The command of the company now devolved upon Lieut. Myers, and in a
very few days Gen. Ewell marched his whole division to Columbian
Bridge, about twenty-five miles lower down the river, where he
halted for a time, and Myers and Barrett endeavored to put the
business of the company into shape, as there had not been a payroll
made off, and only one muster roll since the company had been in the
service, but on the 21st of May, General Ewell sent for Lieut.
Myers, and giving him a bundle of dispatches, told him to mount the
best horse he could find and carry them to General Jackson.
Now be it known, nobody had heard from that officer for a
long while, and the Lieutenant naturally desired to ask the
question—“Where is Gen. Jackson?” but from former experience was
afraid to venture it, and walked disconsolately from headquarters
and the presence of the General, without any definite plan whatever
in his mind, and sighing with the Psalmist for the “wings of a
dove,” but Major Barbour had noticed his elongated visage, and
divining his trouble, met him in the yard, where he proceeded to
explain to him the road to Jackson, but while thus engaged, Gen.
Ewell stepped out and exclaimed in his quick, spiteful tone,
“Lieutenant Myers, go to New Market and take the turnpike road to
Harrisonburg; be quick now, I want to see you again to-day.” The
Lieutenant crossed the Massanutten and found some of Ashby’s cavalry
at New Market, who told him Jackson was coming down the pike, and a
nine mile ride up the Valley brought him to the marching army of
“Stonewall,” and very soon he met a party of officers riding among
the infantry, when selecting one whom, for the plainness of his
dress, he took for a courier, he asked him to show him Gen. Jackson,
supposing, of course, to have one of the finely dressed officers
pointed out to him, but the courier simply replied, “I am Gen.
Jackson; where are you from, sir?” After reading the dispatches, he
wrote a few lines to Gen. Ewell, and cross-questioned the Lieutenant
a short time, when he sent him back, saying, "I’ll see you at Luray
to-morrow." On the way back to camp, the Lieutenant met Gen. Ewell
on the mountain, and on reaching the river found everything moving
towards New Market, but this was soon changed, and the troops took
the road to Luray, where, on the following morning they met Gen.
Jackson and some of his people, and the two Generals held a
conference, after which Ewell pushed forward to Front Royal,
reaching that place about 3 o’clock in the evening of the 23d of
May. Here they found a force of the enemy, and a fierce battle
ensued, at the beginning of which Gen. Ewell ordered Lieutenant
Myers to remain near him with a party of his men, but after
capturing Kenly’s 1st Maryland, and driving the rest of the Yankees
from town, a force appeared on the river hills and opened a heavy
artillery fire upon the Confederates, during which the shells howled
savagely around the General and his escort, when, looking around,
the old fellow broke out on Myers with “What do you mean, sir, by
making a target of me with these men!” Upon which the Lieutenant
replied, "Why, General, you told me to stay near you, and I’m trying
to do it." “Clear out, sir, clear out,” roared the General, "I
didn’t tell you to get all your men killed and me too," and that was
the last time they troubled him that day, for the men deemed
themselves discharged from further attendance upon him, and pitched
in for plunder, every man doing his best to equip himself for
service, they being as yet mostly armed with double-barreled guns
only, and riding citizen saddles brought with them from home. Many
of them succeeded in securing sabres and pistols, and nearly all
possessed themselves of gum cloths, canteens and other articles of
great value to soldiers.
That night the whole force moved across the river on the Winchester
road, passing, as they did so, the ground where the Southern cavalry
fought so well, and where so many gallant men found bloody deaths in
charging the Yankee infantry, among them Capt. George Baxter, of the
Loudoun Cavalry, 6th Virginia regiment, Capt. George F. Sheetz, who
was said by many to be a better officer than Ashby himself, and
Capt. Fletcher, the gallant commander of Ashby’s old company.
General Ewell, who had been an old cavalry officer, and knew how to
appreciate the splendid display of valor, skill and devotion made by
Ashby’s troops at this point, worthy as it was of the “sons of the
sires,” whom Light Horse Harry had led in days as dark and stormy,
long ago, and here on the field of Front Royal added another leaf to
the Laurel Crown, which Fame, in “Auld Lang Syne,” had woven for the
honor of the cavaliers of the “Old Dominion,” spoke of this charge
as one of the most gallant affairs he had ever witnessed, and no
higher praise could be given than to say they fought under the eye
of General Richard S. Ewell, and won his warmest admiration, for,
like Jackson, he never bestowed it unmerited, and he meant
everything he said.
