ing, and so sweet a calm was diffused over the features that the sleeper seemed to be dreaming of home. He was soon aroused; duty called him, and mounting his horse, he took the head of his column, and advanced to deliver battle on another field.

The enemy were awaiting him on the range of hills between the Warrenton and Little River turnpikes, with their right near Germantown, their left beyond Mellen's house-their object being to cover their retreat from Centreville. Jackson determined to attack without delay, and posting his artillery on an eminence to the left of the turnpike, drew up his command in the woods on the right-his own division on the left of his line, Ewell's in the centre, and Hill's on the right.

Oxhill is a ridge which extends obliquely across the turnpike, here heavily wooded on each side, a mile or so above Germantown. Along this ridge runs a road from Frying Pan past Mellen's house, to the Warrenton road, between Centreville and Fairfax Court-House. On the crest of the hill, in the turnpike, two pieces of artillery were stationed, and on the western slope, in the woods skirting the right of the turnpike, the Confederate infantry were drawn up in line of battle. The engagement opened with an attack made by General Stuart, in front on the turnpike, with a Blakely gun, supported by Colonel Wickham's 4th Virginia cavalry. Major John Pelham-called by Jackson, in his report of the second Manassas, "the vigilant Pelham," and who was afterwards to receive from General Lee the supreme name of "the gallant "-commanded this gun in person, and General Stuart superintended the firing. It was run forward under the crest of a little hill, but had no sooner opened on some cavalry in front than a swarm of sharpshooters rose from the woods to the right and rained a storm of musket balls upon the cannoneers. The enemy's lines were about one hundred yards distant, and as the gun was without canister, it was, after a few shots, withdrawn. The position of the Federal forces was thus discovered, and the attack speedily commenced.

The brigades of Branch and Fields-Colonel Brockenbrough commanding the latter-were thrown forward to feel the Federal

position, and as they advanced into action a violent storm roared down, and lashed the woods with a fury which drowned the noise of the guns. Torrents of rain beat upon the troops, rendering it almost impossible to keep their powder dry; and the forest, now shadowy with the approach of night, was lit up by lightning flashes of dazzling brilliance, succeeded by deafening claps of thunder. Amid this war of the elements, the two brigades advanced upon the enemy, and engaged him in a close and determined struggle. The Federal troops here posted to repulse an assault appear to have been reënforcements which had not arrived in time for the battle of the 30th of August, and they were thus perfectly fresh, while the Confederates were greatly exhausted. They were led by General Kearney, General Stevens, and other officers of experience and ability, and pressed the two advance brigades of Jackson in such numbers, both in front and flank, that Branch began to exhibit signs of disorder. Jackson now threw forward the brigades of Gregg, Pender, and Thomas, to which was added a portion of Ewell's division; and "the conflict raged with great fury, the enemy obstinately and desperately contesting the ground.” * All their efforts, however, were in vain, and so heavy were their losses that they began to waver. The loss of field and general officers on the part of the enemy was remarkable, and probably disheartened the troops, already dispirited by the violence of the attack. General Kearney, mistaking a Confederate soldier in the half darkness for one of his own men, inquired the position of a Federal regiment, but, discovering his mistake, suddenly turned to gallop off. As he did so, the soldier levelled his musket, fired, and Kearney fell from his saddle, mortally wounded.† General Stevens was also killed in the engagement; and about dark, the Federal forces retired from the field, which remained in possession of Jackson.

* Jackson's report.

His dead body was brought off and sent under a flag of truce next day to the enemy.

In this action, when Jackson received a message from one of his Generals that he would have to fall back as the men could not get their guns

had

On the next morning it was discovered that the enemy withdrawn from Jackson's front, and General Stuart, pushing forward to Fairfax Court-House about noon, reported that they were in full retreat toward Alexandria. The inhabitants of Fairfax welcomed the Confederates with great joy, and the cavalry and Stuart horse artillery continued to follow up the Federal retreat for many miles.

Such had been the unfortunate termination of General Pope's campaign, entered upon with such high hopes. He had professed to have seen hitherto only "the backs of his enemies," but at Cedar Run and Manassas saw them "face to face." The result had been disastrous defeat; and from that time forth the Federal authorities entrusted this officer with no important command. He was another added to the Generals whom Jackson had met and defeated.

