e road, stacked arms, broke ranks in fair, rolling autumn fields and
woods. A mile or two ahead was the village of Boonsboro. Jackson sent
forward to make enquiries Major Kyd Douglas of his staff. That officer
took a cavalryman with him and trotted off.

The little place looked like a Sweet Auburn of the vale, so tranquilly
innocent did it lie beneath the rosy west. The two officers commented
upon it, and the next moment ran into a Federal cavalry company sent to
Sweet Auburn from Hancock for forage or recruits or some such matter.
The blue troopers set up a huzzah, and charged. The two in grey turned
and dug spur,--past ran the fields, past ran the woods! The thundering
pursuit fired its revolvers; the grey turned in saddle and emptied
theirs, then bent head to horse's neck and plied the spur. Before them
the road mounted. "Pass the hill and we are safe!--Pass the hill and we
are safe!" thought the grey, and the spur drew blood. Behind came the
blue--a dozen troopers. "Stop there, you damned rebels, stop there! If
you don't, when we catch you we'll cut you to pieces!" Almost at the
hilltop one of the grey uttered a cry. "Good God! the general!"

Stonewall Jackson was coming toward them. He was walking apparently in
deep thought, and leading Little Sorrel. He was quite alone. The two
officers shouted. They saw him look up, take in the situation, and put
his hand on the saddle bow. Then, to give him time, the two turned.
"Yaaiih! Yaaaaiiahh!" they yelled, and charged the enemy.

The blue, taken by surprise, misinterpreted the first shout and the
ensuing action. There must, of course, be coming over the hill a grey
force detached on some reconnoissance or other from the rebel horde
known to be reposing at Frederick. Presumably it would be cavalry--and
coming at a gallop! To stop to cut down these two yelling grey devils
might be to invite destruction. The blue troopers first emptied their
revolvers, then wheeled horse, and retired to Sweet Auburn, out of which
a little later the grey cavalry did indeed drive them.

In the last of the rosy light the two officers, now again at the
hilltop, saw the camp outspread below it and coming at a double quick
the regiment which Jackson had sent to the rescue. One checked his
horse. "What's that?" asked the other.

"The general's gloves. He dropped them when he mounted."

He stooped from his horse and gathered them up. Later, back in camp, he
went to headquarters. Jackson was tal