George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

The time occupied in returning to Newtown from Bartonsville, and driving the enemy out of the town, brings this narrative up to nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. Four o'clock, five, six, seven, and eight at night found us still holding the town. The fight had settled into an artillery combat, and to this there was no cessation. Time after time, a pause for a few moments gave me hope that I had silenced the enemy's guns; but again and again their fire was spitefully resumed. For hours I held no communication with General Banks, had neither seen nor heard from him since we left Bartonsville. I looked upon my position as most perilous: my force was small, could cover only a small front. How long before I should be surrounded, cut off from Winchester, and captured?

It was after sunset when, in the growing twilight, I saw, to my joy, General Hatch approaching. In a few words he acquainted me with his escape. He had come in by a circuitous road to his left, with the greater part of his cavalry, which was then safe at Winchester, but all his baggage had been captured. General Hatch confirmed my fears of the numbers of the enemy; told me he had been set upon in strong force; that a portion of the rear of our train, such stores as were left at Cedar Creek, and such forces as had not haply escaped, had been captured. Hatch dwelt with much feeling upon the mistake made by Collins of the cavalry in charging upon the enemy's barricade; his losses were mourned with more than an ordinary expression of sorrow. The charge of the rear properly belonged to General Hatch, for two reasons: it had been assigned to him by Banks; and he was my senior in rank. I tendered him the command, but with much courtesy he replied that he could not do better than I was doing, and he should decline to take it. Of course