with lee in virginia-第24章

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when　off　duty　he　spent　his　time　with　his　friends　and　schoolfellows

in　Jackson's　brigade。



On　the　2d　of　July　the　scouts　rode　into　camp　with　the　news　that　a

strong　force　was　advancing　from　Williamsport。　Jackson　at　once

advanced　with　the　5th　Virginia　Infantry；　numbering　380　men　and　

one　gun；　while　Stuart；　with　100　cavalry；　started　to　mnake　a　

circuitous　route；　and　harassed　the　flank　and　rear　of　the　enemy。　

There　was　no　intention　on　the　part　of　Jackson　of　fighting　a　battle；

his　orders　being　merely　to　feel　the　enemy；　whose　strength　was　far

too　great　to　be　withstood　even　had　he　brought　his　whole　brigade

into　action；　for　they　numbered　three　brigades　of　infantry；　500

cavalry；　and　some　artillery。



For　some　hours　the　little　Confederate　force　skirmished　so　boldly

that　they　checked　the　advance　of　the　enemy；　whose　general

naturally　supposed　that　he　had　before　him　the　advanced　guard　of　a

strong　force；　and　therefore　moved　forward　with　great　caution。　

Thou　the　Confederates；　being　threatened　on　both　flanks　by　the

masses　of　the　Federals；　fell　back　in　good　order。　　The　loss　was　very

trifling　on　either　side；　but　the　fact　that　so　small　a　force　had　for

hours　checked　the　advance　of　an　army　greatly　raised　the　spirits　and

confidence　of　the　Confederates。　Stuart's　small　cavalry　force；

coming　down　upon　the　enemy　's　rear；　captured　a　good　many

prisoners…Colonel　Stuart　himself　capturing　forty…four　infantry。　

Riding　some　distance　ahead　of　his　troop　to　find　out　the　position　of

the　enemy；　he　came　upon　a　company　of　Federal　infantry　sitting

down　in　a　field；　having　no　idea　whatever　that　any　Confederate

force　was　in　the　neighborhood。　　Stuart　did　not　hesitate　a　moment；

but　riding　up　to　them　shouted　the　order；　〃Throw　down　your　arms；

or　you　are　all　dead　men。〃　Believing　themselves　surrounded；　the

Federals　threw　down　their　arms；　and　when　the　Confederate　cavalry

came　up　were　marched　off　as　prisoners。



Jackson；　on　reaching　his　camp；　struck　his　tents　and　sent　them　to

the　rear；　and　formed　up　his　whole　brigade　in　order　of　battle。　　The

Federals；　however；　instead　of　attacking；　continued　their　flank

movement；　and　Jackson　fell　back　through　Martinsburg　and　halted

for　the　night　a　mile　beyond　the　town。



Next　day　he　again　retired；　and　was　joined　six　miles　further　on　by

Johnston's　whole　force。　　For　four　days　the　little　army　held　its

position；　prepared　to　give　battle　if　the　enemy　advanced；　but　the

Federals；　though　greatly　superior　in　numbers；　remained　immovable

at　Martinsburg；　and　Johnston；　to　the　great　disgust　of　his　troops；

retired　to　Winchester。　　The　soldiers　were　longing　to　meet　the

invaders　in　battle；　but　their　general　had　to　bear　in　mind　that　the

force　under　his　command　might　at　any　moment　be　urgently

required　to　join　the　main　Confederate　army；　and　aid　in　opposing

the　Northern　advance　upon　Richmond。



Stuart's　cavalry　kept　him　constantly　informed　of　the　strength　of

the　enemy　gathering　in　his　front。　　Making　circuits　round

Martinsburg；　they　learned　from　the　farmers　what　numbers　of

troops　each　day　came　along；　and　while　the　Federals　knew　nothing

of　the　force　opposed　to　them；　and　believed　that　it　far　outnumbered

their　own；　General　Johnston　knew　that　Patterson's　force　numbered

about　22；000　men；　while　he　himself　had　been　joined　only　by　some

3；000　men　since　he　arrived　at　Winchester。



On　the　18th　of　July　a　telegram　from　the　government　at　Richmond

announced　that　the　Federal　grand　army　had　driven　in　General

Beauregard's　pickets　at　Manassas；　and　had　begun　to　advance；　and

Johnston　was　directed　if　possible　to　hasten　to　his　assistance。　　A

few　earthworks　had　been　thrown　up　at　Winchester；　and　some　guns

mounted　upon　them；　and　the　town　was　left　under　the　protection　of

the　local　militia。　Stuart's　cavalry　was　posted　in　a　long　line　across

the　country　to　prevent　any　news　of　the　movement　reaching　the

enemy。　As　soon　as　this　was　done　the　infantry；　8；300　strong；

marched　off。　　The　troops　were　in　high　spirits　now；　for　they　knew

