Mohun had driven his sword's point through the
Federal officer's throat--the blood spouted around the blade--a moment
afterward the two adversaries had clutched, dragged each other from
their rearing horses, and were tearing each other with hands and teeth
on the ground, wet with their blood.
One of Mohun's men leaped from horseback and tore them apart.
"A sword! give me a sword," exclaimed Mohun, hoarsely.
And rising to his feet, he clutched at an imaginary weapon,--his lips
foamed with blood,--and reeling, he fell at full length on the body of
his adversary, who was bathed in blood, and seemed to be dying.
What is here described, all took place in a few minutes. In that time
the enemy's column had been broken, and hurled back. Suddenly the wild
Southern cheer rang above the woods. Stuart and Fitz Lee had united
their forces; in one solid column they pressed the flying enemy,
banging and thundering on their rear with carbines and cannon.
Kilpatrick was defeated; his column in hopeless rout.
"Stuart boasts of having driven me from Culpeper;" he is reported to
have said just before the fight, "and now I am going to drive _him_."
But Stuart was not driven. On the contrary, he drove Kilpatrick. Some
of the enemy's column did not stop, it is said, before they reached the
banks of the Potomac.
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