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rity, and still to fall with the battle-shout upon their lips, and the proud smile of conscious valor on their faces."

Gradually as the fierce struggle progressed, the sides of the open V, which Lee's order of battle resembled, closed upon the flanks of the enemy. Colonel Lee's artillery still continued to play with destructive effect upon their front, and the batteries were regularly advanced from position to position, raking the lines of the enemy from every hillock.

The battle had now become terrific. The ruses and manœuvres of the morning had long yielded to desperate, stubborn fighting, and the day depended not so much upon any military skill of the generals as upon the character of the troops engaged. The Federal troops fought hard, but that "heart of hope" which adds so much to the efficiency of the soldier had deserted them, and they contended doggedly, but without the dash and fervor which compel victory. Gradually the Southern lines closed in upon them. Longstreet's right pressed down upon their left, and Jackson's column swung round steady, heavy, resistless, upon their right, huddling the disordered regiments and brigades upon their centre.

This was the situation of affairs as the sun sank slowly toward the west, and the Confederate leaders now concentrated all their forces for a last charge, which should carry every thing before it. The batteries redoubled their exertions, the air was hot and sulphurous with exploding missiles, whole ranks went down before the whirlwind of iron, and the continuous streaming roar of musketry was frightful in its intensity. The enemy continued to give ground; the Confederate reserves were hurried forward to the front, and just as the sun sank a general charge was made all along the lines. From the dust and smoke of battle there appeared all at once before the eyes of the disheartened Federal troops a rapidly-advancing line with gleaming bayonets, and this line swept forward at a run. They came on," says the correspondent of a Northern journal, "like demons emerging from the earth." There was no pause or hesitation. The Federal volleys tore through the line, but could not check it. The

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men pressed on with deafening cheers over the dead and dying— the ranks closing up where gaps were made; and before this charge the last remnant of hope deserted the Federal troops. They no longer came up to the struggle. Soon they broke and disappeared in the rapidly gathering darkness. The long contest was ended; victory assured. The Federal army now thought of nothing but its safety behind the sheltering heights of Centreville.

Jackson's veterans had taken their full part in this hard combat, and, sweeping down upon the wavering lines, had led the charge which put the enemy to final rout. The fighting of the corps had been excellent. They had sustained every assault with great firmness; repulsed every attempt to force them from their ground; and then advancing in their turn, had pushed the enemy from position after position, and swept onward to victory.

"It was a task of almost superhuman labor," says the correspondent from whom we have already quoted, "to drive the enemy from those strong points, defended, as they were, by the best artillery and infantry in the Federal army; but in less than four hours from the commencement of the battle our indomitable energy had accomplished every thing. Our generals-Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, Hood, Kemper, Evans, Jones, Jenkins, and others—all shared the dangers to which they exposed their men. How well their colonels and subordinate officers performed their duty is best testified by the list of killed and wounded.

"The battle raged in the manner described until after dark, and when it was impossible to use fire-arms, the heavens were lit up by the still continued flashes of the artillery, and the meteor flight of shells scattering their iron spray. By this time the enemy had been forced across Bull Run, and their dead covered every acre from the starting point of the fight to the Stone bridge. Had we been favored with another hour of daylight, their rout would have been as great as that which followed the original battle of Manassas. As it was, they retreated in haste and disorder to the heights of Centreville."

The part taken by the cavalry in this celebrated battle has

not been noticed. General Stuart was indefatigable in his exertions to guard the Confederate flanks and procure the earliest information. He commanded the division of infantry which about nightfall made the vigorous and successful attack upon the Federal left; and his cavalry was engaged on the flanks of the army throughout the day. As the enemy were giving way on the left an impetuous charge was made by a body of cavalry under Colonel Munford, of the 2d Virginia, which terminated, after a close hand-to-hand conflict, in the complete rout of the largely superior force brought against him. This ended the conflict in that part of the field, and the enemy broke and retired, pursued by the Confederate artillery and cavalry to the banks of Bull Run, over which their confused column hastened on its way to Centreville.

