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ecause he felt there was a necessity for detaining Johnston? "Answer.--Yes, Sir; to detain him as long as he possibly could." "Question.--That order was not countermanded until late on Tuesday, the 16th, was it? "Answer.--That order never was published. It was written; but, at the earnest solicitation of Colonel [Fitz John] Porter, it was withheld until he could have a consultation with Colonel Abercrombie and Colonel Thomas."] It is about 1 o'clock on the morning of Thursday, July 18th,--that same day which witnesses the preliminary Battle of Blackburn's Ford--that Johnston, being at Winchester, and knowing of Patterson's peculiarly inoffensive and timid movement to his own left and rear, on Charlestown, receives from the Rebel Government at Richmond, a telegraphic dispatch, of July 17th, in these words: "General Beauregard is attacked. To strike the Enemy a decisive blow, a junction of all your effective force will be needed. If practicable, make the movement. * * * In all the arrangements exercise your discretion." Johnston loses no time in deciding that it is his duty to prevent, if possible, disaster to Beauregard's Army; that to do this he must effect a junction with him; and that this necessitates either an immediate fight with, and defeat of, Patterson,--which may occasion a fatal delay--or else, that Union general must be eluded. Johnston determines on the latter course. Leaving his sick, with some militia to make a pretense of defending the town in case of attack, Johnston secretly and rapidly marches his Army, of 9,000 effective men, Southeasterly from Winchester, at noon of Thursday, the 18th; across by a short cut, wading the Shenandoah River, and then on through Asby's Gap, in the Blue Ridge, that same night; still on, in the same direction, to a station on the Manassas Gap railroad, known as Piedmont, which is reached by the next (Friday) morning,--the erratic movements of Stuart's Cavalry entirely concealing the manoeuvre from the knowledge of Patterson. From Piedmont, the Artillery and Cavalry proceed to march the remaining twenty-five miles, or so, to Manassas Junction, by the roads. The 7th and 8th Georgia Regiments of Bartow's Brigade, with Jackson's Brigade, --comprising the 2d, 4th, 5th, 27th and 33d Virginia Regiments--are embarked on the cars, and hurriedly sent in advance, by rail, to Manassas, reaching there on that same (Friday) afterno
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