The situation, however, was no clearer to the Confederates. The enemy
had disappeared in the great woods south-west of Groveton, and heavy
columns were still reported coming up from Gainesville. During the
afternoon, however, the cavalry captured a Federal courier, carrying
McDowell's orders for the movement of the left and centre, which had
been placed under his command, to Manassas Junction,* and this
important document was immediately forwarded to Jackson.
(* The order, dated 2 A.M., August 25, was to the following effect:--
1. Sigel's Corps to march from Gainesville to Manassas Junction, the
right resting on the Manassas railroad.
2. Reynolds to follow Sigel.
3. King to follow Reynolds.
4. Ricketts to follow King; but to halt at Thoroughfare Gap if the
enemy threatened the pass.
King was afterwards, while on the march, directed to Centreville by
the Warrenton-Alexandria road.)
"Johnson's messenger," says General Taliaferro, "found the
Confederate headquarters established on the shady side of an
old-fashioned worm-fence, in the corner of which General Jackson and
his division commanders were profoundly sleeping after the fatigues
of the preceding night, notwithstanding the intense heat of the
August day.
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