In order that our situation may be fully understood, it may be well to give a brief description of the general military events of a few weeks previous to our arrival at the station.
On the 27th of June Maj. Gen. John Pope assumed command of the Army of Virginia, composed of Fremont's, Banks's and McDowell's Corps, in all about 38,000 men. The first two of these commands were at Middletown, in the Shenandoah Valley. Of the latter command, one division, under Gen. Ricketts, was at or near Manassas Junction, and King's (to which Battery D belonged) at Fredericksburg. It was the first intention of Gen. Pope to unite these widely separated troops, and in concert with Gen. McClellan, who was occupying an advanced position on the Peninsula, attempt the capture of Richmond; but in the interim between the assumption of this command by Gen. Pope and the uniting of his forces, Gen. McClellan had decided to retire from his advanced position, to the James River, at Harrison's Landing, which was accomplished after seven days of continuous and severe fighting.
The rebel commander, Gen. Lee, being relieved from any anxiety for the safety of Richmond, determined upon a demonstration towards Washington, and sent Gen. Jackson with a large force to oppose Gen. Pope. The two armies met at Cedar Mountain, on the 9th of August. A severe battle was fought, resulting in the defeat of our army, which was driven from its position at dark.
It was soon discovered by Gen. Pope that Gen. Lee was moving nearly his whole force from Richmond, for the purpose of crushing his (Pope's) army, and it was now determined by the authorities at Washington to transfer Gen. McClellan's forces from the Peninsula to the Potomac, as a reinforcement for Gen. Pope.
On the 23d of August, the day the battery arrived at Rappahannock Station, Gen. Longstreet had reached our front, and made an attack upon our troops at Beverly Ford. It was the firing from this engagement which had been sounding in our ears all day.
We continued our march well into the night. Just after midnight the battery pulled into a lot and halted without unharnessing. The men were told to lay down near their pieces and get what rest they could. About daylight we were aroused and started on again, reaching Warrenton about dark on the 24th. Early next morning the battery was on the road, and after a slow, tedious march of five or six hours bivouacked at Sulphur Springs for the night, without unhitching.
The evening of the 26th found us in the neighborhood of Waterloo Bridge. Twenty-four hours later we were on the Warrenton Pike, about half-way between Warrenton and Groveton, wet through from a drenching rain which had prevailed for several hours.
After a very uncomfortable night we took the road again on the morning of the 28th, headed towards Groveton. About 5 P.M. the battery moved off the road into a field upon the right, came into park, and, without unhitching, the men commenced to prepare supper.
Just as Capt. Monroe and the other officers, with Gen. King as their guest, had seated themselves at the camp-table, a few picket shots were heard on our left, followed almost immediately by a considerable volley. Gen. King immediately mounted his horse and started in the direction of the firing. Capt. Monroe ordered the drivers to mount, put the battery in motion down the pike, then galloped on ahead; soon he returned, gave the order "Trot, march," and, after going a short distance, turned the head of the column towards a hill upon the left of the road. We had almost reached the base of the hill when a staff officer was seen coming over the top towards us, waving his sword in the wildest manner and calling upon us to go back as quick as possible. He hurriedly made the Captain understand, but before our direction could be changed, we saw the lead horses of a rebel battery appearing over the brow of the hill—we were both after the same position and they had beaten us. Our direction was soon changed and we made every possible effort to get under cover before they could do us much damage, but they succeeded in getting in a few shots, which, however, did us no damage. Soon we reached a sunken place in the road which afforded us protection, and we were halted while Capt. Monroe searched for a new position. After a stay of five minutes we were again ordered forward. About one hundred yards of our way was fully exposed to the fire of the rebel battery. They took every advantage of it, and threw their shells thick and fast at us. It did not seem possible that we could pass this exposed part of our journey without being seriously damaged; but notwithstanding the shots flew around us, only one took effect, hitting the stock of one of our caissons, breaking it and disabling the carriage and necessitating its being blown up. Lieut. Parker was ordered to accomplish this, and although he was exposed to great personal danger, both from the enemy's fire and the explosion, he successfully accomplished it.
The battery soon turned from the road into the fields on the left, and with all possible speed made for the top of a hill not far distant; on reaching the top of which it came into battery and immediately commenced firing at the rebel battery which had taken the first position from us.