In the bivouac that night the General had his escort near his
headquarters, and as his staff did not join him for a long time
after, he called upon Lieut. Barrett to act as A. A. General for
him, and kept the Lieutenant busily engaged until a late hour in
writing dispatches and reports for him, and the next morning he
started the company on a scouting expedition, in which it was
engaged all day, rejoining the General about dark, who was then
marching towards Winchester with all his force. The weather was raw
and chilly, but the night was spent in making reconnoisances and
marching for short distances, but no fires were kindled or noises
made which might apprise General Banks of the proximity of the
rebels until about 3 o’clock, when the enemy’s pickets were found by
Sergt. C. B. Barrett, who, with a squad, had been on detail at
headquarters, and upon receipt of this information Gen. Ewell took a
company of infantry and stirred up the Yankee picket lines by firing
on their posts and driving them in. About an hour before daylight
one of the couriers brought to Gen. Ewell a dispatch from
“Stonewall,” which the writer saw as Gen, E. opened it, and it was
simply a sheet of paper upon which was delineated the roads,
streams, woods, &c., around Winchester, and showing the disposition
of the enemy’s forces in Ewell’s front, as well as Jackson’s
position on the Valley pike, and beneath the plan the words “attack
at daylight” were written. No other instructions were needed, and
with the dawning of that bright and beautiful Sabbath morning in May
the regiments moved forward to the battle. For sometime everything
went smoothly, and the enemy broke at every point, but by-and-by a
large body of them were rallied and placed behind a stone fence,
where they lay quietly and entirely unperceived by the 21st North
Carolina infantry, which was moving over that part of the field, and
when within twenty or thirty yards the Yankees raised up and poured
a tremendous volley into their ranks, killing and wounding nearly
one-third of the regiment, but the men were promptly rallied by
their gallant Colonel, who instantly ordered a bayonet charge, which
was executed in splendid style, and the enemy retreated in great
confusion before the brave North Carolinians, but their victory was
dearly bought, for Col. Strickland fell dead at the fence, and his
men lay thick around him.
From this time there was no rallying point for Banks’ army except
the Potomac, for just then Gen. Jackson bursted his column at
Middletown, and with Ashby in their rear they rather flew than ran
along the Valley pike to the thirty miles distant river; but in one
wild scene of disorder and cowardice they raced that distance at
such a speed that not even Mameluke cavalry, though mounted on
Arabia’s choicest steeds, could have caught them, and just beyond
Winchester “old Stonewall” halted his infantry and encamped his
army.
Here White’s company, which had been scattered in squads, scouting
and fighting, and acting as escort and body-guards for the different
Generals, re-united about sunset, and nearly every man was
completely armed and equipped with sabres, revolvers, and everything
necessary to fit them for service, including Yankee bridles and
halters, and many saddles bearing the letters U. S., which letters
also embellished the shoulders of many of their horses and all their
blankets.
Next morning Gen. Ewell gave them a box containing twenty new
carbines of the “Merrill” pattern, which he directed should always
be carried by the scouting details, and then ordered Lieut. Myers to
take twenty men and proceed to Charlestown to take charge of the
Government stores at that place, instructing him to take an
inventory of everything and send to him in order that he might send
wagons to move them.
Myers pushed on to Charlestown and found a large quantity of stores,
arms, and everything needed by an army, which the enemy had
abandoned; and sending a messenger to the General with the necessary
information, he encamped, and his men were taken by the citizens to
their houses and regaled with the best of everything the land could
afford. These people had been under Yankee rule for more than two
months, and the change almost made them wild with joy, so much go
that they were ready to worship Gen. Jackson and his men for
relieving them of the hateful presence of their tyrannical
conquerors who, during all these weeks, had lorded it over them in
the approved Yankee style of domination over a helpless people and
their desolated homes; whence had vanished the glory which their
household gods were wont to shed around them, but in spite of it all
they were not conquered, and the “quenchless spirits, hushed by
force, in dauntless eye burned brightly.”
While White’s cavalrymen were enjoying the good things provided by
the tried and true in Charlestown, Major John Shack. Green, of the
6th Virginia Cavalry, rode up with a detachment from his regiment,
and proposed to encamp near the town, which was done, and the next
morning a scout came in saying the Yankees were at Halltown and
still advancing, upon which Major Green moved his command down the
road, took a position on the right, while Myers’ men formed to the
left, and sending a little party to the front to look out for the
enemy, they waited for events to determine their actions.
In half an hour the advance party was heard skirmishing with the
enemy, and soon after a regiment of infantry appeared in the road,
about half a mile away, and soon after two other regiments of
infantry and one of cavalry appeared, escorting a battery of
artillery.
The Confederates moved down and skirmished some, but very soon the
battery opened fire, and Major Green retired slowly to a position
beyond the town.
