le began.]

"Where did you find the water?"

"Over there in the woods, in the rear of Schenck's brigade."

I passed the brigade. Ayers's and Carlisle's batteries were there. I
found the spring beyond a little hillock. While drinking, there was
sudden confusion in Schenck's brigade. There was loud talking, cannon
and musketry firing, and a sudden trampling of horses. A squadron of
Rebel cavalry swept past within a few rods of the spring, charging upon
Schenck's brigade. The panic tide had come rolling to the rear. Ayers
lashed his horses to a gallop, to reach Cub Run bridge. He succeeded in
crossing it. He came into position to open upon the Rebels and to check
their pursuit. The road was blocked with wagons. Frightened teamsters
cut their horses loose and rode away. Soldiers, officers, and civilians
fled towards Centreville, frightened at they knew not what. Blenker's
brigade was thrown forward from Centreville to the bridge, and the rout
was stopped. The Rebels were too much exhausted, too much amazed at the
sudden and unaccountable breaking and fleeing of McDowell's army, to
improve the advantage. They followed to Cub Run bridge, but a few cannon
and musket shots sent them back to the Stone Bridge.

But at Blackburn's Ford General Jones crossed the stream to attack the
retreating troops. General Davies, with four regiments and Hunt's
battery, occupied the crest of a hill looking down towards the ford. The
Rebels marched through the woods upon the bank of the stream, wound
along the hillside, filed through a farm-yard and halted in a hollow
within a quarter of a mile of General Davies's guns.

[Illustration: FIGHT AT BLACKBURN'S FORD, July 21, 1863.

1 Blackburn's Ford.
2 Mitchell's Ford.
3 Rebel troops.
4 Davies's brigade and batteries.
5 Richardson's brigade.]

"Lie down," said the General, and the four regiments dropped upon the
ground. The six cannon and the gunners alone were in sight.

"Wait till they come over the crest of the hill; wait till I give the
word," said the General to Captain Hunt.

The men stand motionless by their pieces. The long column of Rebels
moves on. There is an officer on his horse giving directions. The long
dark line throws its lengthening shadows upward in the declining
sunlight, toward the silent cannon.

"Now let them have it!" The guns are silent no longer. Six flashes of
light, and six sulphurous clouds are belched towards the moving mass.
Grape