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| The field of operations from July 16 to July 19.2 |
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Ford, taking with him Richardson's brigade, a squadron of cavalry, and Ayres's battery, and holding Sherman's brigade in reserve.
He found the Confederates in heavy force.
Beauregard, who had been informed of all of McDowell's movements by spies and traitors,1 was there, and had ordered up from Manassas some North Carolina and Louisiana troops, who had just arrived there on their way to Winchester.
The woods were so thick that his forces were mostly concealed, as well as his batteries, excepting one on an open elevation.
Hoping to draw their fire and discover their positions Ayres's battery was placed on a commanding eminence, and a 20-pound cannon, under Lieutenant Edwards, was fired at random.
Only the battery in view responded, and grape-shot from it killed two cavalry horses and
wounded two men. Richardson now sent forward the Second Michigan regiment as skirmishers.
They were soon engaged in a severe contest in the woods, on a level bottom near the Run.
The Third Michigan, First Massachusetts, and Twelfth New York were pushed forward to support the advance, and these, too, were soon fighting severely.
The cavalry and two howitzers were now sent forward, and were furiously assailed by musketry in the woods, and at the same time a severe enfilading fire came from a concealed battery on a ridge six hundred yards in front of the Ford.
In the mean time, Longstreet had called up some re-enforcements from Early's
1 Washington City, as we have observed, was filled with spies and traitors. Even Cabinet secrets were made known to the Confederates. Information seemed to go out to them regularly from the Headquarters of the General-in-chief. For example, a military map of the region west of Washington had been completed at the War Department only two days before Tyler's advance on Centreville. When the Confederates left there in haste, they left many things behind them. Among these was a copy of that map, which was supposed to be known only to some of the higher officers in the Army.
2 this map shows a geographical plan of the country between Washington City and Manassas Junction, with the roads traversed by the troops, and the relative position of the opposing forces in the skirmish on the 18th of July.
Scanned printed text.
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