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. Here 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 successful. 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 which had been facing them had
reached Beauregard in time to take part in the approaching struggle.

In the North no doubt as to the power of the grand army to make its way
to Richmond was entertained. The troops were armed with the best weapons
obtainable, the artillery was numerous and excellent, the army was well
fed, and so confident were the men of success that they regarded the
whole affair in the light of a great picnic. The grand army numbered
55,000 men, with nine regiments of cavalry and forty-nine rifle-guns. To
oppose these, the Confederate force, after the arrival of Johnston's
army, numbered 27,833 infantry, thirty-five smooth-bore guns, and 500
cavalry. Many of the infantry were armed only with shot-guns and old
fowling-pieces, and the guns were small and ill-supplied with
ammunition. There had been some sharp fighting on the 18th, and the
Federal advance across the river of Bull Run had been sharply repulsed,
therefore their generals determined, instead of making a direct attack
on the 31st against the Confederate position, to take a wide sweep
round, cross the river higher up, and falling upon the Confederate left
flank, to crumple it up.

All night the Federal troops had marched, and at daybreak on the 21st
nearly 40,000 men were in position on the left flank of the
Confederates. The latter were not taken by surprise when Stuart's
cavalry brought in news of the Federal movement, and General Beauregard,
instead of moving his troops toward the threatened point, sent orders to
General Longstreet on the right to cross the river as soon as the battle
began, and to fall upon the Federal flank and rear.

Had this movement been carried out, the