General Evans had now under his command the Eighth Virginia Regiment under Col. Eppa Hunton, who had occupied Leesburg shortly after the battle of July 21st, joined later by three Mississippi regiments, viz., the Thirteenth, Col. Wm. Barksdale; Seventeenth, Col. W. S. Featherstone; Eighteenth, Col. E. R. Burt, which, together with six guns of the Richmond Howitzer Battalion and four companies of cavalry commanded by Lieut. Col. W. H. Jenifer, made up the Seventh Brigade of General Beauregard’s corps.
Immediately on receipt of the above order General Evans prepared to march, and on the night of the 19th moved his brigade to the burnt bridge[3] on the Alexandria pike, four miles east of Leesburg, and only eight miles from General McCall’s position at Dranesville.
The next morning, Sunday, a courier of McCall’s bearing orders to General Meade to examine the roads leading to Leesburg was captured, and from this prisoner General Evans learned the position and purpose of the enemy at Dranesville. Heavy cannonading had been going on during the night from batteries on the Maryland hills, which continued throughout the day, Sunday, and General Stone developed his purpose to make the very movement indicated in Beauregard’s dispatch, in doing which he sent Gen. W. A. Gorman’s brigade of infantry, having cavalry and artillery in support, over the river at Edward’s Ferry, making reconnaissance toward Leesburg.
That night he sent a scouting party under Captain Phiebrick,[4] of twenty men of the Fifteenth Massachusetts Infantry, to cross at Harrison’s Island[5] and explore towards the town from that direction.
This party did not long delay in Virginia, but returned to Headquarters by 10 o’clock p.m., reporting that they had proceeded unmolested to within one mile of Leesburg, discovering a camp of about thirty tents in the edge of a woods, approaching it within 25 rods unchallenged.
General Stone now had all necessary information on which to base his brilliant strategy of holding Evans quiet in front of Edward’s Ferry with Gorman’s threatening force, while Colonel Baker made his brigade crossing at the island above, turning the Confederate left, forcing Evans to quick retreat to save his communications, while Gorman by a rapid advance would cut him off. Well planned, certainly, but Evans had been taking lessons.