fect time.
The soldiers advanced like veterans going from one victory to another,
instead of rallying from a defeat. The war had not witnessed another
instance of such a quick and powerful recovery.

Dick knew, as their charge gathered force at every step, that they were
going to certain triumph. The thinness of the Southern lines had already
told him that they could not withstand the impact of Sheridan. A moment
later the crash came and the whole Union force rushed to victory.
Early's army, exhausted by its efforts of the morning, was overwhelmed.
It was swept from the stone fences and driven back in defeat, while the
men in blue, growing more eager as they saw success achieved, pressed
harder and harder.

No need for bugle and command to urge them on now. The Southern army
could not withstand anywhere such ardor and such weight. Position after
position was lost, then there was no time to take a new stand, and the
defeat became a rout. Early's army which had come forward so gallantly
in the morning was compelled to flee in disorder in the afternoon.
The brave Ramseur, fighting desperately, fell mortally wounded, Kershaw
could save but a few men, Evans held a ford a little while, but he too
was soon hurled from it. The Invincibles were driven on with the rest,
cannon and wagons were lost, and all but the core of Early's force ceased
to exist.

The sun set upon the Union army in the camps that it had lost in the fog
of the morning. It had been driven five miles but had come back again.
It had recovered all its own guns, and had taken twenty-four belonging
to the South. It was the most complete victory that had yet been won by
either side in the war, and it had been snatched from the very jaws of
defeat and humiliation. Small wonder that there was great rejoicing in
the ranks of northern youth! Despite their immense exertions and the
commands of their officers they could not yet lie down and sleep or rest.
Now and then a tremendous cheer for Little Phil who had saved them arose.
Huge bonfires sprang up in the night, where they were burning the
captured Confederate ambulances and wagons, because they did not have the
horses with which to take them away.

Long after the battle was over, Dick's heart beat hard with exertion and
excitement. But he shared too in the joy. He would not have been human,
and he would not have been young if he had not. Warner and Pennington
and he had collected four more small wou