to pursue--urging him to take care of the horse and accoutrements, if
taken--and enjoining him to be on his guard, lest he might, by a too
eager pursuit, improvidently fall into the hands of the enemy--Lee
dismissed Middleton and his party. A shower of rain had fallen soon
after Champe's departure, which enabled the pursuing dragoons to find
the trail of his horse; for, at that time, the horses being all shod by
our own farriers, the shoes were made in the same form which, with a
private mark annexed to the fore shoes, and known to the troopers,
pointed out the trail of our dragoons, and, in this way, was
often useful.

When Middleton departed, it was a few minutes past twelve, so that
Champe had the start of his pursuers by little more than an hour. Lee
was very anxious, and passed a sleepless night. The pursuing party were,
on their part, occasionally delayed by the necessary halts to examine
the road, as the impressions of the horse's shoes directed the course.
These were, unfortunately, too evident, no other horse having passed
over the road since the shower. When the day broke, Middleton was no
longer obliged to halt, and he passed on with rapidity.

As the pursuers ascended an eminence to the north of the village of
Bergen, Champe was descried not more than half a mile in front.
Resembling an Indian in his vigilance, the sergeant at the same moment
discovered Middleton and his men, to whose object he was no stranger,
and giving spur to his horse, he determined to outstrip them. Middleton,
at the same instant, put his horses to the top of their speed; and
being, as the legion all were, well acquainted with the country, he
recollected a route through the woods to the bridge below Bergen, which
diverged from the great road near the Three Pigeons. Reaching the point
of separation, he halted, and, dividing his party, directed a sergeant,