Myers kept his men in front for sometime, until finding that the
Yankees wouldn’t advance a step with a Confederate force of any size
in gunshot range, and seeing also the shells from the battery were
passing over his position and falling in the town, he fell back to
the other end of the town, and in a short time a force of cavalry
moved up the road, supported by the infantry and artillery, and set
fire to the stores, which were still in the market-house, in the
very centre of Charlestown, after which they retired rapidly towards
Harper’s Ferry, and Myers returned to Gen. Ewell to inform him that
the necessity for sending wagons for the stores of which he had
received an inventory, no longer existed, but he met Gens. Jackson
and Ewell both marching, with a strong force, on Charlestown, and
the next morning, after again enjoying the hospitality of the good
citizens of Charlestown, Gen. Ewell ordered Lieut. Myers to dismount
his company and find the force and position of the enemy in the
direction of Halltown.
After moving about a mile, Ed. Oxley reported that he had found in a
wheat field, the frying pans, blankets and other articles of the
skirmish line. So halting the command, the Lieutenant made a
reconnoissance, in which he discovered about, as he thought, two
thousand infantry and a regiment of cavalry, on the road, which he
reported to the General, and was very much astonished that an
advance was not made at once, but after waiting some time, and
seeing the enemy retire slowly, he resolved to see where they went,
and taking Ed. Wright with him, the pair got into the mill-race
which passes into Halltown, and hid from view by the high banks and
bushes, waded safely to the miller’s house, which is right in town,
and going to the upper windows had a full view of all the force
there, which did not consist of over six hundred cavalry and a
regiment of infantry; and, deeming this information of importance,
they returned to Gen. Ewell and reported; finding both the Generals,
Ewell and Jackson, on a hill about half a mile from the town, and on
the same position the enemy had occupied in the morning.
The officers both expressed themselves highly pleased with the
information and the manner in which it was obtained, but Gen. Ewell
thought it would have been better if the scouts had returned to him
immediately on getting it, instead of stopping at the miller’s house
to eat a good dinner, which was on the table when they came down
stairs; but it was too late then, for they had the dinner, and
mentally resolved to do the same thing, when the opportunity
presented itself, whether the General liked it or not, but they also
resolved, in the same manner, not to tell him next time.
It appeared that General Jackson had no intention of making a fight
here, but only to demonstrate upon the Yankees along the river until
he could get his immense quantities of captured stores and baggage
away from Winchester and the railroad, and he now had only a small
force of infantry with a battery at Halltown.
While lying here watching the enemy, five of them came on the road,
in good gunshot of the battery, and annoyed the men there very much,
but were themselves perfectly safe, and, at the solicitation of Ed.
Wright and Norman Smith, Lieut. Myers went to Gen. Ewell for
permission to go and drive them away, which, for some time, he
refused, but finally, on the third application, he rather testily
exclaimed, "Yes; go on, go on; but you’ll come back faster than you
go;" and away went the three with their new carbines to try their
luck.
They managed to get a good position unperceived by the
sharpshooters, and as only one of them could be seen, and he very
imperfectly, it was decided that Myers, who was supposed to be the
best shot, should fire first, and Smith and Wright take theirs when
the Yankees raised up. They were all successful, and left three of
the boys lying on the ground, but no sooner had they done so than
they found themselves in a perfect hornet’s nest, for two companies
of infantry, who had been lying all the while concealed among some
trees on the hillside, just beyond the pike, opened a hot fire upon
the three scouts, and they being now in an open clover field, had to
run for their lives. Smith and Wright ran to a hollow and escaped
easily, but Myers started directly up the hill to the battery, and
being dressed in a new red shirt, had a lively time of it, and would
scarcely have escaped at all but for the General opening on them
with his artillery; as it was his red shirt got three balls through
it, and his fright was well nigh mortal.
This affair brought on a heavy cannonade, which kept up nearly all
the afternoon, and when night came the Confederates fell back, which
they continued to do until they reached Winchester again, and the
company of White had a long and hard scout to find Gen. Ewell’s
ordnance train, which by some means had got off the road at
Smithfield; and during this scout they found a box of sabres at
Stevenson’s depot, which was sent back by a detail for the purpose,
and the Yankees coming up about this time gave the boys carrying the
arms a chase, in which several sabres were lost, but they boasted
that all the scabbards were saved.
On reaching the division the train was found to have been in camp
all the time, and now the fact that Fremont was coming down on one
flank, and Shields on the other, both moving on lines that would
unite them in Jackson’s rear, impelled that commander to move up the
Valley, not thinking it very desirable to form a junction with the
Generals named so far away from the Blue Ridge, which was always the
great commander’s wall of defense under his faith in the Great
Jehovah.
