line we attempted, we had to go around by the Sudley Springs road, and did not reach the vicinity of Warrenton pike till late at night, when we lay down by a camp-fire of General Sigel's men till daybreak.

General King's division had gone along the road till near to Groveton, when, seeing the enemy to the north, they moved across from the turnpike and met them and had a short and severe action, in which only Gibbon's brigade and two regiments of Doubleday's were engaged. They repulsed the enemy and held their ground, remaining masters of the road. (See evidence of General King, Lieutenant-Colonel Tillson, and Captain Haven.) I had sent three of my staff with this division when I left it to go to Reynolds. During the engagement Reynolds' division was moving up the Sudley Springs road to join King, but night-fall stopped its march, and it got no farther than the hill above the Warrenton pike and about a mile from Groveton. General Reynolds had gone personally to King's division, and whilst there it was decided that the division should remain where they were until they had orders to the contrary, and Captain Haven was sent to report this to me. (See evidence of General Meade and Captain Haven.)

I proceeded to join Reynolds' division as soon as it was light enough to move, and found General Reynolds, who also had not been able to rejoin the command during the night, just returned from King's division, which he informed me had, after Captain Haven left, fallen back in the night to Manassas. (For the reasons of this step see evidence of Generals King and Ricketts.)

General King being asked by the court-

Had you any orders or directions given to you by General McDowell to return that night to Manassas?

Answer. I had no orders on that subject. I acted on my own responsibility.

The only orders I gave this division were to proceed to Centreville by way of the Warrenton turnpike.

OPERATIONS OF GENERAL M'DOWELL ON THE 29TH OF AUGUST IN CONNECTION WITH GENERAL SIGEL.

General Sigel charges that I did not make the necessary dispositions on the 29th of August by which his corps and my own should act with more unity. He believes my troops could have been on the battle-field at an earlier hour of the day; that I did not give the right direction to my troops; that instead of attacking the enemy in the left flank I came in from the rear; that is to say, instead of coming in the direction of New Market I came in the direction of Centreville; that I neglect to get a personal knowledge of the affairs of his corps on the 29th of August, which made, or were intended to be made, and he does not know for what reason I left the position I had on the 28th, in the evening.

The last paragraph refers to King's division, which fell back on General King's own responsibility, without any orders from me, in the night, to Manassas.

The charge of my not having made the necessary dispositions on the 29th for his corps and neglecting to get a personal knowledge of the affairs is based on the assumption he makes that he was under my command from the time we were at Warrenton till we arrived at Fairfax Court-House. To show how much he is in error in this, see his own evidence and that of General Pope.

General Sigel says (December 20):

After the engagement at Freeman's Ford, Sulphur Springs, and Waterloo Bridge I