Harry who had seen that look upon Jackson's face, when he gazed back at Winchester, felt that he would strike some mighty counter-blow, but he did not know how or when.
The army withdrew slowly toward Strasburg, twenty-five miles away, and the next morning the Union forces in overwhelming numbers occupied Winchester.

Meantime the North was urging McClellan with his mighty army to advance on Richmond, and Stonewall Jackson and his few thousands who had been driven out of Winchester were forgotten.

The right flank of McClellan, defended by Banks and forty thousand men, would be secure.
There was full warrant for the belief of McClellan.

It seemed to Harry as they retreated up the valley that they were in a hopeless checkmate.
What could a few thousand men, no matter how brave and hardy, do against an army as large as that of Banks?
But he was cheered somewhat by the boldness and activity of the cavalry under Ashby.

These daring horsemen skirmished continually with the enemy, and Harry, as he passed back and forth with orders, saw much of it.
Once he drew up with the Invincibles, now a Virginia instead of a South Carolina regiment, and sitting on horseback with his old friends, watched the puffs of smoke to the rear, where Ashby's men kept back the persistent skirmishers of the North.
"Colonel," said Harry to Colonel Talbot, "what do you think of it?
Shall we ever make headway against such a force?
Or shall we be compelled to retreat until we make a junction with the main army under General Johnston ?" Colonel Talbot glanced back at the puffs of white smoke, and suddenly his eyes seemed to flash with the fire that Harry had seen in Jackson's when he looked upon the Winchester that he must leave.
"No, Harry, I don't believe we'll keep on retreating," he replied.