that　their　long　period　of　inactivity　was　over；　and　that；　although

ignorant　when　and　where；　they　were　on　their　march　to　meet　the

enemy。



They　had　no　wagons　or　rations；　the　need　for　speed　was　too　urgent

even　to　permit　of　food　being　cooked。　　Without　a　halt　they　pressed

forward　steadily；　and　after　two　days'　march；　exhausted　and　half

famished；　they　reached　the　Manassas　Gap　Railroad。　　Where　they

were　put　into　trains　as　fast　as　these　could　be　prepared；　and　by　noon

on　the　20th　joined　Beauregard　at　Manassas。　　The　cavalry　had

performed　their　duty　of　preventing　the　news　of　the　movement　from

reaching　the　enemy　until　the　infantry　were　nearly　a　day's　march

away；　and　then　Stuart　reassembled　his　men　and　followed　Johnston。　

Thus　the　Confederate　plans　had　been　completely　suceessful。　　Over

30；000　of　the　enemy；　instead　of　being　in　line　of　battle　with　the

main　army；　were　detained　before　Winchester；　while　the　little

Confederate　force　who　had　been　facing　them　bad　reached

Beauregard　in　time　to　take　part　in　the　approaching　struggle。



In　the　North　no　doubt　as　to　the　power　of　the　grand　array　to　make

its　way　to　Richmond　was　entertained。　　The　troops　were　armed　with

the　best　weapons　obtainable；　the　artillery　was　numerous　and

excellent；　the　army　was　fed　with　every　luxury；　and　so　confident

were　the　men　of　success　that　they　regarded　the　whole　affair　in　the

light　of　a　great　picnic。　　The　grand　army　numbered　55；000　men；

with　9　regiments　of　cavalry　and　49　rifle…guns。　　To　oppose　these；

the　Confederate　force；　after　the　arrival　of　Johnston's　army；

numbered　27；833　infantry；　35　smooth…bored　guns；　and　500　cavalry。　

Many　of　the　infantry　were　armed　only　with　shot…guns　and　old

fowling…pieces；　and　the　guns　were　small　and　ill…supplied　with

ammunition。　　There　had　been　some　sharp　fighting　on　the　18th；　and

the　Federal　advance　across　the　river　of　Bull　Run　had　been　sharply

repulsed；　therefore　their　generals　determined；　instead　of　making　a

direct　attack　on　the　31st　against　the　Confederate　position；　to　take　a

wide　sweep　round；　cross　the　river　higher　up；　and　falling　upon　the

Confederate　left　flank；　to　crumple　it　up。



All　night　the　Federal　troops　had　marched；　and　at　day…break　on　the

21st　nearly　40；000　men　were　in　position　on　the　left　flank　of　the

Confederates。　　The　latter　were　not　taken　by　surprise　when　Stuart's

cavalry　brought　in　news　of　the　Federal　movement；　and　General

Beauregard；　instead　of　moving　his　troops　toward　the　threatened

point；　sent　orders　to　General　Longstreet　on　the　right　to　cross　the

river　as　soon　as　the　battle　began；　and　to　fall　upon　the　Federal　flank

and　rear。



Had　this　movement　been　carried　out；　the　destruction　of　the　Federal

army　would　have　been　complete；　but　by　one　of　those　unfortunate

accidents　which　so　frequently　occur　in　war　and　upset　the　best　laid

plans；　the　order　in　some　way　never　came　to　hand；　and　when　late

in　the　day　the　error　was　discovered　it　was　too　late　to　remedy　it。



At　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　two　of　the　Federal　divisions

reached　the　river；　and　while　one　of　them　engaged　the　Confederate

force　stationed　at　the　bridge；　another　crossed　the　river　at　a　ford。　

Colonel　Evans；　who　commanded　the　Confederate　forces；　which

numbered　but　fifteen　companies；　left　200　men　to　continue　to　hold

the　bridge；　while　with　800　he　hurried　to　oppose　General　Hunter's

division；　which　had　crossed　at　the　ford。



This　consisted　of　16；000　infantry；　with　cavalry　and　artillery；　and

another　division　of　equal　force　had　crossed　at　the　Red　House　ford

higher　up。　　To　check　so　great　a　force　with　this　handful　of　men

seemed　all　but　impossible；　but　Colonel　Evans　determined　to　hold

his　ground　to　the　last；　to　enable　his　general　to　bring　up

reinforcements。　　His　force　consisted　of　men　of　South　Carolina　and

Louisiana；　and　they　contested　every　foot　of　the　ground。



The　regiment　which　formed　the　advanced　of　the　Federals　charged；

supported　by　an　artillery　fire；　but　was　repulsed。　As　the　heavy

Federal　line　advanced；　however；　the　Confederates　were　slowly