eat glistened with dew. It is remarkable
how, in the midst of the most absorbing cares, one's attention may be
fixed by some insignificant object, as mine was by the flight past the
line of a bluebird, one of the brightest-plumaged of our feathered
tribes, bearing a worm in his beak, breakfast for his callow brood.
Birdie had been on the war path, and was carrying home spoil.

As we mounted we came in full view of both armies, whose efforts in
other quarters had been slackened to await the result of our movement. I
felt an anxiety amounting to pain for the brigade to acquit itself
handsomely; and this feeling was shared by every man in it. About half
way up, the enemy's horse from his right charged; and to meet it, I
directed Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholls, whose regiment, the 8th, was on
the left, to withhold slightly his two flank companies. By one volley,
which emptied some saddles, Nicholls drove off the horse, but was soon
after severely wounded. Progress was not stayed by this incident.
Closing the many gaps made by the fierce fire, steadied the rather by
it, and preserving an alignment that would have been creditable on
parade, the brigade, with cadenced step and eyes on the foe, swept
grandly over copse and ledge and fence, to crown the heights from which
the enemy had melted away. Loud cheers went up from our army, prolonged
to the east, where warm-hearted Ewell cheered himself hoarse, and led
forward his men with renewed energy. In truth, it was a gallant feat of
arms, worthy of the pen of him who immortalized the charge of the
"Buffs" at Albuera.

Breaking into column, we pursued closely. Jackson came up and grasped my
hand, worth a thousand words from another, and we were soon in the
streets of Winchester, a quaint old town of some five thousand
inhabitants. There was a little fighting in the streets, but the people
were all abroad--certainly all the women and babies. They were frantic
with delight, only regretting that so many "Yankees" had escaped, and
seriously impeded our movements. A buxom, comely dame of some five and
thirty summers, with bright eyes and tight ankles, and conscious of
these advantages, was especially demonstrative, exclaiming, "Oh! you are
too late--too late!" Whereupon, a tall Creole from the Teche sprang from
the ranks of the 8th regiment, just passing, clasped her in his arms,
and imprinted a sounding kiss on her ripe lips, with "Madame! je
n'arrive jamais trop tard." A loud laugh fol