routed. The spectacle which followed was ludicrous as well as exciting.
The enemy fled in disorder. Never before had I seen the nails in the
hind shoes of hundreds of horses--myriads of horses' tails streaming
like meteors as they ran!

The force disappeared in the woods, hotly pursued by their foes. The
dust followed them in a great cloud--from that cloud arose yells and
cheers--cannon thundered; carbines rattled;--but that sound receded
more and more rapidly toward the river.

On our left the brave William H.F. Lee had been as successful. He had
charged and repulsed the enemy, falling wounded at the head of his men.
They had not again advanced upon him. Near the Barbour House he
presented an unbroken front to them.

Stuart held with his cavalry, indeed, the whole Fleetwood range. The
long thunder of his artillery said to the enemy,

"Come on!"

They did not come. They went back. Their cavalry had crossed the river
to ascertain the meaning of the great review. They had discovered
nothing, after heavy loss. The ground was strewed with their dead and
dying--they retired, shattered and bleeding.

Stuart's loss was also great--even his staff was not spared. One of my
brother staff officers was killed, another wounded, a third captured.

But Stuart had won the greatest cavalry fight of the war.