near Chain Bridge the evening of the same day. On September 3d it marched to Hall's hill and remained until the 7th, when it was ordered to Alexandria to refit. The following day it joined General Griffin's brigade at Upton's hill.

Captain Waterman's battery moved by order of General Morell from Centreville on the morning of August 31st towards Alexandria, to procure forage for the horses, they being in a very exhausted state, not having had any grain for five days. It moved as far as Fairfax Court-House, and encamped, three of the horses having dropped dead from exhaustion as the battery moved into camp. Not being able to procure either rations or forage, on the 1st of September it moved to within five miles of Alexandria, where part of one day's rations of grain was secured,