Lee, at Petersburg, could not reinforce Early, and Early, at Staunton, could not reinforce Lee! They intended to move on the next day, and they heard that night that Rosser, a brave Confederate general, had gathered a small Confederate force and was hastening forward to burn all the bridges over the middle fork of the Shenandoah, in order that he might impede Sheridan's progress.

Then it was the call of the trumpet and boots and saddles early in the morning in order that they might beat Rosser to the bridges.
"I hope for their own sake that they won't try to fight us," said Dick.
"I'm with you on that," said Pennington.

"They can't be more than a few hundreds, and it would take thousands, even with a river to help, to stop an army like ours." It was not raining now and the roads growing dryer thundered with the hoofs of ten thousand horses.

The Winchesters had an honored place in the van, and, as they approached the middle fork of the Shenandoah, the three young captains raised themselves in their saddles to see if the bridge yet stood.

It was there, but on the other side of the stream a small body of cavalrymen in gray were galloping forward, and some had already dismounted for the attempt to destroy it.