ED. Schriver to Question by General MCDOWELL. State if these letters were not, August 27, 1862

Bristoe Station, August 27, 1862.

At daylight to-morrow morning march rapidly on Manassas Junction with your whole force, resting your right on the Manassas Gap Railroad, throwing your left well to east. Jackson, Ewell, and A. P. Hill are between Gainesville and Manassas Junction. We had a severe fight with them. to-day, driving them back several miles along the railroad. If you will march promptly and rapidly at the earliest dawn of day upon Manassas Junction we shall bag the whole crowd. I. have directed Reno to march from Greenwich at the same hour upon Manassas Junction, and Kearny, who is in his rear, to march on Bristoe at daybreak. Le expeditious, and the day is our own. JNO. POPE, Major-General, Commanding.

Received dispatch for Major-General McDowell August 28, 1.15 a m. J. O. BRISCOE, Tieutenant and Engineer, Kearny’s Division.

CouRtT-Room, Corn. FOURTEENTH AND PA. AVENUE, Washington, D. O., December 29, 1862. The court met pursuant to adjournment. Present, * * * , and Maj. Gen. FRANZ SIGEL, U.S. Volunteers, the witness under examiQuestion by General MCDOWELL. I desire the witness to take General McDowell’s General Orders, No. 10, of August 28, 1862, and show from what therein he is warranted in saying he was to take a position with his right resting on the railroad leading from Warrenton Junction to Manassas Junction. Is or is not that railroad mentioned or referred to in that order? If so, where?

The order in question, appended to the proceedings of the twentyninth day, was placed before the witness.

Answer. When I wrote my report I had not the order of General McDowell before me.

General McDowell stated that this is hardly an answer to the question.

The witness asked whether the question referred to what is contained in his report or in his evidence.

The court was then cleared.

The court was opened and the following decision announced:

The question has already been fully answered by the witness during the proceedings of the thirty-first day and is overruled.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Will the witness please point out on the map, as far as the map goes, the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and the Manassas Railroad ?

The witness referred to the map from the Bureau of the Topographical Engineers, dated August 1, 1862, of “‘Northeastern Virginia and vicinity of Washington,” which map is appended to the proceedings in the case.* ;

The witness pointed out the railroads as marked on the map, stating that a small portion of the road (about a half mile), to the west of Manassas Station, was common to the two roads.

“To appear in Atlas.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Were the divisions of Generals Schurz and Schenck bivouacked on the turnpike between Buckland Mills and Gainesville on the evening of the 27th or the morning of the 28th ?

Answer. Yes; they were.

Question by General McDowE Lu. How far were they respectively from Gainesville ?

Answer. The division of General Schurz was about a mile from Gainesville, probably nearer to Gainesville than a mile. The division of General Schenck was first about 24 miles from Gainesville, and then received orders to form behind the left wing of General Schurz during the night.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Why did you delay the march of the whole force on account of the pickets of General Milroy ?

Answer. I did not delay the march. I only did not advance General Milroy’s brigade without having the whole corps assembled where he was. There may have been a delay for the reason that I wished to have General Milroy’s brigade at the head of my column, and that perhaps his preparations were not all made when the others came up. I have stated why his preparations were made at the last moment before our movement. In relation to General Milroy’s brigade, I think it my duty to say that they were under arms the whole night and expected an attack from the enemy. They had nearly no rest—like the other troops of my corps.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Was the position of your reserve artillery any cause fordelay? Ifso, what?

Answer. I do not know any more, because my headquarters were on this side of Buckland Mills. I started when it was dark, went to General Schenck, then to General Milroy, to be at the head of my troops. There must have been a delay in crossing the bridge, but I would not say delay, because in all such movements we want time.

Question by General MCDOWELL. What time did you require to inarch your reserve division from Buckland Mills to Gainesville, a dis’ance of 3 miles ?

Answer. I was not with them, and therefore cannot say how much time they wanted, and I also see by the map that it is not 3 but almost 4 miles to Gainesville from Buckland Mills.

Question by General MCDOWELL. What is the usual rate of march per hour in your corps over good turnpike roads, which are unobstructed by anything but the troops themselves %

Answer. I refuse to answer that question, if not ordered by the court.

The court decided the question a proper one.

The witness continued :

In answering the question I remarked that I refused to do so because this question is too general and does not apply to the case. According to circumstances we can march very quick on a good road, but ordinarily troops march 15 miles a day on good roads. This would, if we march 10 hours, be 1} miles an hour. On the 28th August my corps marched 13 miles and the brigade of General Milroy 16, and this was in the presence of the enemy, where we could march only slowly and had to look out well.

