ter, which, however, is not very cold.
But the night is very tedious.

_July 8._--The sun came out bright and warm this morning, enabling us in
a few moments to dry our drenched blankets and garments. The roads,
however, abound in mud, and the streams are enormously swollen. Early in
the day our pickets were driven in along the Antietam, and the enemy
advanced with such force that by noon the plains around Boonsboro' were
the scene of a furious cavalry engagement.

CAVALRY BATTLE AT BOONSBORO'.

Dr. Moore, from whose excellent reports we have before quoted, gives the
following graphic description of this cavalry duel: "Buford had the
right and Kilpatrick the left. The movements of the cavalry lines in
this battle were among the finest sights the author remembers ever to
have seen. It was here he first saw the young general (Kilpatrick), and
little thought that one day the deeds he saw him perform he would
transmit to paper and to posterity. Here, all day long, the Rebel and
the Union cavalry-chiefs fought, mounted and dismounted, and striving in
every manner possible to defeat and rout the other. The din and roar of
battle that, from ten A. M. until long after dark, had rolled over the
plains and back through the mountains, told to the most anxious generals
of them all, Meade and Lee, how desperate was the struggle--Stuart and
his men fighting for the safety of the Rebel army, Buford and Kilpatrick
for South Mountain's narrow Pass.

"Just as the setting sun sent his last rays over that muddy
battle-field, Buford and Kilpatrick were seen rapidly approaching each
other from opposite directions. They met; a few hasty words were
exchanged, and away dashed Buford far off to the right, and Kilpatrick
straight to the centre; and in less than twenty minutes, from right to
centre, and from centre to left, the clear notes of the bugles rang out
the welcome charging, and with one long, wild shout, those glorious
squadrons of Buford and Kilpatrick, from right to left, as far as the
eye could see, in one unbroken line, charged upon the foe. The shock was
irresistible; the Rebel line was broken--the routed enemy confessed the
superiority of our men as they fled from the well-fought field, leaving
their dead and dying behind them; and our heroic chiefs led back their
victorious squadrons, and, while resting on their laurels, gave their
brave, wearied troops a momentary repose."

Thus far our cavalry had done much to obstruct th