engaged. The battle of Cedar Mountain was fought on Saturday, August
9th. General Banks, pushing his corps toward Cedar Mountain, and,
finding the enemy in his front, had boldly attacked him. The confederate
forces were led by General Jackson, and outnumbered the forces under
General Banks. The field was hotly contested for an hour and a half,
when our forces were obliged to fall back; but being reinforced by
Rickett's division, they were able to prevent the enemy from occupying
the field. During the night, Jackson withdrew his forces, leaving the
ground in our hands, which was at once occupied by the Union forces.

The whole of Sunday was occupied in burying the dead and bringing off
the wounded of both armies. Our men had behaved with great bravery, and
the gallantry and zeal of General Banks was what might have been
expected from that general. The field was yet in our hands; yet the
battle could hardly be called a decided victory for our arms. Jackson
retreated rapidly across the Rapidan, in the direction of Gordonsville,
leaving many dead and wounded along the road from Cedar Mountain to
Orange Court House. Except to follow up the enemy with cavalry as far as
Orange Court House, no important move was made for several days by the
forces under General Pope.

Reinforcements were constantly arriving for Jackson, and it became
evident, by the 18th, that nearly the whole of Lee's army was assembling
in front of General Pope, along the south side of the Rapidan. Among
papers captured from the enemy at this time, was an autograph letter
from General Robert Lee to General Stuart, stating his determination to
overwhelm General Pope's army before it could be reinforced by any
portion of the army of the Potomac.

The whole army was now ordered to fall back and occupy a stronger
position behind the Rappahannock. The movement was executed on the 18th
and 19th of August, without loss; the new line extending from Kelley's
Ford to a point three miles above Rappahannock Station. The enemy
appeared next day at the various fords, but, finding them strongly
guarded, waited for all their forces to arrive from the Rapidan.

The whole of the 21st and 22d were spent by the enemy in efforts to
cross the river, and a fierce artillery duel prevailed along the line
for more than seven miles in extent, but the rebels were repulsed at
every point, and withdrew with the intention of moving up the river and
turning the flank of the Union army.