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〃I　will　if　you　wish　it；　Vincent；　but　I　cannot　believe　for　a　moment

that　this　Jackson　or　any　one　else　would　venture　to　meddle　with　any

of　my　slaves。〃



〃Perhaps　not；　mother；　but　it　is　best　to　he　on　the　safe　side。　　Anyhow；

I　shall　be　glad　to　know　that　she　is　with　you。　　Young　Jackson　will

be　away；　for　I　know　he　is　in　one　of　Stuart's　troops　of　horse；　though

I　have　never　happened　to　run　against　him　since　the　war　began。〃



The　firing　had　hardly　ceased　before　Harrison's　Landing；　when

General　Jackson；　with　a　force　of　about　15；000　men；　composed　of

his　own　division；　now　commanded　by　General　Winder；　General

Ewell's　division；　and　a　portion　of　that　of　General　Hill；　started　for

the　Rapidan　to　check　General　Pope；　who；　plundering　and　wasting

the　country　as　he　advanced；　was　marching　south；　his　object　being

to　reach　Gordonsville；　where　he　would　cut　the　line　of　railway

connecting　Richmond　with　Western　Virginia。　　Vincent　was　glad

that　the　regiment　to　which　he　had　been　appointed　would　he　under

Jackson's　command；　and　that　he　would　be　campaigning　again　with

his　old　division；　which　consisted　largely　of　Virginian　troops　and

contained　so　many　of　his　old　friends。



With　Jackson；　too；　he　was　certain　to　be　engaged　in　stirring　service；

for　that　general　ever　kept　his　troops　upon　the　march；　striking　blows

where　least　expected；　and　traversing　such　an　extent　of　country　by

rapid　marches　that　he　and　his　division　seemed　to　the　enemy　to　be

almost　ubiquitous。



It　was　but　a　few　hours　after　he　received　his　appointment　that

Vincent　took　train　from　Richmond　to　Gordonsville；　Dan　being　in

the　horse…box　with　Wildfire　in　the　rear　of　the　train。　　His　regiment

was　encamped　a　mile　or　two　away；　and　he　at　once　rode　on　and

reported　himself　to　Colonel　Jones；　who　commanded　it。



〃I　am　glad　to　have　you　with　me；　sir；〃　the　colonel　said。　〃I　had　the

pleasure　of　knowing　your　father；　and　am　an　old　friend　of　your

mother's　family。　　As　you　were　in　Ashley's　horse　and　have　been

serving　on　Magruder's　staff；　you　are　well　up　in　your　duties；　and　it

is　a　comfort　to　me　that　the　vacancy　has　been　filled　up　by　one　who

knows　his　work　instead　of　a　raw　hand。　　We　have　had　a　brush　or

two　already　with　the　enemy；　but　at　present　we　are　watching　each

other；　waiting　on　both　sides　till　the　generals　have　got　their　infantry

to　the　front　in　readiness　for　an　advance　Jackson　is　waiting　for

Hill's　division　to　come　up；　and　I　believe　Pope　is　expecting　great

reinforcements　from　McClellan。〃



A　few　days　later　Colonel　Jones　was　ordered　to　take　charge　of　the

pickets　posted　on　the　Rapidan；　but　before　reaching　Orange　a

gentleman　rode　up　at　full　speed　and　informed　them　that　the　enemy

were　in　possession　of　that　town。　　Colonel　Jones　divided　his

regiment　into　two　parts；　and　with　one　charged　the　Federal　cavalry

in　the　main　street　of　Orange；　while　the　other　portion　of　the

regiment；　under　Major　Marshall；　attacked　them　on　the　flank。　　After

a　sharp　fight　the　enemy　were　driven　from　the　place；　but　they

brought　up　large　reinforcements；　and；　pouring　in　a　heavy　fire；

attacked　the　town　on　both　sides；　and　the　Confederates　had　to　fall

hack。　　But　they　made　another　stand　a　little　way　out　of　the　town；

and　drove　back　the　Federal　cavalry　who　were　pressing　them。



Although　the　fight　had　been　but　a　short　one　the　losses　in　the

cavalry　ranks　had　been　serious。　　Colonel　Jones；　while　charging　at

the　head　of　his　men；　had　received　a　saber…wound；　and　Major

Marshall　was　taken　prisoner。



Five　days　later；　on　the　7th　of　August；　Jackson　received　certain

intelligence　that　General　Burnside；　with　a　considerable　portion　of

McClellan's　force；　had　embarked；　and　was　on　the　way　to　join　Pope。　

He　determined　to　strike　a　blow　at　once；　and　marched　with　his

entire　force　from　Gordonsville　for　Barnett　Ford　on　the　Rapidan。



At　daybreak　next　morning　the　cavalry　crossed　the　river　and

attacked　and　routed　a　body　of　Federal　cavalry　on　the　road　to

Culpepper　Courthouse。　On　the　following　day　Jackson　came　up

with　his　infantry　to　a　point　about　eight　miles　from　Culpepper；

where　Pope's　army；　32；000　strong；　were　stationed　upon　the　crest　of

a　hill。　　General　Ewell's　division；　which　was　the　only　one　then　up；　at

once　advanced；　and；　after　a　severe　artillery　fight；　gained　a　point　on

a　hill　where　his　guns　could　command　the　enemy's　position。



Jackson's　division　now　came　up；　and　as　it　was　moving　into

position　General　Winder　was　killed　by　a　shell。　　For　some　hours

Jackson　did　not　attempt　to　advance；　as　Hill's　division　had　not

