〃I　will　if　you　wish　it；　Vincent；　but　I　cannot　believe　for　a　moment
  that　this　Jackson　or　any　one　else　would　venture　to　meddle　with　any
  of　my　slaves。〃
  〃Perhaps　not；　mother；　but　it　is　best　to　he　on　the　safe　side。　　Anyhow；
  I　shall　be　glad　to　know　that　she　is　with　you。　　Young　Jackson　will
  be　away；　for　I　know　he　is　in　one　of　Stuart's　troops　of　horse；　though
  I　have　never　happened　to　run　against　him　since　the　war　began。〃
  The　firing　had　hardly　ceased　before　Harrison's　Landing；　when
  General　Jackson；　with　a　force　of　about　15；000　men；　composed　of
  his　own　division；　now　commanded　by　General　Winder；　General
  Ewell's　division；　and　a　portion　of　that　of　General　Hill；　started　for
  the　Rapidan　to　check　General　Pope；　who；　plundering　and　wasting
  the　country　as　he　advanced；　was　marching　south；　his　object　being
  to　reach　Gordonsville；　where　he　would　cut　the　line　of　railway
  connecting　Richmond　with　Western　Virginia。　　Vincent　was　glad
  that　the　regiment　to　which　he　had　been　appointed　would　he　under
  Jackson's　command；　and　that　he　would　be　campaigning　again　with
  his　old　division；　which　consisted　largely　of　Virginian　troops　and
  contained　so　many　of　his　old　friends。
  With　Jackson；　too；　he　was　certain　to　be　engaged　in　stirring　service；
  for　that　general　ever　kept　his　troops　upon　the　march；　striking　blows
  where　least　expected；　and　traversing　such　an　extent　of　country　by
  rapid　marches　that　he　and　his　division　seemed　to　the　enemy　to　be
  almost　ubiquitous。
  It　was　but　a　few　hours　after　he　received　his　appointment　that
  Vincent　took　train　from　Richmond　to　Gordonsville；　Dan　being　in
  the　horse…box　with　Wildfire　in　the　rear　of　the　train。　　His　regiment
  was　encamped　a　mile　or　two　away；　and　he　at　once　rode　on　and
  reported　himself　to　Colonel　Jones；　who　commanded　it。
  〃I　am　glad　to　have　you　with　me；　sir；〃　the　colonel　said。　〃I　had　the
  pleasure　of　knowing　your　father；　and　am　an　old　friend　of　your
  mother's　family。　　As　you　were　in　Ashley's　horse　and　have　been
  serving　on　Magruder's　staff；　you　are　well　up　in　your　duties；　and　it
  is　a　comfort　to　me　that　the　vacancy　has　been　filled　up　by　one　who
  knows　his　work　instead　of　a　raw　hand。　　We　have　had　a　brush　or
  two　already　with　the　enemy；　but　at　present　we　are　watching　each
  other；　waiting　on　both　sides　till　the　generals　have　got　their　infantry
  to　the　front　in　readiness　for　an　advance　Jackson　is　waiting　for
  Hill's　division　to　come　up；　and　I　believe　Pope　is　expecting　great
  reinforcements　from　McClellan。〃
  A　few　days　later　Colonel　Jones　was　ordered　to　take　charge　of　the
  pickets　posted　on　the　Rapidan；　but　before　reaching　Orange　a
  gentleman　rode　up　at　full　speed　and　informed　them　that　the　enemy
  were　in　possession　of　that　town。　　Colonel　Jones　divided　his
  regiment　into　two　parts；　and　with　one　charged　the　Federal　cavalry
  in　the　main　street　of　Orange；　while　the　other　portion　of　the
  regiment；　under　Major　Marshall；　attacked　them　on　the　flank。　　After
  a　sharp　fight　the　enemy　were　driven　from　the　place；　but　they
  brought　up　large　reinforcements；　and；　pouring　in　a　heavy　fire；
  attacked　the　town　on　both　sides；　and　the　Confederates　had　to　fall
  hack。　　But　they　made　another　stand　a　little　way　out　of　the　town；
  and　drove　back　the　Federal　cavalry　who　were　pressing　them。
  Although　the　fight　had　been　but　a　short　one　the　losses　in　the
  cavalry　ranks　had　been　serious。　　Colonel　Jones；　while　charging　at
  the　head　of　his　men；　had　received　a　saber…wound；　and　Major
  Marshall　was　taken　prisoner。
  Five　days　later；　on　the　7th　of　August；　Jackson　received　certain
  intelligence　that　General　Burnside；　with　a　considerable　portion　of
  McClellan's　force；　had　embarked；　and　was　on　the　way　to　join　Pope。
  He　determined　to　strike　a　blow　at　once；　and　marched　with　his
  entire　force　from　Gordonsville　for　Barnett　Ford　on　the　Rapidan。
  At　daybreak　next　morning　the　cavalry　crossed　the　river　and
  attacked　and　routed　a　body　of　Federal　cavalry　on　the　road　to
  Culpepper　Courthouse。　On　the　following　day　Jackson　came　up
  with　his　infantry　to　a　point　about　eight　miles　from　Culpepper；
  where　Pope's　army；　32；000　strong；　were　stationed　upon　the　crest　of
  a　hill。　　General　Ewell's　division；　which　was　the　only　one　then　up；　at
  once　advanced；　and；　after　a　severe　artillery　fight；　gained　a　point　on
  a　hill　where　his　guns　could　command　the　enemy's　position。
  Jackson's　division　now　came　up；　and　as　it　was　moving　into
  position　General　Winder　was　killed　by　a　shell。　　For　some　hours
  Jackson　did　not　attempt　to　advance；　as　Hill's　division　had　not
