on Jackson's part, would have lost to him half the fruits of the great movement-thwarted General Lee's plans—and reversed the whole programme of operations. He accordingly banished all thought of such a retrograde movement, and with that stubborn nerve which characterized him, determined to fall back slowly to a position within supporting distance of Longstreet, contest every inch of the ground, and only retire when the existence of his army made it necessary.

Accordingly, just after sunset, he put his troops in motion, and began the movement which was to effect his object. His corps was divided, and took different routes. Hill's division, with a detachment of cavalry, set out on the road to Centreville, crossing at Blackburn's ford, and thus drawing the attention of the enemy in a false direction. Hill did not proceed beyond Centreville, however. Having reached that point he faced to the left, took the Warrenton road, and returned, recrossing Bull Run at Stone bridge, hotly pursued by General Pope, who had gone after him to Centreville "with Heintzelman and Reno as a body-guard," says General Fitz John Porter, "not knowing at the time where was the enemy." Near this point he rejoined Jackson, who had fallen back, with Ewell's division, his own and the rest of the cavalry, and taken up a position on the battlefield of Manassas; his left resting near Sudley ford; his right at a point a little above the small village of Groveton.* The crest which he occupied was partly protected in front by a railroad

* The consequences of Jackson's movement against the Federal rear are vividly depicted in the despatches of their generals. On the 28th General Porter telegraphed to General Burnside: "All that talk about bagging Jackson was bosh. That enormous gap Manassas was left open, and the enemy jumped through." On the 29th the same general telegraphed: "It would seem from proper (?) statements of the enemy that he was wandering around loose; but I expect they know what they are doing, which is more than any one here, or anywhere, knows." When a large amount of ammunition was sent from Washington, he telegraphed in regard to it that it "was on the road to Alexandria, where we are all going."

On the 1st of September General McClellan wrote: "This week is the crisis of our fate."

cut-that of a projected road branching from the main Manassas Railroad near Gainesville, and running toward Alexandria. Here he was in a position to repulse the enemy unless they advanced in overpowering force; to form a junction with Longstreet as soon as he arrived, and, if hard pressed, retire up the right bank of Bull Run toward Aldie.

Deceived by the movements of A. P. Hill toward Centreville, a force of the enemy had followed him in that direction, and pursued hotly until his rear guard passed Stone bridge. This was in the afternoon. But meanwhile the cavalry force of the two armies had come into collision. General Stuart disposed his cavalry so as to cover Jackson's front in the direction of Warrenton and Manassas; and having intercepted a despatch from the enemy, directing cavalry to report to General Bayard at Haymarket, near Thoroughfare, Stuart proceeded in that direction, with his two fragments of brigades, to attack it, and establish communication with Longstreet, whose arrival was looked for with intense anxiety. On the way, Stuart captured a party of the enemy, and, having sent his despatch through by a trusty messenger, engaged the enemy's cavalry, while Longstreet was fighting at Thoroughfare Gap. The skirmish was still going on when the sound of artillery from Stone bridge indicated a battle there, and, quietly withdrawing from the action, General Stuart hastened to place his command upon Jackson's right flank.

As the cavalry approached, the dust which they raised induced the apprehension on General Stuart's part that his command, coming as it did from the direction of the enemy, would be taken for a part of the Federal force. A staff officer was accordingly despatched with the intelligence of his approach, and Jackson promptly informed that the supposed enemies were friends. He was reconnoitring at the moment with General Ewell and others in front of his troops, drawn up in line of battle, and no sooner knew that his flank was not threatened than, pointing to the enemy in his front, he said, briefly: "Ewell, advance !"

Ewell immediately threw forward his own and Jackson's

divisions, and attacked the enemy, who were seen advancing parallel with the Warrenton turnpike, inclining somewhat in the direction of Manassas. It was now nearly sunset, and Jackson's men were almost worn down by their heavy marches; but the enemy had exposed his flank, and the temptation to assail it was irresistible. Starke's brigade was deployed in front, as skirmishers, and the batteries of Wooding, Poague, and Carpenter opened on the enemy over the heads of the skirmishers. The Federal batteries promptly replied, and so tremendous a fire was concentrated upon the Confederate artillery that it was forced to change its position. The more decisive "small-arms," however, were now about to commence their work in earnest. Jackson's old division, with the brigades of Lawton and Trimble on the left, rushed forward to an orchard on the right, where they made an impetuous charge upon a heavy force of the enemy less than a hundred yards beyond the orchard. A fierce and sanguinary conflict ensued, the enemy being constantly reënforced by fresh troops; but in spite of this they did not advance. They continued, however, to receive Jackson's attack with the greatest obstinacy, and sustained both the fire of musketry and that of the Stuart Horse Artillery, under Major John Pelham, without flinching. Their intention, as afterwards appeared, was to protect the flank of their column until it passed Jackson's position, and the troops to whom this duty was assigned performed it well. They stood the fire of musketry and artillery until nine o'clock at night, when the whole Federal force fell back.