come　up。　　Encouraged　by　this　delay；　the　enemy　at　five　o'clock　in

the　afternoon　took　the　offensive　and　advanced　through　some

cornfields　lying　between　the　two　armies　and　attacked　Ewell's

division　on　the　Confederate　right；　while　shortly　afterward　they　fell

with　overwhelming　strength　on　Jackson's　left；　and；　attacking　it　in

front；　flank；　and　rear；　drove　it　back；　and　pressed　upon　it　with　such

force　that　the　day　appeared　lost。



At　this　moment　Jackson　himself　rode　down　among　the　confused

and　wavering　troops；　and　by　his　voice　and　example　rallied　them。　

At　the　same　moment　the　old　Stonewall　Brigade　came　up　at　a　run

and　poured　their　fire　into　the　advancing　enemy。　　Jackson　led　the

troops　he　had　rallied　forward。　　The　Stonewall　Brigade　fell　upon　the

enemy's　flank　and　drove　them　back　with　terrible　slaughter。　　Other

brigades　came　up；　and　there　was　a　general　charge　along　the　whole

Confederate　line；　and　the　Federals　were　driven　back　a　mile　beyond

the　position　they　had　occupied　at　the　commencement　of　the　fight

to　the　shelter　of　some　thick　woods。　　Four　hundred　prisoners　were

taken　and　over　5；000　small　…arms。



The　battle　was　known　as　Cedar　Run；　and　it　completely　checked

Pope's　advance　upon　Richmond。　　The　troops　were　too　much

exhausted　to　follow　up　their　victory；　but　Jackson　urged　them　to

press　forward。　　They　moved　a　mile　and　a　half　in　advance；　and　then

found　themselves　so　strongly　opposed　that　Jackson；　believing　that

the　enemy　must　have　received　reinforcements；　halted　his　men。　

Colonel　Jones　was　sent　forward　to　reconnoiter；　and　discovered　that

a　large　force　had　joined　the　enemy。



For　two　days　Jackson　remained　on　the　field　he　had　won；　his　troops

had　been　busy　in　burying　the　dead；　in　collecting　the　wounded　and

sending　them　to　the　rear；　and　in　gathering　the　arms　thrown　away

by　the　enemy　in　their　flight。　Being　assured　that　the　enemy　were

now　too　strong　to　be　attacked　by　the　force　under　his　command；

Jackson　fell　back　to　Orange　Courthouse。　　There　was　now　a　few

days'　delay；　while　masses　of　troops　were　on　both　sides　moving

toward　the　new　field　of　action。　　McClellan　marched　his　troops

across　the　James　Peninsula　from　Harrison's　Landing　to　Yorktown；

and　there　the　greater　portion　were　embarked　in　transports　and

taken　up　the　Rappahannock　to　Aquia　Creek；　landed　there；　and

marched　to　Fredericksburg。



Lee；　instead　of　attacking　McClellan　on　his　march　across　the

peninsula；　determined　to　take　his　army　north　at　once　to　join

Jackson　and　attack　Pope　before　he　was　joined　by　McClellan's

army。　　But　Pope；　although　already　largely　reinforced；　retired

hastily　and　took　up　a　new　position　so　strongly　fortified　that　ho

could　not　he　attacked。　　General　Stuart　had　come　up　with　Lee；　and

was　in　command　of　all　the　cavalry。



〃We　shall　see　some　work　now；〃　was　the　remark　round　the　fires　of

the　7th　Virginian　Cavalry。　　Hitherto；　although　they　had　been

several　times　engaged　with　the　Federals；　they　had　been　forced　to

remain　for　the　most　part　inactive　owing　to　the　vast　superiority　in

force　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　but　now　that　Stuart　had　come　up　they

felt　certain　that；　whatever　the　disparity　of　numbers；　there　would

soon　he　some　dashing　work　to　be　done。



Except　when　upon　actual　duty　the　strict　lines　of　military　discipline

were　much　relaxed　among　the　cavalry；　the　troopers　being　almost

all　the　sons　of　farmers　and　planters　and　of　equal　social　rank　with

their　officers；　many　of　whom　were　their　personal　friends　or

relatives。　　Several　of　Vincent's　schoolfellows　were　in　the　ranks；

two　or　three　of　them　were　fellow　officers；　and　these　often　gathered

together　round　a　camp　fire　and　chatted　over　old　schooldays　and

mutual　friends。



Many　of　these　had　already　fallen；　for　the　Virginian　regiments　of

Stonewall　Jackson's　brigade　had　been　terribly　thinned；　but　the　loss

of　so　many　friends　and　the　knowledge　that　their　own　turn　might

come　next　did　not　suffice　to　lessen　the　high　spirits　of　the　young

fellows。　　The　hard　work；　the　rough　life；　the　exposure　and　hardship；

had　braced　and　invigorated　them　all；　and　they　were　attaining　a　far

more　vigorous　manhood　than　they　would　ever　have　possessed　had

they　grown　lip　in　the　somewhat　sluggish　and　enervating　life　led　by

young　planters。



Many　of　these　young　men　had；　until　the　campaign　began；　never

done　half　an　hour's　hard　work　in　their　lives。　They　had　been　waited

upon　by　slaves；　and　their　only　exercise　had　been　riding。　　For

months　now　they　had　almost　lived　in　the　saddle；