could not hope successfully to assail, were ten thousand troops under General French, of little use where they were, but which might be used to excellent advantage by General Hooker. They were not under him, but were under General Schenck's orders, whose headquarters were at BaltiGeneral Hooker asked that they might be included in his command, but the request was refused by General Halleck. more. In the forts around Washington were thirty thousand troops, under General Heintzelman, to hold the city against any attack. Going down to Yorktown, we see General Keyes with fifteen thousand men in a position to threaten Richmond. At daybreak, June 17th, the Union cavalry, under Pleasonton, was at Manassas Junction. He moved towards Aldie, intending to push northwest to the Blue Ridge to discover what Lee was doing. Kilpatrick, with three of his regiments, led the column up the turnpike. The other regiment of his brigade-the First Rhode Island, two hundred and eighty men, under Colonel Duffie-was directed to go through Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run Mountains, to camp at night at Middleburg, five miles west of Aldie. The Confederate cavalry at the same hour was moving east towards Aldie. It was two o'clock in the afternoon when Kilpatrick's scouts, advancing towards Aldie, came upon Confederate pickets. The Second New York charged upon them, driving them swiftly through the little vil lage. The Confederates were of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Virginia. The first three were feeding their horses at Mr. Carter's barn, a mile and a half from Aldie. There was quick saddling, bridling, and forming in column. A short distance west of Aldie the turnpike divides-one branch running north-west to Snicker's Gap, the other west to Middleburg. Between the roads there is a hill upon which Munford, commanding the Confederates, planted his artillery. His sharp-shooters were behind a fence which runs from road to road. A little stream crosses the road at the foot of the hill, and there is a mill on the road leading to Middleburg. There is a meadow at the foot of the hill and several hay-stacks. The Union cavalry, to get at Munford, must either charge up the turnpike swept by his cannon, or descend the steep bank, cross the river in the face of his sharp-shooters, or make a flank movement. Kilpatrick saw that he could not charge up the Middleburg road; that the troops would be annihilated; but the Second New York rushed upon the Confederate skirmishers and captured several. Kilpatrick's cannon poured their fire upon the troops along the Snicker's Gap road, creating confusion in Munford's works. The Fourth New York, Colonel Cesnola, made a charge. For some breach of orders he was under arrest; his sword had been taken from him, but Kilpatrick handed it back in token of his bravery. He was wounded in the mêlée, fell from his horse, and was taken prisoner. The First Maine, belonging to the first brigade, was sent forward by General Gregg. Kilpatrick rallied his men, and the fight went on. The Union troops attacked with great vigor. "I never saw men show better spirit," writes Colonel Munford, praising their bravery. Kilpatrick's persistent attack was gradually folding back Munford's left flank when, to the surprise of the Union troops, the Cònfederate regiments retired towards Middleburg. Upperville Rectortown White Plains Salem MIDDLEBURG Hopeville Thoroughfare Gap Aldie KILPA KILPATRICK MAP OF CAVALRY ENGAGEMENTS AT ALDIE The reason for their sudden abandonment of so strong a position was the arrival of Captain Frank Robertson from Middleburg with an order from General Stuart to fall back to Rector's Cross-roads. The Rhode Islanders under Duffie had passed through Thoroughfare Gap, and were advancing towards Middleburg. They were within two miles of the town when they came upon the pickets sent out by Stuart to keep watch of the roads. There were carbine-shots, a clattering of hoofs, a charge into the town, where Stuart was enjoying the hospitality of his friends, but he leaped into his saddle and escaped. Duffie had obeyed orders. He was in Middleburg, where he was to stop for the night. He was well aware that he might be attacked in town, and the soldiers barricaded the roads, sending out pickets in all directions. Stuart halted, sent back his skirmishers to begin the attack, and sent Captain Robertson with the order to Munford, at Aldie, to inform him. that a large body of Union cavalry was in his rear, and that he must re treat. Other couriers went upon the gallop with orders to W. H. F. Lee and Robertson to close in upon the enemy. Colonel Duffie had been ordered, when he reached Middleburg, to send word to Pleasonton. Captain Allen, with two men, started with the despatch at five o'clock down the main road, but came upon the Fourth Virginia Cavalry retreating from Aldie. Robertson turned through the woods and fields, running against Confederates in every direction. The sun went down, and in the gathering darkness he reached Little River, came upon five Confederates, charged upon them, and compelled them to flee. He followed the river a long distance till he reached the main road, came upon the Union pickets, and was safe. It had been a hazardous, exciting ride. Kilpatrick read the despatches. He knew the danger closing upon Duffie, but his horses were broken down by the long, hard march and the battle with Munford. He sent the despatch to Gregg, who carried it to Pleasonton; but Pleasonton issued no orders. Duffie waited through the long night hours with listening ears to hear the tramping of the expected reinforcements, which never came. He might have retreated, for Robertson had not yet closed the road over which he came. He was a foreigner, born in France, educated in the military schools, under strict discipline to obey orders implicitly. What rebuke would he not receive from Pleasonton were he to retreat! He resolved to hold his ground till reinforcements arrived, not knowing that they would never be sent. He placed most of his troops in a grove outside of the town. The men were ordered to speak only in whispers. The pickets were out upon the roads. The last gleam of light was fading from the west. Two companies had dismounted, and their horses were tied to trees in a grove, the men lying behind a stone wall bordering the road, across which they had felled a tree. With loaded carbines they waited. As they looked down the road, peering through the darkness, they beheld the advancing Confederate columns, four men abreast. There burst forth a line of light from sixty carbines. Riders and horses went down in a heap. The Rhode Islanders did not stop to load, but out with their revolvers and fired into the struggling mass. The Confederate officers rallied the men, and again they charged, but only to be cut down again by the terrible volley. The troops attacking Duffie were the Fourth and Fifth North Carolina, new regiments, numbering nearly one thousand, and this was their first battle. Colonel Duffie makes his way two miles in the darkness, then waits for |