tempt fortune on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and captures a post which was guarding Back Creek bridge, he makes `himself acquainted with all the approaches to Charlestown, and proposes to Imboden to take its garrison by surprise. Starting at night, the Confederates come in sight of its suburbs on the 18th of October before daybreak. They have not been observed. Gilmor makes a détour with his men and a regiment of cavalry, the Eighteenth Virginia, to cut off the enemy's retreat on Harper's Ferry shortly after, Imboden, with the remainder of the brigade, about eight hundred men, presents himself before the town and summons Simpson to surrender. The latter, who is taken by surprise, endeavors to defend himself, but the assailants do not give him the time: attacked and pressed upon all sides, the Federals fight in detachments in the town. A great number are taken; the others, with a part of their wagons, reach the road to Harper's Ferry. Gilmor, who is awaiting them, scatters the first who present themselves, and captures some prisoners; but the Eighteenth Virginia not supporting him in due time, the fugitives soon overrun him by their increasing number. Simpson makes a passage, and reaches Harper's Ferry with the débris of his command. More than four hundred men, wagons, horses, and equipments fall into the Confederates' hands, to whom this brilliant success has cost only about twenty soldiers killed and wounded. They again take the route to the south, well knowing that the garrison of Harper's Ferry will soon come to dispute their victory. This is soon realized, but when the Federals re-enter Charlestown, Imboden is no longer within reach. He halts only at Front Royal, where he well knows they will not come.

After this bold stroke the two parties keep themselves at a distance, and the year will end without fresh combats on the banks of the Shenandoah.

VOL. III.-50

CHAPTER III.

MINE RUN.

WE left the Confederate army at the end of October posted

on the right bank of the upper Rapaphannock and around Culpeper, where Lee has established his head-quarters. The Union army has not been able to go beyond the line of Warrenton and Warrenton Junction: it occupies Auburn and Catlett's Station. But the cavalry, which is pushed on beyond Bealeton, protects the reconstruction of the railroad as far as this point. Owing to the intelligent direction of Colonel McCallum, this great work is completed on the 2d of November. The fine days of this season, which are called in America the "Indian summer," still allow of the making of a short campaign, and it is necessary to take advantage thereof. Lee, having destroyed the railroad with great care, does not suspect the promptness with which it has been rebuilt; therefore, he can be taken by surprise. Meade can perform anew, with better chances of success, the manœuvre which Burnside attempted the preceding year on the same ground. While the enemy's army is encamped in dense mass on the upper Rappahannock, he can conceal from it one or two marches by directing his troops on the lower course of the river; he can arrive opposite Fredericksburg with his bridge equipage before Lee, and can seize the famous heights which command the town. In order to reach the same point by crossing the upper Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, he can descend the right bank, cross the Rapidan at Germanna Ford, and reach Fredericksburg through Chancellorsville: this movement, counselled, it is said, by Pleasonton, would certainly succeed, for instead of having, like Hooker, the enemy's army before him, Meade would leave it behind at Culpeper, without a chance of its outstripping him. Fredericksburg once in

his possession, before the bad weather he can reach Bowling Green, and perhaps the North Anna River, thus making a long step on the road to Richmond. This plan involves a change of base: the army would leave the Orange and Alexandria Railroad for the Aquia Creek line. Halleck forbids Meade to execute it, urging, as it appears, the necessity of protecting the railway which has just been rebuilt from Manassas Junction to Bealeton-a puerile motive if it did not conceal others, for in that manner the army, instead of using the railroads, would have been simply their guardian.

Meade, having no longer the choice of operations, resolves to attack the Confederates directly. After having had their positions reconnoitred by his cavalry, on the 6th of November he orders his army to move forward on the following day. Lee occupies the right bank of the Rappahannock: he has placed Hill on the left and Ewell on the right of the railroad; the cavalry covers the two wings; the artillery has been withdrawn, but the infantry has been placed as near the river as possible while securing good encampments for it. This precaution seems necessary, for Lee hopes to spend the winter in these encampments. However, in order to be able, if required, to resume the offensive, he has resolved to keep a hold on the left bank of the Rappahannock by the side of the large bridge burnt by Meade a central point near which his two corps join. The rebuilding of the bridge being too difficult, he throws over a ponton a hundred yards higher up. On the two banks hills not commanded by any great heights cover the crossing and offer excellent positions. On the right batteries with eight guns command the approaches to the bridge. On the left the former Federal works have been surrounded by earthworks mounted with four pieces of artillery: this point is entrusted to Ewell's care. The divisions of Johnson and Early occupy it alternately, the one not on guard remaining at Culpeper and at Brandy Station. Rodes' division is encamped behind Kelly's Ford; only outposts watch the remainder of the river's course.

