come. I'm thinking that Burnside will attack in a day or two now.
Lots of Northern newspapers find their way into our lines, and the whole
North is urging him on. They demand that a great victory be won in the
east right away."

"I feel sorry for a general who is pushed on like that."

"So do I, because he hasn't a ghost of a chance. He'll be able to cross
the river under cover of his great batteries, but look, Harry, look at
those frowning heights around Fredericksburg, covered with the finest
riflemen in the world, the ditches and trenches sown with artillery,
and the best two military brains on the globe there to direct. What
chance have they, Harry? What chance have they?"

"Very little that I can see, but a battle is never won or lost until
it's fought. We'd better report now to General Jackson."

They saluted General Stuart, and rode away over the icy mud. General
Jackson received their report with pleasure.

"Excellent! Excellent!" he said. "General Stuart has routed them with
horse artillery! A capable man! A most wonderful man!"

He said the last words to himself, rather than to Harry, and Stuart soon
proved that his horse artillery was not underrated by winning a second
encounter with the gunboats a day or two later. Early also beat back an
attempt to cross the river at a third place, and it became apparent now
that the Union army could make no flanking attack upon its enemy south
of the Rappahannock. It must be made, if at all, directly on its front
at Fredericksburg.