Jackson's loss in this engagement was heavy, both in numbers and the personal worth of those killed and wounded. General Ewell had been badly wounded in the knee, which caused the loss of his leg; and General Taliaferro, commanding Jackson's division, was also severely wounded. The enemy had, however, suffered heavily, and had yielded the field, and the troops prepared for the more decisive conflict which the coming day would bring.

The mild hours of the August evening which witnessed this contest on the historic plains of Manassas, were marked also by

a sharp engagement between Longstreet and the enemy in the gorge of Thoroughfare Gap. This wild and romantic pass in the mountains, with its frowning, fire-clad battlements on either side-its narrow and winding road, and its rugged walls rising rock above rock to the summit, right and left-was defended by a considerable force, with powerful batteries judiciously posted to take the eastern debouchment with shell and canister. General Lee, who had pressed forward over the same road, followed by Jackson, and reached the lofty hill upon the western opening of the pass late in the afternoon, determined not to delay the attack. A brigade was accordingly sent forward, and rushed into the gap in face of a hot fire of musketry and storm of shell from the enemy's artillery beyond. The conflict was kept up with great spirit for some time; but Lee having sent a force by Hopewell Gap, a little north of Thoroughfare, to take the enemy in flank and rear, they hastily withdrew their batteries and left the way open to Longstreet, who passed through about nine o'clock at night.

When a courier brought to Jackson the intelligence that Longstreet had passed Thoroughfare, and was rapidly pressing forward to join him, he drew a long breath and uttered a sigh of relief. The long agony was over-the great movement was so far a complete success. Longstreet-nay, Lee himself—was near, and all was well.

CHAPTER XIV.

MANASSAS: AUGUST 29, 1862.

ON the morning of Friday, August 29th, Jackson's corps was drawn up to receive the anticipated assault of the enemy, posted directly in his front. His own division was on the right, General Starke commanding; Ewell's, under General Lawton, in the centre; and Hill's upon the left. The position was a strong one. His left rested near Sudley ford, and his right a

little above the small village of Groveton, on the Warrenton turnpike, a portion of the line being protected by the deep cut for the projected railroad already mentioned. Thus posted, General Jackson was in a condition to repel any assault, unless it was made in overpowering force; and confident of his ability to hold his ground until reënforcements arrived, he presented a dauntless front, ready to accept battle at any moment.

The fatal error of General Pope was his delay in making this attack. Confusion seems to have reigned in the Federal counsels, and the plainest dictates of military science were disregarded. It was known that Lee was advancing with Longstreet's corpsthat great reserve whose blows were so heavy, and told for so much in every contest. The route of this corps was also well known; there could be no doubt that they would advance through Thoroughfare Gap; and yet Thoroughfare Gap, the key of the whole position, the Thermopyla which ten men could have held against a thousand, was inadequately guarded, and suffered to be cleared. The veriest tyro in arms would have understood that all depended upon hurling the entire Federal column upon Jackson before Longstreet arrived; but General Pope either did not see the importance of doing so, or was unable to accomplish it. In his defence, he presents an array of charges against General Porter and other officers, for delay, inefficiency, and even disloyalty; but the rejoinders of these officers are fatal in the extreme to General Pope's character for generalship, and the fact remains clearly proved that he was outgeneralled, as he was out-fought, by General Jackson.

The hour for the execution of the movement referred to above had now passed. The golden moment upon which the hinges of destiny turn had slipped away. That most terrible of phrases, "too late," applied in all its force to the movements of the Federal army.

A cloud of dust from the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, on that eventful morning, told the tale of despair to General Pope, of succor and good hope to Jackson. The great corps which had turned the tide of victory upon so many hard-fought fields