with lee in virginia-第21节

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belonging　to　inhabitants　who　had　decided　to　forsake　their　homes

for　a　time　rather　than　to　remain　there　when　the　town　was　occupied

by　the　enemy；　as　could　be　carried　on　in　the　available　wagons；　had

been　taken　across　the　bridge。　　A　party　of　engineers；　who　had　been

all　night　hard　at　work；　then　set　fire　both　to　the　railway　bridge

across　the　river　and　the　public　buildings　in　the　town。　　The　main

body　of　troops　had　moved　across　in　the　evening。　　The　rear…guard

passed　when　all　was　in　readiness　for　the　destruction　of　the　bridge。



General　Johnston　had　been　preparing　for　the　movement　for　some

time；　he　had　foreseen　that　the　position　must　he　evacuated　as　soon

as　the　enemy　began　to　advance　upon　either　of　his　flanks；　and　a

considerable　portion　of　his　baggage　and　military　stores　had　some

time　previously　been　sent　into　the　interior　of　Virginia。　　The　troops；

formed　up　on　the　high　grounds　South　of　the　river；　looked　in　silence

at　the　dense　volumes　of　smoke　rising。　　This　was　the　reality　of　war。　

Hitherto　their　military　work　had　been　no　more　than　that　to　which

many　of　them　were　accustomed　when　called　out　with　the　militia　of

their　State；　but　the　scene　of　destruction　on　which　they　now　gazed

brought　home　to　them　that　the　struggle　was　a　serious　one…that　it

was　war　in　its　stern　reality　which　had　now　begun。



The　troops　at　once　set　off　on　their　march；　and　at　night　bivouacked

in　the　woods　around　Charlestown。　　The　next　day　they　pushed

across　the　country　and　took　up　a　position　covering　Winchester；　and

then　the　enemy；　finding　that　Johnston's　army　was　in　front　of　them

ready　to　dispute　their　advance；　recrossed　the　river；　and　Johnston

concentrated　his　force　round　Winchester。



Vincent　joined　his　corps　on　the　same　afternoon　that　the　infantry

marched　out　from　Harper's　Ferry；　the　general　sending　him　forward

with　despatches　as　soon　as　the　troops　had　got　into　motion。



〃You　will　find　Colonel　Stuart　in　front　of　the　enemy；　but　more　than

that　I　cannot　tell　you。〃



This　was　quite　enough　for　Vincent；　who　found　the　cavalry　scouting

close　to　Patterson's　force；　prepared　to　attack　the　enemy's　cavalry

should　it　advance　to　reconnoiter　the　country；　and　to　blow　up

bridges　across　streams；　fell　trees；　and　take　every　possible　measure

to　delay　the　advance　of　Patterson's　army；　in　its　attempt　to　push　on

toward　Winchester　before　the　arrival　of　General　Johnston's　force

upon　the　scene。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　hack；　Wingfield；〃　Major　Ashley　said；　as　lie

rode　up。　　〃The　colonel　tells　me　that　in　the　despatch　he　got　last

night　from　Johnston　the　general　said　that　Stuart's　information　had

reached　in　a　remarkably　short　time；　having　been　carried　with　great

speed　by　the　orderly　in　charge　of　the　duty。　　We　have　scarcely　been

out　of　our　saddles　since　you　left。　　However；　I　think　we　have　been

of　use；　for　we　have　been　busy　all　round　the　enemy　since　we　arrived

here　in　the　afternoon；　and　I　fancy　he　must　think　us　a　good　deal

stronger　than　we　are。　　At　any　rate；　he　has　not　pushed　his　cavalry

forward　at　all；　and；　as　you　say　Johnston　will　be　up　to…morrow

afternoon；　Winchester　is　safe　anyhow。〃



After　the　Federals　had　recrossed　the　river；　and　Johnston　had　taken

up　his　position　round　Winchester；　the　cavalry　returned　to　their　old

work　of　scouting　along　the　Potomac。



On　the　20th　of　June　movements　of　considerable　bodies　of　the

enemy　were　noticed；　and　Johnston　at　once　despatched　Jackson

with　his　brigade　to　Martinsburg；　with　orders　to　send　as　much　of　the

rolling…stock　of　the　railroad　as　could　be　removed　to　Winchester；　to

destroy　the　rest；　and　to　support　Stuart's　cavalry　when　they

advanced。　　A　number　of　locomotives　were　sent　to　Winchester

along　the　highroad；　drawn　by　teams　of　horses。　　Forty　engines　and

300　cars　were　burned　or　destroyed；　and　Jackson　then　advanced　and

took　up　his　position　on　the　road　to　Williamsport；　the　cavalry　camp

being　a　little　in　advance　of　him。　　This　was　pleasant　for　Vincent；　as

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