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Brilliant dash.
Wharton's men seemed to have melted away under the terrific fire, leaving a gap in the line and producing some disorder, falling back they reformed behind the cadets.
Captain Wise ordered the cadet battalion to advance to fill this gap and a brilliant dash forward, gallantly seconded by the 62d Virginia, and the battery was captured.
During the progress of the events just related,
Imboden had discovered
General Stahl with 2,500 cavalry massed in squadron-front close order.
He asked permission of
General Breckinridge to allow him to uncover his right flank for a short time, in an effort to turn
Sigel's left, which he thought he could accomplish.
Receiving the desired order, in less than fifteen minutes he had gained a position behind a low hill unobserved by the enemy; six guns were ordered at a gallop to the crest of the hill, unlimbered and fired as fast as possible into the massed cavalry.
The effect was immediate and terrific.
The Federal guns, captured by the cadets a little later, turned their fire in that direction to silence
Imboden's guns, an enfilading fire from which aided materially the cadets and the 62d in the capture of the
Federal guns.
Meanwhile the 34th Massachusetts, which was composed of seasoned veterans, and which had been immediately to the left of the cadets, falling back into a clump of cedars, was hotly engaged with
Edgar's battalion, when
Captain Wise moved the cadets on their flank, and they broke and ran.
Breckinridge halted his line to replenish ammunition before advancing on
Rude's hill, about two miles below
New Market, where
Siegel made a final stand, and from which point he was using his guns.
But he did not await the
Confederate coming, but hastily retreated across the
Shenandoah, burning the bridge after him, and the battle was won.
