on in his front, and drove it to the
woods, where it reformed and hurled him back to the hill. The Northern
division, under Gregg, that had come up behind, fell with all its force
on the Southern flank. Had it driven in the Southern lines here,
Pleasanton's victory would have been assured, but the men in gray,
knowing that they must stand, stood with a courage that defied
everything. The heavy Northern masses could not drive them away,
and then Stuart, whirling about, charged the North in turn with his
thousands of horsemen. They were met by more Northern cavalry coming up,
and the combat assumed a deeper and more furious phase.

Sherburne, with the fragment of his troop and Harry by his side, was in
this charge. The effect of it upon Harry, as upon his older comrade,
was bewildering. The combatants, having emptied their pistols or thrust
them back in their belts, were now using their sabres alone. Nearly
twenty thousand blades were flashing in the air. Again the battle was
face to face and the lines became mixed. Riderless horses, emerging
from the turmoil, were running in all directions, many of them neighing
in pain and terror. Men, dismounted and wounded, were crawling away
from the threat of the trampling hoofs.

The gunners fired the cannon whenever they were sure they would not
strike down their own, but the horsemen charged upon them and wrenched
the guns from their hands, only to have them wrenched back again by the
Southerners. It was the greatest cavalry battle of the war, and the
spectacle was appalling. Many of the horses seemed to share the fury of
their riders and kicked and bit. Their beating hoofs raised an immense
cloud of dust, through which the blades of the sabres still flashed.

Harry never knew how he went through it unhurt. Looking back, it seemed
that such a thing was impossible. Yet it occurred. But he became
conscious that the Southern horsemen, after the long and desperate
struggle, were driving back those of the North. They had superior
numbers. One of the Northern divisions, after having been engaged with
infantry elsewhere, failed to come up.

Pleasanton, after daring and skill that deserved greater success,
was forced slowly to withdraw. Roused by the roar of the firing,
heavy masses of Ewell's infantry were now appearing on the horizon,
sent by Lee, with orders to hurry to the utmost. Pleasanton,
maintaining all his skill and coolness, dexterously withdrew his men