both go through it," said Harry. "I know you'll be with us when
our victorious army goes over the Long Bridge and enters Washington."

St. Clair and Langdon stood near, but said nothing. Harry saw that they
were enveloped by the mystery, the vastness and the terrible grandeur
of the occasion. So he said nothing to them, but rode back toward his
commander. Then he glanced again at the sun and saw that it was low,
filling all the western heavens with bars of red and yellow and gold.
He looked once again at that formidable line of battle, stretching in
either direction through the forest farther than he could see, the
soldiers eager, excited and straining hard at the hand that held them
there so firmly. It seemed now that nothing was left to be done,
and the time had grown to six o'clock in the evening.

Jackson turned to Rodes, who commanded the first line of battle, just in
the rear of the skirmishers, and said:

"Are you ready, General?"

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Then charge," said Jackson.

Rodes nodded toward the leader of the skirmishers, who gave the word.
A powerful man put a glittering brazen bugle to his throat and blew a
long, mellow note that was heard far through the forest. It was
followed by a shout poured from thirty thousand throats, the guns in the
turnpike fired a terrible volley straight into the Union camp, and then
the whole army of Jackson, line upon line, rushed from the thickets and
hurled itself upon its foe.

The Northern army was paralyzed for a moment. Never was surprise more
sudden and terrific. Brave as anybody, the Union men rushed to their
arms, but there was no time to use them. The flood was upon them and
overwhelmed them. The German regiments were cut to pieces in an instant,
and the demoralized survivors retreated into the mass. Elsewhere a
battery was manned and stopped for a moment the Southern advance,
but only for a moment. It, too, was overwhelmed by the Southern
artillery which rushed forward, firing as fast as the cannoneers could
load and reload.

Jackson himself was with his artillery, shouting to them and encouraging
them, and Harry, trying to follow him, found it hard to keep clear of
the guns. The second and third lines of the Southern army pressed
forward with the first, and the terrific impact overwhelmed everything.
The Northern officers showed supreme courage in their attempt to stem
the rout. Everyone on horseback was either killed or wounded, and
thei