50 )
Late in the afternoonEwell’s division, pre-ceded by Munford’s cav-alry, reached the Orangeand Alexandria Rail-road at Bristoe Station,the other two divisionsbeing halted for thenight a little short ofthat point. Munford,with his cavalry, dashedupon the station, dis-persed a party of thesame arm, and had asharp skirmish with acompany of infantrywho took shelter in thehouses; but he failed tostop a train which spedrecklessly past, throw-ing aside the obstruc-tions he had placed upon the track and effecting its escape. Goner til
Henry Forno’s (Hays’s) brigade, of General Ewell’s division, however,quickly reenforcing him, two other trains and several prisoners werecaptured.
Wearied, as they were, with a march of over thirty miles, Jackson determined, nevertheless, to tax still further the powers of endurance of hismen. At Manassas Junction was established a vast depot of quartermaster’s,commissary, and ordnance stores; and it was also a “ city of refuge ” formany runaway negroes of all ages and of both sexes. The extent of thedefenses, and of the force detailed for its protection, could not be known; butas it was far in the rear of the Federal army, not very distant from Alex-andria, and directly on the line of communication and reenforcement, it wasnot probable that any large force had been detached for its protection. Gen-eral Stonewall Jackson ’s habit in the valley had been to make enforcedrequisitions upon the Federal commissaries for his subsistence supplies; andthe tempting opportunity of continuing this policy and rationing his hungrycommand, as well as inflicting almost irreparable loss upon the enemy, wasnot to be neglected. General Trimble volunteered to execute the enter-prise with five hundred men, and his offer was readily accepted; but “ toincrease the prospect of success,” Stuart, with a portion of his cavalry, wasordered to cooperate with him. The enemy were not taken by surprise,and opened with their artillery upon the first intimation of attack, buttheir force was too small ; their cannon were taken at the point of thebayonet, and without the loss of a man killed, and with but fifteen wounded,the immense stores, eight guns, and three hundred prisoners fell into our
gap
* v v
.Sulphur) Springs
BANKS
RELATIVE
POSITIONS 0FF0RCES
AT SUNSET,
AUG. 261862.
SCALE OF MILES
SYKES
or rorrrr
MORELL
Kelley's