e Potomac. "The latest?"
"It will surely fall to-day. The thing is absurd. It is a little city--"
"From the Valley? Jackson has turned south from Harper's Ferry. Shields
and Fremont will meet at Strasburg long before the rebels get there.
Together they'll make Jackson pay--grind the stonewall small!"

The Army of the Valley had its orders from Strasburg the night of the
thirtieth. The main body moved at once, back upon Winchester, where it
gathered up stragglers, prisoners, and the train of captured stores.
Winder with the Stonewall Brigade, left to make a final feint at
Harper's Ferry, was not in motion southward till much later. Of the main
army the 21st Virginia led the column, convoying prisoners and the prize
of stores. There were twenty-three hundred prisoners, men in blue,
tramping sullenly. Stonewall Jackson had made requisition of all wagons
about Winchester. They were now in line, all manner of wagons,
white-covered, uncovered, stout-bodied, ancient, rickety, in every
condition but of fresh paint and new harness. Carts were brought, small
vans of pedlars; there were stranded circus wagons with gold scrolls.
Nor did there lack vehicles meant for human freight. Old family
carriages, high-swung, capacious as the ark, were filled, not with women
and children, belles and beaux, but with bags of powder and boxes of
cartridges. Superannuated mail coaches carried blankets, oilcloths,
sabres, shoes; light spring wagons held Enfield rifles; doctors' buggies
medicine cases corded in with care. All these added themselves to the
regular supply train of the army; great wagons marked C. S. A. in which,
God knows! there was room for stores. The captures of the past days
filled the vacancies; welcome enough were the thirty-five thousand
pounds of bacon, the many barrels of flour, the hardtack, sugar, canned
goods, coffee, the tea and strange delicacies kept for the sick. More
welcome was the capture of the ammunition. The ordnance officers beamed
lovingly upon it and upon the nine thousand excellent new small arms,
and the prisoner Parrotts. There were two hundred beautiful wagons
marked U. S. A.; the surgeons, too, congratulated themselves upon new
ambulances. Horses and mules that had changed masters might be restless
at first; but they soon knew the touch of experienced hands and turned
contented up the Valley. A herd of cattle was driven bellowing into
line.

Seven miles in length, train and convoying troops emerged from