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[380] and Alexandria Railroad, and Meade determined to checkmate him by a rapid retrograde movement. The latter, during that day, fell back along the line of the railroad, and Lee, continuing his advance from Sulphur Springs by parallel routes to the west, struck Warrenton in the afternoon. Here he halted during the rest of that day to supply the troops with provisions.1 Lee's plan now was to advance from Warrenton in two columns—the left column (the corps of Hill) to move northward by the Warrenton turnpike to New Baltimore, and then strike due eastward to lay hold of the railroad at Bristoe Station; the right column (the corps of Ewell) to advance by roads to the east of the route of Hill, passing by Auburn and Greenwich, and uniting with Hill at Bristoe Station. This project was put in execution on the morning of the 14th; but whether Lee would be able to make good his intent of reaching Bristoe before his antagonist, would, of course, depend on the activity of the latter. Meade, with the uncertainty of what Lee was about, had the interior line; Lee, with a definite purpose and clear line of conduct, had the exterior and longer route to pursue. Anticipating the sequel so far as to say that Meade beat Lee in the race, passing Bristoe with nearly his whole force before Hill and Ewell were able to strike his line of retreat at that point, it remains to describe some interesting complications that arose out of the proximity in which the two armies were manoeuvring. In the retrograde movement of the Union army, on the 13th, it was appointed that the Second Corps under General Warren should, after halting at Fayetteville until the Third Corps under General French was withdrawn, cover the rear of the army; and its route was directed to be by way of Auburn to Catlett's Station, and thence northward along the line of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. In this duty, Kilpatrick's division of cavalry was to co-operate. Now, on the evening of the 13th, when Lee reached Warrenton,
1866.
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