Sunday morning, June 1st, 1862, the army reached Strasburg, and at
this point Gen. Fremont attempted to flank “Stonewall,” but the
latter preferred not to be flanked, and to prevent it unlimbered his
batteries and after an hour’s conversation by the brazen lips of
these interpreters, Gen. F. decided that if Jackson didn’t want to
be flanked, why he wouldn’t do it, and gave up the job, but from now
on the Yankees closely pressed the rear, and Ashby with his cavalry
and Chew’s battery fought them from every hill.
It was while on this march that Col. Sir Percy Wyndham bagged Ashby,
an exploit by which he hoped to win a Brigadier’s commission, and
undoubtedly would have done so if he had taken Ashby to Washington
instead of allowing Ashby to take him to Richmond.
The couriers had extremely severe work on this march up the Valley
pike, but the army encamped regularly every night, and never for one
moment did the march take the appearance of a retreat, for the rear
guard always held its positions as long as it was necessary. On
arriving at Mount Jackson, Gen. Ewell established headquarters, and
pitched his tent at the end of the bridge and on the bank of the
river, but during the night a tremendous storm of rain came down and
the stream raised so rapidly that before headquarters knew what was
going on it was on an island, with the water rising every moment,
and no boat to get out in. Everything was soon in confusion, but
Gen. Ewell mounted his old gray horse, “Rifle,” and taking the
little Indian, “Friday,” behind him, plunged into the water without
coat or hat and swam over to the camp of his cavalry, leaving the
staff and wagon to get out as they could, but the company went to
their assistance and soon had the whole business moved over.
Next morning Lieut. Barrett was ordered to New Market, with a detail
from the company, to act as provost guard, and the division lay in
camp all day just beyond the town. Here the news of the battle of
Seven Pines was received and of the wounding of General Johnston, at
that time Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia army. There was a great
deal of wonder and speculation as to who would succeed him, some
thinking Beauregard would take command, while many of the men
thought our own Stonewall was the man for the place, but nobody
thought of Lee, until in reply to a question on the subject, we
heard Gen. Ewell remark, "No, sir; I don’t know who will be General
Johnston’s successor, but I shan’t be scared at all if the choice
falls on Lee." This circulated from camp to camp, and many of the
soldiers freely admitted that _they_ would be scared, for they
considered that Gen. Lee’s Western Virginia campaign a failure, and
if old Scott did say beware of Lee on an advance, they were afraid
that the change from following the retreating Johnston to that of
rallying under the banners of the advancing Lee wouldn’t be very
beneficial to the army or the country, and Gen. Beauregard always
had whipped the Yankees without either an advance or a retreat.
These were only some of the many expressions of opinion on the
subject of changing commanders, and only for the fact that for a
short while they were lying quiet, with nothing to do, the subject
would scarcely have had a place in the minds of Jackson’s men, for
soldiers soon learn to submit blindly to the powers that be, and
obey, unquestioningly, the orders of their officers.
“Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs but to do and die.”
While halted at New Market, an incident occurred which banished all
thought of the Richmond army from the minds of those who witnessed
it, and filled each heart with pride, which claimed Virginia as its
home, and that was the daring and almost miraculous escape of Gen.
Ashby from the enemy, who attacked him at the bridge on the turnpike
and chased him almost to town, killing his celebrated white
stallion, but nearly every one of the seven pursuers were killed or
wounded by Ashby and his single companion, although the General had
no loads in his pistols and fought entirely with the sabre.
This was the last time we ever saw the great soldier on the war
path, for he was killed the next day while leading an infantry
regiment in the battle at Harrisonburg, (June 5th, 1862), and thus
went down in a billow of blood the brilliant star of glory which
promised to dazzle the astonished nations with the splendid blaze of
chivalric light which now only blazons the fame of the knights of
the olden time,
“Whose bones are dust, whose swords are rust,
Whose souls are with the saints, we trust.”
Whatever the world may say of the right or wrong of the “Lost
Cause,” it will never deny that many of those by whom it was upheld,
and who crowned its banners with glory in carrying them so gallantly
and so far, were inspired by motives as patriotic, as pure and
bright as ever burned in the bosom of mortal man. They were brave
men; they fought as brave men fight, and died as brave men die. Upon
a hundred “stormy heights and carnage-covered fields,” they attested
their devotion to their cause, and among the truest and bravest of
them all, the name of Gen. Turner Ashby shines with a radiant glory
that will brighten still as it goes “sounding down the ages,”
“The knightliest of the knightly race,
Who since the days of old
Have kept the lamp of chivalry
Alight in hearts of gold.”