  come　up。　　Encouraged　by　this　delay；　the　enemy　at　five　o'clock　in
  the　afternoon　took　the　offensive　and　advanced　through　some
  cornfields　lying　between　the　two　armies　and　attacked　Ewell's
  division　on　the　Confederate　right；　while　shortly　afterward　they　fell
  with　overwhelming　strength　on　Jackson's　left；　and；　attacking　it　in
  front；　flank；　and　rear；　drove　it　back；　and　pressed　upon　it　with　such
  force　that　the　day　appeared　lost。
  At　this　moment　Jackson　himself　rode　down　among　the　confused
  and　wavering　troops；　and　by　his　voice　and　example　rallied　them。
  At　the　same　moment　the　old　Stonewall　Brigade　came　up　at　a　run
  and　poured　their　fire　into　the　advancing　enemy。　　Jackson　led　the
  troops　he　had　rallied　forward。　　The　Stonewall　Brigade　fell　upon　the
  enemy's　flank　and　drove　them　back　with　terrible　slaughter。　　Other
  brigades　came　up；　and　there　was　a　general　charge　along　the　whole
  Confederate　line；　and　the　Federals　were　driven　back　a　mile　beyond
  the　position　they　had　occupied　at　the　commencement　of　the　fight
  to　the　shelter　of　some　thick　woods。　　Four　hundred　prisoners　were
  taken　and　over　5；000　small　…arms。
  The　battle　was　known　as　Cedar　Run；　and　it　completely　checked
  Pope's　advance　upon　Richmond。　　The　troops　were　too　much
  exhausted　to　follow　up　their　victory；　but　Jackson　urged　them　to
  press　forward。　　They　moved　a　mile　and　a　half　in　advance；　and　then
  found　themselves　so　strongly　opposed　that　Jackson；　believing　that
  the　enemy　must　have　received　reinforcements；　halted　his　men。
  Colonel　Jones　was　sent　forward　to　reconnoiter；　and　discovered　that
  a　large　force　had　joined　the　enemy。
  For　two　days　Jackson　remained　on　the　field　he　had　won；　his　troops
  had　been　busy　in　burying　the　dead；　in　collecting　the　wounded　and
  sending　them　to　the　rear；　and　in　gathering　the　arms　thrown　away
  by　the　enemy　in　their　flight。　Being　assured　that　the　enemy　were
  now　too　strong　to　be　attacked　by　the　force　under　his　command；
  Jackson　fell　back　to　Orange　Courthouse。　　There　was　now　a　few
  days'　delay；　while　masses　of　troops　were　on　both　sides　moving
  toward　the　new　field　of　action。　　McClellan　marched　his　troops
  across　the　James　Peninsula　from　Harrison's　Landing　to　Yorktown；
  and　there　the　greater　portion　were　embarked　in　transports　and
  taken　up　the　Rappahannock　to　Aquia　Creek；　landed　there；　and
  marched　to　Fredericksburg。
  Lee；　instead　of　attacking　McClellan　on　his　march　across　the
  peninsula；　determined　to　take　his　army　north　at　once　to　join
  Jackson　and　attack　Pope　before　he　was　joined　by　McClellan's
  army。　　But　Pope；　although　already　largely　reinforced；　retired
  hastily　and　took　up　a　new　position　so　strongly　fortified　that　ho
  could　not　he　attacked。　　General　Stuart　had　come　up　with　Lee；　and
  was　in　command　of　all　the　cavalry。
  〃We　shall　see　some　work　now；〃　was　the　remark　round　the　fires　of
  the　7th　Virginian　Cavalry。　　Hitherto；　although　they　had　been
  several　times　engaged　with　the　Federals；　they　had　been　forced　to
  remain　for　the　most　part　inactive　owing　to　the　vast　superiority　in
  force　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　but　now　that　Stuart　had　come　up　they
  felt　certain　that；　whatever　the　disparity　of　numbers；　there　would
  soon　he　some　dashing　work　to　be　done。
  Except　when　upon　actual　duty　the　strict　lines　of　military　discipline
  were　much　relaxed　among　the　cavalry；　the　troopers　being　almost
  all　the　sons　of　farmers　and　planters　and　of　equal　social　rank　with
  their　officers；　many　of　whom　were　their　personal　friends　or
  relatives。　　Several　of　Vincent's　schoolfellows　were　in　the　ranks；
  two　or　three　of　them　were　fellow　officers；　and　these　often　gathered
  together　round　a　camp　fire　and　chatted　over　old　schooldays　and
  mutual　friends。
  Many　of　these　had　already　fallen；　for　the　Virginian　regiments　of
  Stonewall　Jackson's　brigade　had　been　terribly　thinned；　but　the　loss
  of　so　many　friends　and　the　knowledge　that　their　own　turn　might
  come　next　did　not　suffice　to　lessen　the　high　spirits　of　the　young
  fellows。　　The　hard　work；　the　rough　life；　the　exposure　and　hardship；
  had　braced　and　invigorated　them　all；　and　they　were　attaining　a　far
  more　vigorous　manhood　than　they　would　ever　have　possessed　had
  they　grown　lip　in　the　somewhat　sluggish　and　enervating　life　led　by
  young　planters。
  Many　of　these　young　men　had；　until　the　campaign　began；　never
  done　half　an　hour's　hard　work　in　their　lives。　They　had　been　waited
  upon　by　slaves；　and　their　only　exercise　had　been　riding。　　For
  months　now　they　had　almost　lived　in　the　saddle；