In the last days of December, 1861, Captain Elijah V. White, for
such was his rank now, reported to General Hill, with fifteen men
for duty, and was ordered by that officer to establish a line of
couriers between Leesburg and Winchester, which he did on the 29th,
stationing Ben. F. Conrad and James W. Harper at Leesburg, Richard
Harding and William H. Luckett at Hamilton, Peter J. Kabrich and
Frank. M. Myers at Round Hill, C. C. Wenner and R. W. Washington at
Castleman’s Ferry, Joseph E. Conner and W. T. Cruzen at Berryville,
and Richard Ferro at Winchester, with Gip. Peter in command at that
end of the line, while the Captain himself remained at Leesburg. The
company was thus employed until the 14th of January following, when
an order was passed along the line calling all the men to assemble
in Leesburg, and on reaching that point the Captain found he had
about twenty-five men, whom he marched to Waterford and established
in winter quarters at that place. Maj. Win. F. Barrett, of the 57th
Regiment Virginia Militia, acted as Orderly Sergeant and
Quartermaster, and with the Captain formed the board of officers of
the company. The Madison Cavalry, under Capt. Graves, was also
stationed at Waterford and picketed the Potomac from the Point of
Rocks to Berlin, and Capt. White proposed to co-operate with these
men in scouting, and guarding the line of river all the way to
Harper’s Ferry; and here commenced the active duty of what was
afterwards to be the famous Battalion, now not having enough men to
entitle it to a company organization, but whose rolls afterwards
bore nearly 700 names. About this time an officer was sent by Gen.
Hill to muster the company regularly into the military service of
the Confederate States, and this duty performed, the men considered
themselves tied fast and were perfectly satisfied with their lot.
Among the first duties required of the company was that of executing
an order of Gen. Hill, to collect the delinquent Militia of the 56th
Virginia Regiment, and take them to their comrades who were at work
on the fortifications around Leesburg, but this was no easy matter,
many of them having crossed the Potomac—some to take service in the
army of Abraham I, and others to escape doing any kind of military
duty in the Confederacy—while a large portion of those who remained
were Quakers, who, according to the tenets of their religion, could
not perform such duty, and paid their exemption fines.
Another order of the General’s required Capt. White to go into south
Loudoun and upper Fauquier, and impress into the service all the
wagons, teams and negroes that could be spared from that section,
and take them to Leesburg.
The execution of this order was entrusted to Henry K. Moore, who,
finding the citizens exceeding loth to give over their property to
the tender mercies of the C. S. A., took their excuses instead, and
returned to camp with sundry promises on the part of the people to
send the required articles at a “more convenient season.”
On making his report to the Captain, the latter expressed decided
disapprobation of that style of executing a military order, and to
show what he considered the proper mode, he only allowed Henry and
his detail time enough to feed their horses, when he had them in the
saddle again, and taking charge of the expedition himself, he
sallied forth among the reluctant citizens of the favored region
named in Gen. Hill’s order. And this time the wagons and contrabands
came; but he left a very bitter memory among the people whom he
visited, for they were just congratulating themselves that they had
so easily escaped the fulfilment of the order which Henry had shown
them, when White swooped down upon them and executed it promptly and
to the letter.
It was the custom of Capt. White to leave his quarters about dark,
on those long winter nights, and striking the Potomac at some one of
the fords or ferries along that stream, lie quiet and watch for the
Federals to come over, and also to look out for the people, who,
loyal to the Lincoln dynasty but traitors to their State, would
cross over, some to carry news to the Yankees and return with their
blood money to gather more, and some to escape being called into the
military service in Virginia.
Not the least however of his care, was to stop the exodus of the
negro population who, on the border, were constantly being decoyed
by Yankee emissaries away from their masters and their homes.
On one of these occasions he was accompanied by the Rev. Mr. ——, an
Old School Baptist preacher, who, with his shot gun on his shoulder,
agreed to act as pilot for the command in a little scout to the
river opposite the Point of Rocks.
