Stuart was near the village of Buckland, on the road to Warrenton, when intelligence of the approach of the Federal cavalry reached him.  The movement which followed was suggested by General Fitz Lee.  He proposed that Stuart should retire toward Warrenton with Hampton’s division, while he, with his own division, remained on the enemy’s left flank.  Then, at a given signal, Stuart was to face about; he, General Fitz Lee, would attack them in flank; when their rout would probably ensue.  This plan was carried out to the letter.  General Kilpatrick, who seems to have been confident of his ability to drive Stuart before him, pressed forward on the Warrenton road, closely following up his adversary, when the sudden boom of artillery from General Fitz Lee gave the signal.  Stuart wheeled at the signal, and made a headlong charge upon his pursuers.  Fitz Lee came in at the same moment and attacked them in flank; and the result was that General Kilpatrick’s entire command was routed, and retreated in confusion, Stuart pursuing, as he wrote, “from within three miles of Warrenton to Buckland, the horses at full speed the whole distance.”  So terminated an incident afterward known among the troopers of Stuart by the jocose title of “The Buckland Races,” and the Southern cavalry retired without further molestation behind the Rappahannock.

The cooeperation of General Imboden in the campaign should not be passed over.  That officer, whose special duty had been to guard the gaps in the Blue Ridge, advanced from Berryville to Charlestown, attacked the Federal garrison at the latter place, drove them in disorder toward Harper’s Ferry, and carried back with him four or five hundred prisoners.  The enemy followed him closely, and he was forced to fight them off at every step.  He succeeded, however, in returning in safety, having performed more than the duty expected of him.

Lee was now behind the Rappahannock, and it remained to be seen what course General Meade would pursue—­whether he would remain near Centreville, or strive to regain his lost ground.

All doubt was soon terminated by the approach of the Federal army, which, marching from Centreville on October 19th, and repairing the railroad as it advanced, reached the Rappahannock on the 7th of November.  Lee’s army at this time was in camp toward Culpepper Court-House, with advanced forces in front of Kelly’s Ford and the railroad bridge.  General Meade acted with vigor.  On his arrival he promptly sent a force across at Kelly’s Ford; the Southern troops occupying the rifle-pits there were driven off, with the loss of many prisoners; and an attack near the railroad bridge had still more unfortunate results for General Lee.  A portion of Early’s division had been posted in the abandoned Federal works, on the north bank at this point, and these were now attacked, and, after a fierce resistance, completely routed.  Nearly the whole command was captured—­the remnant barely escaping—­and, the way having thus been cleared, General Meade threw his army across into Culpepper.