s in killed and wounded being heavy on both
sides. But the enemy was successful in taking possession of the
railroad; and in the evening a portion of Stuart's cavalry, strengthened
by two regiments of infantry, advanced to Manassas Junction, where they
surprised and charged our guards, capturing many prisoners, also ten
locomotives, seven trains loaded with immense quantities of stores,
horses, tents, and eight cannon. They destroyed what they could not
take away. The Rebel General Ewell, having followed closely in the track
of Jackson, also came upon the railroad in rear of General Pope's army.

Our commander, greatly astonished at this embarrassing juncture of
affairs, began to make the best disposition of his forces, to extricate
himself from the toils that had been carefully laid for him; still
hoping that new forces would come to his aid from McClellan's army via
Alexandria. But "hope deferred made his heart sick," and he was
compelled to encounter the immense Rebel hosts, not only massed on his
front, but also lapping on his flanks, and penetrating, as we have seen,
even to his rear. The situation was critical in the extreme; and had not
the available forces behaved themselves with undaunted courage and, at
times, with mad desperation, the disaster would have been unprecedented.

Several unimportant and yet hotly contested battles were fought at
Sulphur Springs, Thoroughfare Gap, Bristoe Station, etc., and early on
the morning of the twenty-ninth commenced the battle of Groveton, by
some called the second Bull Run. The Rebels were in overwhelming
numbers, though driven badly during the earlier hours of the day; and
had Fitz-John Porter brought his forces into the action, the victory
must have been ours. The cavalry, though quiet most of the day, made an
important charge in the evening. The carnage had been terrible, and the
fields were strewn with the dead and dying. It is estimated that the
casualties would include not less than seven thousand men on our side
alone; and it is fair to suppose that the enemy has lost not less than
that number.

_August 30._--Our lines having fallen back during the night, the battle
was renewed to-day on the field of the first Bull Run. But the fates
were again against us, and, though not panic-stricken, our men retired
from the field at night, until they rested themselves on the heights of
Centreville. The enemy did not follow us very closely, not attempting
even to cross Bull Ru