Rappahannock Bridge and Kelly's Ford are, in fact, the only practicable crossings. On these two points Meade is moving his army. Early on the 7th, Sedgwick leaves Warrenton

with the Sixth corps, and marches to Fayetteville. The Second, Third, and Fifth corps, encamped between Auburn, Catlett's Station, and Warrenton Junction, will follow the line of the railroad. The First corps, stationed on the left of the army, will join the Second and the Third at Bealeton, and form with them a column which, being directed by Meade and commanded by French, will take toward the south the road to Kelly's Ford. The Fifth corps will join the Sixth to form the right, which Sedgwick will lead against the Rappahannock bridge. The two columns, although they have to travel a distance of sixteen miles, arrive about noon, as Meade has ordered, at the points designated. This long march, executed with so much precision at the outset of a campaign, shows that the Union army has at last acquired the essential qualities of troops inured to war. The left column having first commenced the march, we will follow it.

Rodes is guarding Kelly's Ford. Three and five miles higher up are Wheatley's and Norman's Fords, and a third, Stevens' Ford, is a little lower down, near the confluence of Mountain Run. These three crossings being very difficult, Rodes has entrusted the holding of them merely to outposts, and has disposed his division in masses a mile behind Kelly's Ford, on the Stevensburg road. The configuration of the ground does not permit him to defend the ford itself, which is in the centre of a curve described by the Rappahannock. The right bank, of a convex form, is uncovered and low; at a certain distance the ground gently rises, and does not afford any protection for the space of a mile, as far as a grove, beyond which is the village of Kellysville. On the opposite bank rugged and woody declivities form a semicircle of heights which completely command it. Above the ford, in the rapids, determined men could find a crossing without losing their feet. The Second North Carolina, of Ramseur's brigade, a regiment of not more than three hundred and fifty men, guards all the fords entrusted to Rodes' keeping. The main body, encamped near Kelly's Ford, is at the first signal to occupy the trous de loup dug alongside the bank. The Thirteenth North Carolina, whose effective force is something over five hundred men, is placed as a reserve, with

a battery of artillery, about one mile behind the ford, on the edge of the grove.

Birney's division, under Ward, the former having command of the Federal Third corps, has arrived at a short distance from Kelly's Ford. The crest which commands the left bank allows him to make his dispositions for fighting without the enemy's knowledge. De Trobriand has charge of the attack with his brigade and a regiment of sharpshooters commanded by Colonel Trepp. The latter relieve the cavalry, which for several days has occupied the crest of the heights, and rapidly descend the bank of the river. Colonel Stallings, who commands the Second North Carolina, quickly appears with his command on the opposite bank, and a brisk fire is opened from the one bank to the other. But the Unionists, armed with telescopic rifles, have a marked advantage; the Confederate battery, which has advanced to defend the approaches of the ford, is exposed to the cross-fire of the Federal artillery, which compels it to make a prompt retreat. De Trobriand takes advantage of this to make a sudden attack. Protected by a part of his skirmishers, Trepp reaches the rapids, throws himself boldly into the water, and reaches the opposite bank. Ramseur, to defend the passage, has brought forward the Thirteenth North Carolina, but despite the efforts of its commander the regiment breaks and in disorder seeks refuge near a neighboring farm-house, while the Federals take in reverse the defenders of the main ford. De Trobriand in his turn springs forward at the head of his brigade, ascends the opposite bank, and captures all the men of the Second North Carolina who fail to find safety in a rapid flight. However, Rodes has arrived on the scene of combat with his division, but the fire of Birney's artillery, which sweeps all the uncovered ground of the right bank, does not permit him to come to the rescue of the Carolinians who have sheltered themselves in the farm-house. The latter suffer themselves to be surrounded, and surrender without resistance. Three hundred prisoners and about fifty wounded men remain in the hands of the Federals, to whom this brilliant affair costs but about a hundred men. The pontons having arrived, the whole Third corps is preparing to follow De Trobriand. Before this deployment of forces