Sunday, 17th, the army encamped along the banks of the Rapidan.
Wednesday, 20th, General Pope and his entire command crossed to the north bank of the river, and during the same day Jackson, who had been heavily reinforced from Lee’s army, appeared at several of the fords, and opened a brisk and lengthy artillery fire. Opposing batteries were planted along the river at different points for a distance of fifteen miles. No advantage resulted to the enemy from this prolonged artillery duel. They succeeded, however, in throwing a body of cavalry across one of the fords at the extreme left of our lines, which was met by a corresponding force. A severe conflict ensued, neither party being the victors.
Saturday, 23rd, the rebels made a spirited attack on Rappahannock Station, compelling us to abandon it. The bridge over the Rappahannock at that point was burned, and the abutments blown up.
Monday, 25th, the entire left wing of the rebel army crossed the river at Warrenton Springs, and General Pope immediately decided upon abandoning the line of the Rappahannock.
Tuesday, 26th, Ewell, with a part of Jackson’s command, appeared at Bristow Station, in Pope’s rear, and destroyed two bridges, two locomotives, and fifty cars, en route back to Alexandria from Warrenton Junction, whither they had conveyed General Hooker’s Division a few hours previous. Leaving Bristow Station, Ewell proceeded to Manassas Junction, and burnt one hundred more cars, heavily laden with ammunition and supplies. He also destroyed the bridge over Bull Run, and retreated to Hay Market, closely pursued by Hooker and Kearney. About the same time Longstreet’s corps forced a passage through Thoroughfare Gap, after meeting with a stubborn resistance from General King’s Division.
On abandoning the Rappahannock, General Pope had marched rapidly back, in three columns, from Warrenton and Warrenton Junction, and disposed his forces in the following manner. The Corps of McDowell and Sigel and the Pennsylvania Reserves, under Reynolds, were moved to Gainesville. Reno and Kearney were directed upon Greenwich, while Hooker’s Division was sent against Ewell along the railroad. These dispositions, General Halleck tells us, were well planned, but were unfortunately too late, as a large detachment of Lee’s army was already east of Thoroughfare Gap. General Porter was ordered to be at Bristow Station by daylight on the morning of the 28th, but not obeying the order, his Corps did not participate in the battles of the 28th and 29th. Heintzelman’s Corps pressed forward to Manassas on the morning of the 28th, and forced Jackson to retreat across Bull Run by the Centreville turnpike. McDowell had succeeded in checking Lee at Thoroughfare Gap, but the latter took the road to New Market, and hastened to the relief of Jackson, who was now in rapid retreat. A portion of McDowell’s corps encountered the retreating column on the afternoon of the 28th, near Warrenton turnpike, and a severe but successful battle ensued.
Friday, 29th, Jackson was again attacked near the old battle ground of July 1861, when a heavy engagement ensued. Sigel, who had arrived, held the extreme right of our lines. The enemy endeavored to turn his position, but were repulsed three times. Fighting continued until dark, at which time the rebels had been driven one mile. General Pope, in his official report of this battle, wrote:
“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.”
Upon the following day our forces were arranged as follows: Heintzelman, extreme right; Porter and McDowell, centre; and Banks, extreme left. Sigel was held as a reserve in the rear of Porter. We renewed the battle at 7 o’clock, A. M. Firing was kept up on both sides until one o’clock, when the rebels charged in solid column upon our centre. They were at first repulsed, but again advancing in six columns, McDowell’s troops gave away. The centre now being broken, the wings were compelled to fall back, when a perfect rout ensued. Officers and men, alike, rushed back, pell mell, in the direction of Washington, as fast as their legs would carry them. Reaching Bull Run they were temporarily rallied and held the advance of the enemy in check, but again pushing on, they did not stop until within sight of Centreville.
Returning to General Franklin’s command, the Thirty-third, together with the other Regiments of the Corps, received marching orders on the 28th. Tents were struck, rations provided, and everything got in readiness to hasten to the support of Pope. But the movement did not commence, and at sunset the tents were re-pitched. Orders came again, however, at ten o’clock, to be ready to march on the following morning. The Third Brigade was in readiness at six o’clock, but, proceeding on to the camps of the remaining portions of the Corps, saw but little indication of a move. Tents remained standing, unharnessed artillery horses were eating their grain, and other evidences of an intended delay were apparent. After the lapse of two hours, the Corps took up the line of march, and proceeding through Annandale, halted at eleven o’clock for the day, after having made a distance of six and one half miles. The next morning the march was resumed at eight o’clock. On nearing Fairfax Court House, the artillery firing of General Pope could be distinctly heard, and the troops, knowing that he must be in need of reinforcements, were anxious to push rapidly forward. But they were moved along at a snail pace. Arriving at Cub Run, two miles beyond Centreville, large numbers of wounded men, stragglers and wagons were met going to the rear. While the Thirty-third was fording Cub Run, “we were ordered,” writes the Lieutenant-Colonel, “to counter-march. Our army had given way and the hellish intentions of some Generals had been accomplished. Pope had been defeated.” The Brigade returned to Centreville, reaching there about ten o’clock at night. Lieutenant-Colonel Corning was immediately ordered to proceed with the Thirty-third and Seventh Maine, to a point two miles to the rear, to stop the stragglers, who were now hurrying towards the capital by whole Brigades. The Regiments were posted across the road, where they remained until the following morning, halting and turning back, at the point of the bayonet, a large number of the panic-stricken fugitives. Being relieved, they returned again to Centreville, and took up position in one of the lines of battle formed by the Corps to cover the retreat. Under protection of a flag of truce, some sixty ambulances proceeded to the battle-field and brought off about half of our wounded, who had lain since Saturday in the open air, exposed to the broiling sun, and fierce storm which prevailed Sunday evening. The poor fellows were in a terrible condition, having been deserted by the surgeons, who, like the rest of the army, were panic-stricken and had fled. Nearly two hundred of them were left, the flag of truce expiring before they could be brought away. Just at nightfall (Monday) a portion of the enemy succeeded in getting in our rear, between Centreville and Fairfax, and fell upon the supply trains, which were withdrawing to Alexandria. General Stevens was immediately sent back from the former place, and succeeded in driving the enemy away, though losing his own life. He fell at the head of his Brigade, pierced through the breast by a minie-ball. Later in the evening the lion-hearted Kearney was also killed. It was his habit, like that of Stonewall Jackson’s, to ride round his lines after the troops were asleep, and inspect them closely, satisfying himself that the pickets were doing their duty. Not unfrequently he would start off in this manner alone, and be absent for hours, making himself fully acquainted with everything that was transpiring along the lines. It was while out on such a tour of inspection, Monday night, that he was shot dead by a rebel picket, who observed him riding along, from a distance. His death, as well as that of General Stevens, was universally lamented.