The cry, well meant, was utterly useless. The soldiers were exhausted, having been on their feet since two o’clock that morning, and it was now after sundown. All but a few scattered regiments were thrown in hopeless confusion. Colonels could not find their companies, captains and lieutenants looked in vain for their men. Nine out of ten had still to learn what war and military organization really meant. “This is Andy’s day and no mistake,” Louis half-murmured to himself. He could imagine Andy, in his lusty, Southern way, throwing up his plumed cavalry hat and shouting for the Confederacy. Well, there was one consolation--the war was not yet over. Finding the men could not be organized for a stand at Centerville Ridge, General McDowell allowed them to continue toward Washington and at the same time sent Blenker’s brigade to cover the retreat. The troops which reached Fairfax Court House immediately took cars for Washington, and they carried with them as much of the arms and stores as was possible. But it was only a small portion that got away thus easily. The vast majority of the Union soldiers, worn-out, heart-sick, and hungry enough to eat almost anything, had to tramp the remaining distance to the Capitol. They took various roads, and most of them did not come in until the next day, when it began to rain in torrents, causing the dusty roads to turn into rivers of mud. With the rain came a heavy fog from the bay, as if to add to the already accumulated misery, and in this fog and downpour those who had gone forth so full of hope, dragged back, to find a shelter wherever they could lay their heads, devour what was given them, and drop asleep before swallowing the last mouthful. Such is an actual picture of those days of awful gloom, when the fate of the nation hung in the balance. Had the Confederates followed up the victory gained at Bull Run, or rather, had their troops been in a condition to do so, it is more than likely Washington would have fallen. But the majority of the Southern soldiers were no better off than their Northern antagonists, and so, with the heavy rain coming on, nothing further was done. It was not until twenty-four hours later that Louis found himself again in Washington. He had tramped in a roundabout way from Centerville, became lost, along with several thousands of other soldiers, and in all that time had had nothing to eat but three or four hardtacks he had picked up on the road beside a half-smashed haversack. He and the young soldier from Harrisburg, named Clarence Woolley, had kept together, and now they approached the grounds around the Capitol side by side, both limping painfully, for their feet were more than sore.