Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 99: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

92 THE WOUNDED SOLDIER. “Did you find the villain who fired ?”’ aidestoned the wounded ranger, eagerly. pol hid. ©? ‘Who was it??? ‘An officer,’’ answered the captain. ‘‘He is dead now, aud will do no more harm to the Unicn’s de- fenders.’ | ™ aM a Se) CHAPTER XVII. THE WOUNDED SOLDIER. The defeat of Early at Fisher’s Hill was a complete rout—a headlong flight on his part. Sheridan pushed on to Woodstock, where he halted to get his supplies up, Averill, however, kept up the pursuit to Mount Jackson, twenty-five miles south of Strasburg. Here Early rallied his broken battalions, and once more turned at bay. But on Sheéridan’s arrival he again retreated, though _ stubbornly contesting every inch of ground, and at last made-a determined stand in Brown’s Gap on the Blue Ridge, eight miles south-east of Port Republic. Sheridan pursued as far as this place, and halted. In the meantime, Torbert, with his cavalry, moved on Staunton and Waynesboro, destroying bridges, government property, and everything that could be of benefit to the enemy. Early’s position was too strong to be carried by as- sault, while it seriously threatened Sheridan’s flank, should he attempt to march on Lynchburg—the goal of all the expeditions up the Shenandoah Valley. Unless Early could be driven from Brown’s Gap, it would be madness to advance farther. Besides, his supplies in the rear were in danger of being cut off by Mosby, and he, therefore, resolved to fall back. comicbooks.com