It was Sunday night and very cold, but a faithful negro had given
information to the Captain that a party of his colored brethren had
made an arrangement to run away that night, and that some Yankees
were to meet them with a boat at the mouth of the Catocton creek.
On getting near the ground the men dismounted and tying their
horses, walked to the position, when the Captain placed one man in
the bridge over the creek at that place, and posted the others at
the boat landing. The one man was to watch for the negroes and give
quiet notice of their approach, while the others were to capture the
party that brought over the boats.
Unfortunately the reverend gentleman remained with the picket in the
bridge, and just when the boats were heard approaching, the poles
grating on the river bottom and plainly heard; for the night was too
dark to see anything on the water; the contrabands approached the
bridge, and, instead of quietly retiring with the information, the
picket ordered them to halt, whereupon they commenced to run, and in
great excitement the preacher sprang forward, and, firing his piece,
called upon them in language far more emphatic than elegant to halt.
At this the boats hastily put back and a volley of bullets from the
Yankee side came whizzing over the river, the great signal lights on
the Point at the same time beginning to swing to and fro, giving a
weird and ghostly gleaming to the wild scene. The Captain and his
party at once rushed to the bridge, hoping at least to catch some of
the negroes, but they were gone, not even a wounded one left as the
result of the preacher’s shot.
The company then returned to camp, and that was, I believe, the
last, as well as the first, expedition ever made by the parson as a
scout.
One night the Captain ordered the company to saddle up, and taking
with him his negro boy “Baz,” went down near Harper’s Ferry, in
search of news from “over the water.” Here he passed himself and
people for Yankees, and had a very pleasant time among the loyal
(colored) folks of that region; but his information, although very
abundant, was not of much value; so after making free with the
cherry-bounce, and frightening the little niggers at “old Taps”
until their eyes were a great deal too large for their faces, he
started “Baz” to a house near the crossing of the Shenandoah, just
opposite the town, to try if he couldn’t get them to take him over,
he representing himself as a runaway, and it being pretty generally
understood that the family there was engaged in that business.
It so happened, however, that none of the men were at home, and
“Baz” was persuaded by the ladies to wait till morning; but after
some time he concluded to put off his trip, and returned to the
company, about fifteen of whom were waiting for "Baz"—as part of his
programme was to make arrangements for crossing, then return for a
couple of friends who were going with him—and he had been so long
about it that White, fearing he had got into trouble, or perhaps had
turned the thing into earnest and gone over literally, had started
to the house and met “Baz” a very short distance from it. His men at
once surrounded the cabin, and Ferro, going on the porch, commenced
to inquire of the women—who were still standing there—the news, but
no sooner did he speak, than, apparently for the first time
comprehending the situation, they threw themselves on the floor and
began to scream—“Rebels, rebels; oh, my friends, come over
here!—come quick!” &c., and the sentinels on the other side fired
their muskets. At once the drums commenced to roll and very soon the
troops were in line, when White ordered his party to retire, which
they did at once; but the women kept on screaming, and the Yankees
opened a fire which rendered the retreat of the scouts a very
interesting operation until they reached the point where the grade
turns the mountain. And thinking they had heard enough for one night
they mounted their horses, and going up the Valley to the residence
of a good citizen, above Neersville, turned in until morning.
Although returning empty-handed from his scouts, operations of this
kind had a good effect on the border, for the reason that they
diminished greatly, and at some points stopped the communications
entirely, with the other side of the river.
In this manner January and February passed away, but during the
latter part of February the business became a great deal more
particular, and one Sunday evening the Captain returned to camp from
Leesburg with an order to cross Goose Creek and make a scout into
Fairfax. Leaving the camp at dark, as usual, the command marched
through Leesburg, and on reaching the burnt bridge found the creek
very high; in fact, some of the horses had to swim; but all crossed
safely, and passing down the pike reached Dranesville, when the
Captain turned to the right, and bivouacked his men in the house of
a citizen. Here they slept until morning, and continuing the scout,
met Lt.-Col. Munford, with a party of the 2d Virginia Cavalry, also
on the hunt of the enemy; but nothing came of it, and White returned
to his camp, with his men pretty badly used up.
