[55] Federals debouched upon the Furnace. The whole of Jackson's corps had already passed, the artillery of Hill's division was within a short distance, but the trains of this division had not yet crossed the junction, in front of which was posted the Twenty-third Georgia. This regiment resisted for some time Birney's vigorous attack, thus enabling the wagons to escape from the enemy under the protection of a battery from Hill's artillery, which had turned back at the sound of musketry. But soon after the Georgia soldiers, finding themselves surrounded by superior forces, were obliged to surrender, to the number of about five hundred.
After this success Sickles brought his first line to a halt in order to wait for the remainder of his corps, which had not been able to join him. This time Hooker entertained no further doubt than that the Confederate army was in full retreat; and the long train, accompanied by artillery, proceeding in a southerly direction, that rear-guard which had allowed itself to be crushed in its effort to protect it,—all appearances, in short, it must be acknowledged, justified such an opinion. He thought of nothing else than to pursue the enemy. Howard was ordered to send one brigade to support Sickles' right, and Slocum, who was stationed to the left of the latter, was also directed to push forward a brigade along the Plank Road in order to feel the strength of the Confederates on that side. Finally, new instructions were forwarded to Sedgwick. Hooker, in announcing to him that the enemy had taken flight and was only anxious to save his trains, directed him to pursue the flying column vigorously after having taken possession of Fredericksburg. Jackson's column, however, could not allow Sickles to advance in pursuit of it without trying to bar his passage. Hill's last two brigades, under Archer and Thomas, were brought back and took a position along the unfinished railway, two-thirds of a mile south of the Furnace—one in which they were not attacked, and where they remained until dark. Elsewhere, Posey's troops, which had occupied the heights situated east of the Furnace since Hill's departure, and had not come down to take part in the conflict in which the Twenty-third Georgia had succumbed, found themselves in their turn engaged with Birney's soldiers, a few stray shots from skirmishers having
