had already done a long and hard day's work after a short night.

Depleted as were the ranks of the Union infantry by the heavy battle
losses of the early morning, and the still heavier losses by the
misconduct of the stragglers of all the corps except the cavalry,
it was not to be doubted that the men who stood by the colors on
the Old Forge road meant to abide to the end. As all old soldiers
know, the fighting line, granting that enough remain to make a
fighting line, is never so strong as the moment after the first
shock of battle has shaken out the men that always straggle on the
march and skulk on the field. When, therefore, the first compact
line faced about, it was with determination and with hope; yet
scarcely had the fires of resolution been relit and begun to kindle
to a glow than they were suddenly extinguished and all was plunged
in gloom by the unlooked-for order to retreat. Upon the whole army
a lethargy fell, and though every man expected and stood ready to
do his duty, it was with a certain listlessness amounting almost
to indifference that he waited for what was to come next. In the
sensations of most, hunger was perhaps uppermost, and while some
munched the bread and meat from their haversacks and other waited
to make coffee, many threw themselves upon the ground where they
stood and fell asleep.

Far down the road from among the crowd of fugitives, where no man
on that field cared to look, came a murmur like the breaking of
the surf on a far-off shore. Nearer it drew, grew louder, and
swelled to a tumult. Cheers! The cheers of the stragglers. As
the men instinctively turned toward the sound, they were seized
with amazement to see the tide of stragglers setting strongly toward
the south. Then out from among them, into the field by the roadside,
cantered a little man on a black horse, and from the ranks of his
own cavalry arose a cry of "Sheridan!" Through all the ranks the
message flashed, and, as if it had been charged by the electric
spark, set every man on his feet and made his heart once more beat
high within him.

This was Wednesday, and Sheridan, before finally setting out for
Washington, had told Wright to look for him on Tuesday. Rapidly
despatching, as has been seen, his business at the War Office,
Sheridan left Washington by the special train he had asked for at
noon on the 17th, accompanied by the engineers charged with the
duty of selecting the position that Halleck wished t