Soon after this, Col. Geary of the 28th Pennsylvania, began to pay
attention to the Loudoun side of the river, and needed a great deal
of looking after on the part of our scouting company. One day the
Captain, with a party, went up to the Loudoun Heights, and from the
old blockhouses there, discovered that a pontoon bridge was nearly
completed over the Shenandoah, which evidently showed an intention
to cross the river. After staying there for an hour or two, in easy
gunshot of the workmen, the Captain concluded to go across to the
Short Hill and from the Eagle Rock take a look at Sandy Hook and the
Rail Road generally. Just as he reached his observatory some of the
men looked over at the blockhouses, which they had left a short
while ago, and discovered that a detachment of the enemy was in
possession of them, having gone up the mountain by one path while
White’s command was coming down by another. This was decidedly
interesting, and the next day the Captain took his boys up to the
Short Hill again, to have another look at them.
Pretty soon after reaching the top of the mountain one of the boys
saw a man in a blue coat lying behind some rocks, and showing him to
the Captain he called upon him to come out and surrender, which he
did, and just at that moment one of the boys, farther out on the
mountain, slipped from a rock and accidentally discharged his gun.
This created quite a panic, the scouts imagining that they were
beleaguered by Yankees, and be it known not many of them had ever
seen a Yankee except with the Potomac between them.
The trouble was soon over though, and the prisoner, who proved to be
a Lieutenant in Co. D, 28th Pennsylvania, explained that he was one
of a party that had crossed the hill there on the way to
Lovettsville, and by stopping at a house for something to eat he had
got behind, and as a consequence fallen into the hands of those whom
he termed “guerrillas.”
No boy was ever prouder of his first pantaloons than White’s boys
were of their first prisoner, and rapidly retiring from the mountain
they made their best time down the country towards Leesburg, to show
him, but great was their astonishment to see the citizens fly from
their approach as if they had been a tribe of wild cats.
They couldn’t understand it all until, on reaching Wheatland, they
met Major Peyton, of Gen. Beauregard’s staff, who informed the
Captain that the people had heard he and his men were all captured,
and they thought the party were Yankees coming to devour them.
Capt. White, with his prisoner, and some of his men, went with Major
P. to Mr. Braden’s, and the others stopped at Mr. Orrison’s, where
they got supper, and related their marvelous exploit, as they then
considered it, and so scrupulously chivalrous were they towards the
captured officer that the men took turns at walking in order that he
might ride the whole way, and although he was provided with canteen,
gum-cloth and haversack, everything in fact that a completely
equipped soldier needs, they took nothing from him but his pistol.
The Lieutenant informed them that he and all his men were fighting
for the Union, and not to set the negroes free; that if he thought
for one moment the latter was the object of the war he would quit
the army at once and either go home and stay there, or come South
and join the Confederates.
After supper the company united and marched for Leesburg, but on
reaching Clark’s Gap found that the men who had been left in camp,
alarmed at the rumors they had heard, had loaded the wagons and
moved everything from Waterford to the turnpike, and had the teams
still hitched up ready to move further. Leaving the company here,
Capt. W. took the prisoner to Gen. Hill, and in the morning came up
and moved his wagons back to Waterford. This was Sunday morning, and
a company of Michigan Cavalry came down to about one and a-half
miles of the town, when White got his men in the saddle to meet
them, but they were only on a scout, and after getting a look at the
Southern pickets returned to their camp. The next day the Captain
took his men again to the mountain, this time to capture the
blockhouses on Loudoun Heights.
