The enemy’s cavalry, under Kilpatrick, thinking retreat meant defeat, pressed after Hampton, and his advance and Hampton’s rear soon became engaged. Hampton continued his retreat until he reached within two miles of Warrenton, when the trap he had prepared for Kilpatrick was sprung. So eager was that officer to immortalize himself, and so confident was he of success, that he never stopped to think of the danger that might be lurking behind the range of hills on his left. Fitz Lee was there, and when he thought to crush Hampton at a blow, and drive him into the Rappahannock, the sound of a few cannon shots on his rear and left suddenly put a new phase on affairs. With the sound of these guns, Hampton ceased his retreat, and turned and charged, while at the same moment Fitz Lee struck him in flank at Buckland. The fight which ensued was short, bloody, and decisive, and Kilpatrick’s exultant pursuit was converted into a precipitate rout, and his troopers scattered over the country in all directions. During this fight, the First Maryland fought on foot, but when the rout commenced, they mounted and pursued to near Gainsville, where the enemy met his infantry. It was now dark, and Colonel Brown could not see what was in his front; but halting a moment to rectify his line, he gave the command to charge, when both cavalry and infantry broke and fled in the utmost confusion. Many were killed, wounded, and captured; and Brown, now aware that he was in the presence of Meade’s army, withdrew to Buckland, where was assembled the commands of Hampton and Lee, and where they congratulated each other on the signal victory they had achieved over the bully and blackguard leader of the “Buckland racers.” After this affair, Mr. Kilpatrick’s thirst for glory perceptibly subsided, and the Confederate army marched peacefully and uninterruptedly to the vicinity of its old line on the Rappahannock. Nothing of moment occurred here beyond the usual picket duty, until the First Maryland was ordered to join Colonel Bradley T. Johnson at Hanover Junction, where that officer had been ordered to assemble the Maryland Line, and picket along Lee’s line of communication with Richmond. Before the separation, division and brigade orders were issued and read at the head of the regiment, highly complimentary to the gallant little command; and I will here state, that it was the fate of the First Maryland to serve, at different times during the war, with many of the divisions and brigades of the cavalry corps, and the fact can be referred to with pride, that no General with whom it served suffered it to pass to another command without publicly complimenting them in general orders. CHAPTER V. The battalion reached Hanover Junction the last of November, when Colonel Johnson established his picket lines, and prepared to go into winter quarters.