Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

[393] A gallant saber-charge by the 6th Michigan, Maj. Webber, into and over their earthworks, was repulsed with loss--Maj. Webber being among the killed; but, after a fight of over two hours, the enemy was driven to the river, with a loss of 125 killed and 1,500 prisoners, which includes 50 of their wounded. Gen. Pettigrew was here mortally wounded. Our total loss was 105.

Our cavalry advance, Col. J. I. Gregg, crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry that day,¹ and moved out, next morning, from Bolivar Heights on the Winchester turnpike to Hall's Mills, thence taking the road to Shepherdstown; where it was soon involved in a spirited fight with Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry, and driven back a short distance to a strong position, where it held its ground, repulsing several determined charges, until the Rebels were willing to give it up. The day's loss was about 100 on either side; Cols. Drake (1st Virginia) and Gregg were among the Rebel killed; Capt. Fisher, 16th Pa., being the highest officer lost on our side. The ground was so rough and wooded that nearly all the fighting was done on foot.

Gen. Meade crossed the Potomac at Berlin on the 18th; moving by Lovettsville,² Union,³ Upperville,⁴ and Salem,⁵ to Warrenton;⁶ thus retaking the line of the Rappahannock which our army had left hardly two months before. This movement being in advance of Lee, who halted for some days near Bunker Hill, and made a feint of recrossing the Potomac, Meade was enabled to seize all the passes through the Blue Ridge north of the Rappahannock, barring the enemy's egress from the Shenandoah Valley save by a tedious flank march.

Meade, misled by his scouts, had expected to fight a battle in Manassas Gap — or rather, on the west side of it — where our cavalry, under Buford, found the Rebels in force; when the 3d (French's) corps was sent in haste from Ashby's Gap to Buford's support, and its 1st division, Gen. Hobart Ward, pushed through⁷ the Gap, and the Excelsior (New York) brigade, Gen. F. B. Spinola, made three heroic charges up so many steep and difficult ridges, dislodging and driving the enemy with mutual loss--General Spinola being twice wounded. Col. Farnum and Major McLean, 1st Excelsior, were also wounded, and Capt. Ben. Price⁸ killed.

Next morning, our soldiers pushed forward to Front Royal, but encountered no enemy. Unknown to us, the Excelsiors had been fighting a brigade of Ewell's men, who were holding the Gap while Rhodes's division, forming the rear-guard of Lee's army, marched past up the valley, and had, of course, followed on its footsteps during the night. No enemy remained to fight; but two days were lost by Meade getting into