After reaching the top of the mountain, about two and a-half miles
from the object of his expedition, he dismounted five men, to wit:
T. S. Grubb, John Tribbey, R. Ferro, C. Cooper, and F. M. Myers, and
putting the last named in command, sent them forward along the
backbone of the Blue Ridge, as a forlorn hope, with instructions to
get as close as possible without being perceived by the enemy, and
then to fire and dash upon the houses, telling them that he would
support them with the balance of the company, which now numbered
about thirty-five men—and boys. The advance guard moved off,
thinking that whatever their Captain said was all right, and that
his orders must be obeyed at every hazard. They were deployed as
skirmishers, the commander keeping as near the line of the mountain
summit as possible, while on the right and left were two men, the
first ten steps from the leader and the second the same distance
beyond the first. In this manner they moved quietly along, with the
understanding that as a signal their leading man, in case of need,
should whistle once to cause them to lie down, and two notes from
the natural bugle meant forward again. While on the way, Cooper
asked to be allowed to shoot at the first Yankee he saw and as soon
as he saw him, to which Myers objected, but finally agreed that if
he was near enough to see the white of his eye he might shoot.
Almost before they knew it they were at the edge of the clearing
around the blockhouses, and the Yankees were close by them, upon
which the leader whistled and all lay down to look at the situation;
but soon a tramp was heard, and looking to the right they saw a
sentry walking his beat, which would bring him within ten feet of
the forlorn hope, if he kept on, and on looking at Cooper he was
seen with his gun across a stump, cocked, ready to fire, and aiming
at the Yankee, the white of whose eye was plainly visible certainly,
and it required all the signs in his power to make for Myers to
prevent him from shooting the sentry, who passed on unconscious of
treading so close to the heads of five rebels. There were about
eight hundred infantry and five pieces of artillery at the
blockhouses, and three of the guns were pointing exactly in the
direction of the scouts. Here was a beautiful piece of work; thirty
men to assault such a force as this; but they were going to do it,
and the five only waited for the others to get in supporting
distance, to commence the attack. It was not made, however, for
while lying there they heard a shot in the rear, and crawling back
through the bushes until out of sight of the enemy, they got up and
traveled as fast as possible to the rear, and finally reached the
Captain, who only pointed with his hand down towards the valley, and
wheeling his horse dashed away. Looking in that direction they saw a
force of cavalry and infantry moving up the grade, and already they
were beyond Neersville, while in their rear some forage wagons were
going along the grade.
They at once conjectured that their Captain was going to attack this
party and hurried back faster than ever to get their horses, and as
soon as all his people were together White dashed down the mountain
and charged the foragers, but they were too fast for him, and after
following them under the guns of the blockhouses he turned about and
gave up the chase.
The company then returned to their quarters, and for several days
did nothing but picket, the force being divided into two parties,
one under Henry Moore and the other under Frank Myers, who would
relieve each other every six hours.
This was soldiering with the gilding off, and many were the homesick
boys, as during the stormy hours of those winter nights they sat on
their horses peering through the dark for the enemy who threatened
them always, but never came to drive them away, although their
cavalry came near to us many times; on one occasion going to the old
schoolhouse at Rehoboth, which had been occupied by the Southern
cavalry as a shelter for their pickets, and burned it down, although
they knew they were advancing and it could no longer be used for
that purpose.
On another occasion some of them made a valiant descent upon
Taylortown and captured “Stout” Williams’ Mill at that place,
carrying off his books and papers, along with his flour and almost
everything else that was moveable about the premises.
However, the hard duty performed by the little garrison at Waterford
was soon to change now, for matters drew to a crisis very rapidly
after McClellan’s army commenced to advance from the lines around
Washington, and one evening Capt. White came up from Leesburg and
informed his company that the time had come when the border would no
longer be on the Potomac, for Generals Beauregard and Johnson were
going to fall back from Manassas in order to draw McClellan into a
battle away from his base.
The boys all thought the movement was a good one, and by midnight
their wagons were loaded and everything in moving order, but all
felt very sure they wouldn’t be away more than a month at farthest,
for one more battle would, in their opinion, about end the war.
About 2 o’clock in the morning the pickets were called in, and the
wagons started for Leesburg, while the companies of White and Graves
prepared to guard them.
This ended the pleasant experience of camping in Waterford, and
closed the Winter campaign for 1861 and ’2, the first in which Capt.
White’s company had been engaged, and from this time forth they were
no longer to play soldier, but act it out in sober earnest.