As soon as practicable, I reported to General Jackson, who desired me to proceed to Manassas, and ordered General Trimble to follow with his brigade, notifying me to take charge of the whole. The Fourth Virginia cavalry (Colonel Wickham) was sent around to gain the rear of Manassas, and with a portion of Robertson's brigade, not on outpost duty, I proceeded by the direct road to Manassas. I marched until challenged by the enemy's interior sentinels, and received a fire of canister. As the infantry were near, coming on, I awaited its arrival, as it was too dark to venture cavalry over uncertain ground, against artillery. I directed General Trimble, upon his arrival, to rest his centre directly on the railroad, and advance upon the place, with skirmishers well to the front. He soon sent me word it was so dark he preferred waiting till morning, which I accordingly directed he should do. As soon as day broke, the place was taken without much difficulty, and, with it, many prisoners and millions of stores of every kind, which his report will doubtless show. Rosser (Fifth Virginia cavalry) was left on outpost duty in front of Ewell at Bristoe, and Brien (First Virginia cavalry) above Gainesville. During the twenty-seventh, detachments of Robertson's and Lee's brigades had great sport chasing fugitive parties of the enemy's cavalry. General Jackson, having arrived early in the day, took direction of affairs, and the day was occupied mainly in rationing the command; but several serious demonstrations were made by the enemy during the day, from the north side, and in this connection I will mention the coolness and tact of Mr. Lewis F. Terrill, volunteer Aid to General Robertson, who extemporized lanyards, and, with detachments from the infantry as cannoneers, turned the captured guns with marked effect upon the enemy. Their General, G. W. Taylor, of New Jersey was killed during the fire. Brigadier-General Fitzhugh Lee, with the Ninth, Fourth, and Third Virginia cavalry, was detached and sent in rear of Fairfax Court-House to damage the enemy's communication as much as possible, and, if possible, cut off the retreat of this party. Colonels Munford and Rosser brought up the rear of General Ewell, and that night, when Manassas was destroyed and evacuated, the cavalry brought up the rear, a portion remaining in the place till daylight. Captain Pelham, arriving late, was indefatigable in his efforts to get away the captured guns, which duty was intrusted specially to him. A part of the command marching by Centreville, and a part directly to Stone Bridge, (over Bull Run,) detachments of cavalry were so arranged as to guard both flanks.
The next morning, (twenty-eighth,) the main body of Robertson's rendezvoused near Sudley Church. General Jackson's were massed between the turnpike and Sudley Ford, on Bull Run, fronting toward Manassas and Gainesville. Colonel Brien (First Virginia cavalry) had to retire, being hard pressed by the enemy from the direction of Warrenton, and was on the turnpike covering Jackson's front toward Gainesville, and Rosser toward Manassas, where the enemy had also appeared in force, early. The remainder of Lee's brigade were still detached on an expedition toward Alexandria. Early in the day a despatch from the enemy had been intercepted, giving the order of march from Warrenton toward Manassas, and directing cavalry to report to General Bayard, at Haymarket. I proposed to General Jackson to allow me to go up there and do what I could with the two fragments of brigades I still had. I proceeded to that point, capturing a detachment of the enemy en route. Approaching the place by a by-path, I saw indications of a large force there prepared for attack. About this time, I could see the fight going on at Thoroughfare Gap, where Longstreet had his progress disputed by the enemy; and it was to establish communication with him that I was anxious to make this march. I sent a trusty man with the despatch to the right of Haymarket. I kept up a brisk skirmish with the enemy, without any result, until in the afternoon, when, General Jackson having engaged the enemy, I quietly withdrew, and hastened to place my command on his right flank. Not reaching General Jackson's right till dark, the fighting ceased, and the command rendezvoused as before; but the cavalry, under Colonel Rosser, had played an important part in attacking the enemy's baggage train. Captain John Pelham's battery of horse artillery acted a conspicuous part on the extreme right of the battle-field, dashing forward to his position under heavy fire.
The next morning, (twenty-ninth,) in pursuance of General Jackson's wishes, I set out again to endeavor to establish communication with Longstreet, from whom he had received a favorable report the night before. Just after leaving the Sudley road, my party was fired on from the wood bordering the road, which was in rear of Jackson's