CHAPTER XVII.

GENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.

THUS ended the great summer campaign by which the Federal authorities hoped to break down the military power of the South before the forest leaves were touched by the finger of autumn. The red battle-flag of the Confederates floated where the Federal standard had been so lately seen, and new fields were opened to the Southern army. Maryland was now undefended;

to go off on account of the rain, Jackson is said to have sent back the reply that the officer must hold his ground: "If his guns would not go off, neither would the enemy's!" This might form a supplement to Shakespeare's list of retorts, and be styled the "retort military."

* "Sept. 3.-General Pope asked to be relieved of his command, and was transferred to the Department of the Northwest. He drew up the report of his campaign in Virginia, and sent it to headquarters without waiting for the reports of his subordinate Generals. In this document he blames several of the officers for causing his defeat.”—National Almanac, 1863.

and the smoke of battle had scarcely lifted from the plains of Manassas, when the victorious columns of Lee were in motion toward the upper Potomac.

Long before, Jackson had written to a friend, "I am cordially with you in favor of carrying the war north of the Potomac," and we have seen that to cross into the enemy's country— to advance upon the North-was his never-ceasing desire. The signal of the long-wished-for advance now came. " On to Maryland!" was the watchword, and the veterans of Jackson moved forward at the signal, joyous, elated, confident of victory, and burning with ardor at the thought that the fair fields of Virginia, the homes of their loved ones, would be relieved of the horrors of war. No time was lost by General Lee in commencing his movement. It was necessary to gain a foothold in Maryland before the disorganized forces of the Federal Government were again put in fighting condition, and the campaign began with energy and rapidity.

Jackson having, after his custom, inquired with great interest what roads led to the Potomac, in the direction of Arlington Heights, and ordered maps to be prepared of the region for his use, put his troops in motion toward Leesburg. Marching from Oxhill, on Sept. 3d, by way of Dranesville, he bivouacked on the 4th at Big Spring, beyond Leesburg, and on the 5th the passage of the Potomac was effected without resistance. The scene is said to have been inspiring.

re

"When our army reached the middle of the river, which they were wading," says an army correspondent, "General Jackson pulled off his hat, and the splendid band of music struck up the inspiring air of Maryland, my Maryland,' which was sponded to and sung with the spirit and with the understanding' by all who could sing; and the name of all who could then and there sing, was legion."

6

This scene took place at White's ford, not far from Leesburg, and on the night of the 5th Jackson's command bivouacked near the Three Springs, in Maryland. Captain Randolph, of the Black Horse, a company of cavalry attached to the corps head

quarters, scouted through the country on the right to give notice of any movement of the enemy in that direction; and the weary soldiers slept in peace.

Jackson had thus obtained an undisturbed foothold upon the soil of Maryland, and his troops indulged in rosy dreams of the exciting scenes and novel triumphs of a march through the rich and unexplored territory of that enemy who had so long laid waste the fields of Virginia. "Pennsylvania! Pennsylvania!" was the watchword throughout the camps; but even the novel and attractive scenes before them had not been sufficient to enable a large portion of the troops to overcome the exhaustion of the immense march from the Rappahannock, together with the want of rest and food. A large portion of the command of Jackson, and every other general, had broken down in the rapid advance; all along the road from Manassas to Leesburg thousands of stragglers, with weary frames and bleeding feet, were toiling slowly on in the wake of the army, and the southern bank of the Potomac swarmed with thousands of men who had sunk down to obtain that rest which nature demanded, and without which they could advance no further.

Before this great force could rejoin the different corps, General Lee resumed his march; the enemy pressed forward on his rear, the way was barred, and the Army of Northern Virginia continued its march, and fought its enemies with less than twothirds of its numbers.

On the 6th of September Jackson reached the vicinity of Frederick City, and his old division encamped in the suburbs, with the exception of Jones' brigade, commanded by Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, which was posted in the place as a provost guard, with orders to protect all property, and promptly to suppress any attempt to harass the inhabitants. Ewell's and Hill's divisions occupied positions near the railroad bridge over the Monocacy, to repulse any advance of the enemy from the direction of Washington.

The reception of the Confederate forces in Maryland was not encouraging. That ancient commonwealth, illustrated by so