rce of Early's first onset was spent; his one chance of
seizing and holding the valley road in the rear of the Union army
had slipped away, while his cavalry had utterly failed to accomplish
any part of the task confided to it. Time and strength had both
been lost to the Confederates by the uncontrollable plunder of the
camps and the sutlers' stores.

The Old Forge road is but a country lane that crosses the field
from the north end of Middletown. It afforded no position, its
chief value being as uniting the wings of the army, and Wright's
object in taking up this line was simply to gain time to develop
a better fighting line still farther to the rear. Now, seeing that
Getty had accomplished his purpose in holding on at the cemetery,
Wright ordered him to move slowly, in line of battle, toward the
north, guiding on the valley road, with Merritt's cavalry beyond
it following and covering the operation, while Emory, taking up
the movement in his turn, was to look to Wheaton for his guide.
Wright's order found Emory's men in the act of completing their
hasty defences, while Emory was moving about among them strongly
declaring his purpose not to go back another inch.

Getty began by withdrawing Grant, and when Grant had passed for
some distance beyond the left of Keifer, his right in retreat,
Keifer followed, while on his left, in retreat, Wheaton, and on
Wheaton's left Emory marched, as nearly as may be, shoulder to
shoulder in a solid line. Thus Keifer formed the centre of the
retreating line of battle, with Ball on his right and Emerson on
his left. Having to pass over rough ground and among trees, the
line was broken to the reversed front by the right of regiments,
the head of each guiding on its right-hand neighbor. Thus it
happened (8) that in passing through a thick wood, Keifer's division
was split in two, his brigades losing sight of one another, so that
on coming once more into the open field, Ball found himself alone
with no other troops in sight on either hand; but soon hearing the
sound of Getty's guns over the right shoulder, he faced about and
marched back to a stone wall upon a lane, where he found Getty
already in position. Emerson, however, moving more quickly through
the wood, because the ground was easier, continued his march toward
the north, continually bearing to the right as he went, in order
to regain the lost touch with Ball, while on the left Wheaton and
Emory, knowing nothing of the bre