George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

-as reported, but that he had concealed his force in a piece of woods, and was examining the space between that and Leesburg. Stone at once ordered a non-commissioned officer with ten cavalrymen to report to Devens, “to scour the country.” At the same time he ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Ward to cross into Virginia with the remaining companies of the Fifteenth Regiment, “move to the right, on to Smart's mills, to protect Devens's flank” when he should return, and “secure a crossing more favorable than the first, and connected by a good road with Leesburg.” As ordered, the cavalry,--numbering, however, only six men,--with Captain Candy, Assistant Adjutant-General on General Lander's staff, in command, came across the river and joined Lee on the bluff. At this time there had been no change in affairs. The cavalry, without performing its designated duty, having proceeded no further than the bluff, went back again to the Maryland side. By eight o'clock in the morning, Major Revere, of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment, had succeeded in getting the scow, that Devens had used as a transport from the Maryland shore to Harrison's Island, around the north part of the island, for use in transporting troops to the Virginia shore. This was of material aid in crossing the additional troops. It was now between half-past 11 and twelve A. M. Some rations of hard bread and pork and fifty empty boxes had been sent to Colonel Lee. The officer who brought the latter told the Colonel they were to be filled with earth and laid up to form an intrenched position. Colonel Lee ordered the two mountain howitzers, under command of Lieutenant French of Co. I, First United States Artillery, to be sent over;--and as they had been