Thus terminated the bitter contest upon the weird plains, already so deeply crimsoned with Southern blood. Strange Providence which rolled the tide of battle there again!—which made the huge wave break in foam again upon the melancholy fields around Stone bridge! It was a veritable repetition of the fierce drama of July, 1861. "Batteries were planted and captured yesterday," says a writer, "where they were planted and captured last year. The pine thicket, where the 4th Alabama and 8th Georgia suffered so terribly in the first battle, is now strewn with the slain of the invader. We charged through the same woods yesterday, though from a different point, where Kirby Smith, the Blucher of the day, entered the fight before."

Such was this battle-a hot conflict and a complete success.

CHAPTER XVI.

OXHILL, OR GERMANTOWN.

THE bloody and memorable conflict of "the Second Manas" was the splendid termination of a series of manœuvres which will always rank among the most famous of history.

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If there were any persons who still muttered "luck, mere good fortune," in relation to Jackson's successes, they were now forced to concede that his triumphs were the result of mathematical calculation-of nerve, and a fertility of resources which compelled the very genius of necessity with her iron wedge to yield to him.

What he had accomplished was this: He had, by a swift and silent march, reached Thoroughfare before the enemy suspected his advance; passed through the narrow gorge without resistance; repulsed the advances of General Pope at Bristoe Station; captured and destroyed the large stores at Manassas ; cut to pieces the force sent to relieve the garrison; retired with deliberation to the old battle-field of Manassas; repulsed the attack of the Federal army; held his position until Longstreet arrived; and then falling upon the troops which were almost starving in consequence of his destruction of their stores, had borne the brunt of the encounter during a battle of incredible fury; helped to rout them in the final and decisive charge, and was now again on their track as they fell back toward the defences of Centreville.

Eighteen pieces of artillery, with their caissons and equipments, 6,420 small-arms, and countless prisoners were the substantial results reaped by the corps of Jackson.

But the struggle had not terminated. The Federal forces were still at Centreville, and on Sunday, the 31st of August, Jackson's corps was again in motion. Ordered by General Lee to turn Centreville, and cut off the retreat of the Federal forces,

he crossed Bull Run at Sudley ford, struck into the Little River turnpike, and marching down that road, bivouacked on the same evening not far from Chantilly. Here he was joined on Monday morning, September 1st, by General Stuart, who had pursued the enemy toward Centreville with his cavalry; fought their rear guard at Bull Run bridge, which they destroyed behind them; and moved thence to the Little River turnpike, where, not far from Germantown, he took position with his artillery and opened fire upon their trains, then rapidly retreating from Centreville. Forming a junction with Jackson, General Stuart disposed his cavalry in front and on the right flank of the infantry, and the whole moved forward in the direction of Oxhill-a point on the turnpike about three or four miles above Fairfax Court-House.

The scene at this moment was interesting. The men of the Stonewall Brigade and their comrades were lying on the side of the road, hungry and exhausted. They had not seen their wagons since they left the Rappahannock, and the rations secured at Manassas were long since exhausted. Green corn and unripe apples had for several days been their sustenance, and now they were in a country which did not afford even these. The hungry men saw on every side bleak fields and forests, with scarce a roof visible in the entire landscape; and thus famished and worn out, they were lying down awaiting the order to advance and attack. There was no ill-humor visible; on the contrary, jests and laughter greeted the least object calculated to excite them. And when the leader who had nearly marched and fought them to death rode by, they saluted him with tumultuous cheers.

A step beyond his men was Jackson. The Federal forces were then in motion from Centreville, and the skirmishers on the right were already engaged. The rifles were cracking and the balls beginning to fly, but Jackson, like many of his men, was asleep. Seated at the foot of a tree, with his chin upon his breast, his cap drawn over his eyes, and his hands crossed on his breast, as though he had fallen asleep while praying, he slept as peacefully as a child. It was impossible not to be struck with the attitude of the weary soldier. It was simple and unassum

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