or
Brigade, General F. B. Spinola commanding, greatly distinguished itself,
by making three heroic charges up the frowning steeps, where the Rebels
were strongly posted. Their general was twice wounded. But the effort
was a success.

On the morning of the twenty-fourth our soldiers pushed forward as far
as Front Royal, but found no enemy. They then learned that they had been
fighting only a portion of Lee's rearguard, which in the night had
slipped away in the trail of their main army southward. By this move
General Meade's army lost about two days' march; and when again we
reached the bank of the Rappahannock, the old foe was facing us in
threatening attitude from the opposite shore.

This afternoon the Harris Light was sent on a scout to Thoroughfare Gap.
From the heights beyond the Gap we saw the wagon-train of the Eleventh
Corps moving toward Warrenton. This was a portion of the force which had
expected a fight at Manassas Gap.

_July 25._--Our cavalry force reached the vicinity of Warrenton
Junction, when we went into bivouac. The second squadron of our
regiment, under Captain O. J. Downing, moved to Thoroughfare Gap and
returned to Gainesville, where it joined the regiment, and then marched
with us to the Junction _via_ Bristoe and Catlett's. Before night we
were sent out on picket in the vicinity of Catlett's Station, where we
relieved the First Virginia Cavalry. We continued on picket through the
twenty-sixth, but all was quiet along the lines.

An inspection of horses was made this morning, when a large number were
condemned as utterly unserviceable; and they were started off toward
Washington, to be exchanged for better ones.

_July 27._--I have the responsibility and honor of being in command of a
company. This afternoon a detachment of our forces was sent out on a
sort of bushwhacking expedition. A portion of Company F was captured by
the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, while patrolling the road near
Bristersburg.

We are not doing much these days, except picketing, scouting,
recruiting, resting. On the twenty-ninth our entire brigade was marched
to within three miles of Warrenton, and then countermarched to the old
camp; and on the last day of the month we advanced to Warrenton in heavy
force, where General Meade has had his headquarters for several days.

_August 1._--To-day General Meade moved his headquarters to Rappahannock
Station. The heat is excessive. Two men of the Harris Light were
sunstruck dur