to-morrow afternoon, Winchester is safe anyhow."

After the Federals had recrossed the river, and Johnston had taken up
his position round Winchester, the cavalry returned to their old work of
scouting along the Potomac.

On the 20th of June movements of considerable bodies of the enemy were
noticed; and Johnston at once dispatched Jackson with his brigade to
Martinsburg, with orders to send as much of the rolling-stock of the
railroad as could be removed to Winchester, to destroy the rest, and to
support Stuart's cavalry when they advanced. A number of locomotives
were sent to Winchester along the highroad, drawn by teams of horses.
Forty engines and three hundred cars were burned or destroyed, and
Jackson then advanced and took up his position on the road to
Williamsport, the cavalry camp being a little in advance of him. This
was pleasant for Vincent, as, when off duty, he spent his time with his
friends and schoolfellows in Jackson's brigade.

On the 2d of July the scouts rode into camp with the news that a strong
force was advancing from Williamsport. Jackson at once advanced with the
5th Virginia Infantry, numbering 380 men and one gun, while Stuart, with
100 cavalry, started to make a circuitous route, and harassed the flank
and rear of the enemy. There was no intention on the part of Jackson of
fighting a battle, his orders being merely to feel the enemy, whose
strength was far too great to be withstood, even had he brought his
whole brigade into action, for they numbered three brigades of infantry,
500 cavalry, and some artillery.

For some hours the little Confederate force skirmished so boldly that
they checked the advance of the enemy, whose general naturally supposed
that he had before him the advanced guard of a strong force, and
therefore moved forward with great caution. Then the Confederates, being
threatened on both flanks by the masses of the Federals, fell back in
good order. The loss was very trifling on either side, but the fact that
so small a force had for hours checked the advance of an army greatly
raised the spirits and confidence of the Confederates. Stuart's small
cavalry force, coming down upon the enemy's rear, captured a good many
prisoners--Colonel Stuart himself capturing forty-four infantry. Riding
some distance ahead of his troop to find out the position of the enemy,
he came upon a company of Federal infantry sitting down in a field,
having no idea whatever that any Confederate f