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Rh, the war correspondent, crawled into the Telephone Exchange, were two to the garrisons at Fort Myer and Washington Barracks.

At the former the force consisted of 400 cavalry and 400 field artillery with several batteries of field-guns. The garrison of Washington Barracks consisted of about 600 men. The commanders of each post decided to unite their forces on the left bank of the Potomac, and the Fort Myer garrison at once moved out, a cavalry screen being thrown forward to seize the Long Bridge. About a mile from the bridge they ran into a strong skirmish line of the second German force, and fell back on their main body, which hastily entrenched itself, the field batteries moving to take up a position to the rear. While the batteries were taking position, and before all the guns were unlimbered, the first German force, which, finding Fort Myer evacuated, had pushed