Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/123

Rh the hillside, the whole brigade under Crook acting like one man. The enemy made a short stand, but soon became panic-stricken, thinking the dreaded cavalry was riding to their rear, and fled over the mountain and into the forests beyond. Many dropped their guns and haversacks, and these were afterward picked up by the hundreds.

Following the battle of North Mountain came a much-needed rest, lasting about a month. Occasionally the Twenty-third marched to meet the distant enemy, but only a few small skirmishes resulted. But the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah was almost devastated, so that the Confederates could find little there upon which to support their ragged and half-famished army. They had fought desperately, with all the hot courage for which the South is famous; but the North, with its larger force and its superior resources, was slowly but surely bringing them to a point where they must either give up the struggle or suffer total annihilation.

The mellow days of October were now at hand, and the middle of the month found Sheridan's army located on the north side