[767] he discovers that the greater part of the enemy's army is marching, and that, instead of giving battle, it is moving rapidly toward Broad Run. This discovery is sufficient: he hastily resumes his march on the Warrenton road to rejoin his commander and give him an account of his observations.
But in the mean time the Third Federal corps has continued its march, and Graham's brigade, which forms the advance, has reached Auburn on the banks of Cedar Run. French, believing himself far from the enemy, neglects reconnoitring, and the advance of his column is unexpectedly welcomed by the sharp fire of Lomax's cavalry, which occupies the accessible parts of the village. After the first moment of disorder, in which he loses about fifty men, Graham deploys his brigade and compels Lomax to leave the crossing. The latter falls back toward Warrenton, but does not appear to have informed Lee of the perilous situation in which he leaves Stuart with the two other brigades. Indeed, this peril is great. Whilst Stuart returns toward Auburn, where he expects to find Lomax, French is quietly pursuing his march toward Greenwich, and his long column forms a living wall between the Southern cavalry and Lee's army. On approaching Auburn, Stuart's scouts discover with surprise this formidable obstacle. A rapid reconnoissance convinces Stuart that he cannot turn it on any side, and that he is thus caught between the column observed near Catlett's and that which so unexpectedly has just closed his passage on the north. He throws himself immediately, with his men, into one of those thickets of young pines which in Virginia cover the old tobacco-plantations. Cavalry and teams are pressing each other, as game at the sight of hunters, in the thick copse which, a few hundred yards on the south-east of the road and of the village, affords a safer asylum than the tall trees of the old forest. Fortunately, French's soldiers, fatigued by a long march, are not making better reconnoissances on their flanks than on their advance. No one is searching the woods. However, night comes, and the Federals continue passing almost under Stuart's eye. Following the Third corps and its trains, the Second corps continues the uninterrupted march. The situation of the Confederates soon becomes still more critical: Caldwell, who halts on the Auburn hills, bivouacs only a few