Question by General McDoWELL. Do you know of any cause of delay in your march on the morning of the 28th from your baggage wagons obstructing the road—the turnpike from between Buckland ne ae Ce ae from your men stopping in the turnpike to build

Answer. I did not see myself that the baggage train was in the road; I at least do not remember it; but I remember that I rode up to the soldiers of General Schenck,

who ro trying to cook coffee before daylight, and forced them to fall in and to march.

Question by General MODoWELL. How far had your men marched on the 27th, and had they not had the whole day and night of the 26th to rest themselves at Warrenton, and what time did they finish their march on the 27th ?

Answer. On the 27th, that morning we marched froni Warrenton toward Buckland Mills, but found the enemy this side of Buckland Mills. I was therefore compelled to halt and to get information. We then had a skirmish at Buckland Mills with the enemy. He retired and burned the bridge. I took possession of the shores of the creek, and had to restore the bridge by my pioneers, which took about two or three hours. During this time the greatest part of the troops formed on the right and left in line of battle, and were all under arms, and standing, because it was reported to me that 10,000 men were on our front and that 60,000 had marched toward Manassas, which report I sent to General McDowell. The march was finished and the troops had all crossed the bridge before sunset. I do not exactly know when we marched from Warrenton. After having crossed the bridge with all my troops I countermarched my reserve division, because the troops of General McDowell had not arrived yet,and I feared an attack from Hay Market. We then marched slowly on toward Gainesville to gain that point. General Milroy arrived at Gainesville at night—8 or 9 o’clock. The divisions of General Schurz and General Schenck were first kept back near Buckland Mills and then successively advanced, so that they changed their position during the night. One regiment was sent toward Hay Market and one toward Greenwich, over a mile distant from the road. One-third of our troops, I think, were under arms and on picket, and General Milroy’s brigade especially. On the 26th and on the night of the 26th and 27th we were at Warrenton, and all my troops were resting.

Question by General MCDOWELL. How long before sunset was it

when you reached Buckland Mills? How far is it from Warrenton to Buckland Mills?

Answer. I do not exactly know how long. It is from Warrenton to Buckland Mills about 9 or 10 miles.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Can the witness give no idea how long before sunset it was when he reached Buckland Mills; was it half and hour, an hour, or two hours? State about how long.

Answer. I cannot say how long.

By General McDOWELL. I beg to ask if the court considers this question responded to—before sunset? The term used will take in the whole day, and therefore fixes no time at all after sunrise. :

Question by the CouRT. Can you state about how near to sunset it was ?

Answer. It was in the afternoon and before sunset. I remember now that I sent from Buckland Mills an officer to Warrenton to General McDowell, which must have taken two hours, making it about 4 o’clock. The officer wrote to me when he arrived

there about 6 o’clock p. m. It must have been therefore 4 or 5 o’clock, according to this connection of things. The officer was Captain Este, of General Schenck’s statt.

A paper dated Headquarters First Corps, Army of Virginia, Buckland Bridge, Va., August 27, 1862, 11.40, was placed before the witness, which paper is appended to the proceedings of this day, marked A.

Question by General MCDOWELL. State if this is not the note you sent at that time, dated at Buckland Mills, at 11.40 a, m.

Answer. This is the note which my adjutant has written. I had gone in advance probably to direct the movement of General Milroy, and I remember that as he could not cross the bridge with his artillery, his cavalry, and afterward his infantry, or a

> part of it, crossed near the bridge. I also remember that the brigade of General Milroy was a great distance ahead of my principal column, as he was ordered to do so.

Question by General MCDOWELL. Look at this order, dated Warrenton, August 27, 1862, and state if it is the order under which you marched to Buckland Mills. ‘

A book was placed before the witness, from which a letter, of which the following is a copy, was read by the recorder:

HEADQUARTERS THIRD CoRPs, ARMY OF VIRGINIA, Warrenton, August 27, 1862—7.30 a. m. Major-General SIGEL:

Push immediately a strong advance along the turnpike from Warrenton to Gainesville, for the purpose of taking possession of the position of Buckland Mills, on Broad Run, and get your corps in hand as soon as possible to follow this advance. No wagons but for ammunition will accompany your corps on this road. Your baggage trains will immediately proceed to Catlett’s. Detach three batteries from your troops to report to Major-General Kearny, commanding division, who will be moving by the way of Greenwich to your support.

Further instructions will be given as to the route by which these batteries are to join General Kearny ; until they do, they will be kept with your command.

By command of Major-General McDowell :

Colonel, Chief of Staff.

Answer. Yes; that is the letter.

Question by General MCDOWELL. State if these letters were not

sent by you from Buckland Mills on the 27th, and if you know of any

other reports made by you to General McDowell that day except the

one just presented.

Three papers were read by the recorder, then placed before the witness. These papers are dated as follows: ‘Headquarters, Buckland