e railroad bridge just above the wagon bridge. "Cross at
once on the ties." The colonel looked, nodded, waved his sword and
explained to his Acadians. "_Mes enfans! Nous allons traverser le pont
la-bas. En avant!_" In column of twos he led his men out on the ties of
the trestle bridge. Below, dark, rapid, cold, rushed the swollen
Shenandoah. Musketry and artillery, Kenly opened upon them. Many a poor
fellow, who until this war had never seen a railroad bridge, threw up
his arms, stumbled, slipped between the ties, went down into the flood
and disappeared.

Stonewall Jackson continued his orders. "Skirmishers forward! Clear
those combustibles out of the bridge. Cross, Wheat's Battalion! First
Maryland, follow!" He looked from beneath the forage cap at the steep
opposite shore, from the narrow level at the water's edge to the ridge
top held by the Federal guns. Rank by rank on this staircase, showed
Kenly's troops, stubbornly firing, trying to break the trap.
"Artillery's the need. We must take more of their guns."

It was hot work, as the men of the 65th and Wheat's Tigers speedily
found, crossing the wagon bridge over the Shenandoah! One span was all
afire. The flooring burned their feet, flames licked the wooden sides of
the structure, thick, choking smoke canopied the rafters. With musket
butts the men beat away the planking, hurled into the flood below
burning scantling and brand, and trampled the red out of the charring
cross timbers. Some came out of the western mouth of the bridge stamping
with the pain of burned hands, but the point was that they did come
out--the four companies of the 65th, Wheat's Tigers, the First Maryland.
Back to Jackson, however, went a messenger. "Not safe, sir, for horse!
We broke step and got across, but at one place the supports are burned
away--"

"Good! good!" said Jackson. "We will cross rougher rivers ere we are
done." He turned to Flournoy's bugler. "_Squadrons. Right front into
line. March!_"

Kenly, stubbornly firing upon the two columns, that one now quitting,
with a breath of relief, the railway bridge, and that issuing under an
arch of smoke from the wagon bridge, was hailed by a wild-eyed
lieutenant. "Colonel Kenly, sir, look at that!" As he spoke, he tried to
point, but his hand waved up and down. The Shenandoah, below the two
bridges, was thick with swimming horses.

Kenly looked, pressed his lips together, opened them and gave the order.
"_Face to the rear. Forward.