There was mourning in the camp that night, and every face wore a
look of gloom as if in the calamity which had just befallen them,
the soldiers felt that a harbinger of still greater desolation had
been given them, and when Gen. Jackson appeared in the morning, all
eyes looked eagerly to see how he felt the loss of the great
cavalier, but in that calm and steady eye was an inscrutable look,
and no man could form an idea of what were the feelings of the
commander by the expression of the face that never changed, either
in the glory of triumph or the gloom of defeat.
The army lay quiet all day, and the next moved towards Port
Republic, encamping near the old Church at Cross Keys. Some of the
men became very impatient at the constant and rapid marching, and
one of them asked Gen. Jackson, as he passed along the column, where
he was going to fight the Yankees. The General, with a half smile,
replied, "We’ll fight them in Brown’s Gap," and the soldiers at once
became exceedingly interested in that place, continually asking each
other “how far it was to Brown’s Gap. Would the Yankees follow them
there?” &c., little imagining that the ground upon which they then
stood was to be their battle-field for the morrow.
Sunday morning, June 8th, broke bright, clear and hot, and by 8
o’clock every one knew that Ewell was going to match his division
against the advancing columns of Fremont, for the cavalry, now
commanded by Col. T. T. Munford, slowly retired before the Yankee
infantry, and Gen. Ewell’s brigades moved out quietly and formed
their battle lines. The scouts and couriers now had plenty of work
again, and Lieut. Barrett, with a part of the company, was ordered
to act as provost guard again, while Gen. Ewell ordered Lieut. Myers
and Ed. Wright to scout on the right, and let him know when the
enemy made any demonstration in that direction. The remainder of the
boys were on duty as couriers with the Generals. The battle opened
with some artillery firing, but pretty soon Taylor’s brigade met and
whipped a line of Yankees that advanced upon Ewell’s centre, and all
was quiet again for an hour, when Elzey’s men became engaged, and at
the same time Myers and Wright discovered a heavy force moving by
the flank to Ewell’s right. Gen. Trimble was the first man they met
on their return with this important information, and communicating
it to him, that officer promptly moved his brigade forward, and
attacking the flanking party in flank, they were very soon driven
off with heavy loss in men and all their artillery. About the time
Trimble’s guns opened, General Taylor advanced, and for a while the
battle raged with great fury, but General Trimble’s movement exposed
the enemy’s left flank, and they fell back along the whole line.
This ended the battle of Cross Keys, with the exception of some
cannonading on the left about sundown, and although some horses of
the couriers had been struck, only one of White’s men was touched,
and he very slightly, by a bouncing grape shot.
That night they slept upon the battle-field, but with the dawn
everything moved rapidly towards Port Republic, for Shields, with
his army, was moving up the river, and Gen. Jackson was going to
"fight in Brown’s Gap" again.
On Monday morning “Stonewall” crossed the bridge almost alone, and
rode into the town, but on his return found a Yankee Major with two
pieces posted at the mouth of the bridge, and, without a moment’s
hesitation, rode up to the officer, saying, “Turn your guns, sir,
turn your guns; the enemy is coming from that direction,” pointing
at the same time down the river, and without a question, the
unsuspecting Major had his pieces wheeled about, in order to command
the approach of the enemy, which to him was no enemy at all, and
without waiting to explain any further, Gen. Jackson dashed rapidly
across the bridge to his own people, but he had not a moment to
spare, for the baffled Yankee had his guns going on him before he
cleared the bridge.
Jackson instantly ordered his artillery up, and very soon the
enterprising “boys in blue” were compelled to change their position,
thus leaving the bridge open to the Confederates, and General
Jackson’s old Division crossed the river, followed slowly by that of
Gen. Ewell, with whom White’s cavalry moved.
Immediately on reaching the east bank, the line of battle was
formed, and the fight commenced, and as soon as everything had
crossed the bridge it was fired, cutting off Fremont’s army from
that of Shields, and with it a company of the 6th Va. Cavalry, which
acted as rear guard and was compelled to swim the river.
Here was begun and carried through to complete success one of the
most brilliant displays of generalship witnessed during the war, or,
in fact, in any war of modern times.
“Stonewall” had not only eluded the superior force of Fremont, but
had actually whipped him, almost in cannon shot of his colleague, on
the 8th, and now, on the 9th of June, was massing all his troops and
crushing the army of that colleague—(Gen. Shields)—while Fremont,
with his troops formed in battle-ranks on the hill-sides bordering
the Shenandoah, was unable to do more than look at the battle and
see the army of Shields annihilated; while, without a guard, and
just in his front, moved the long train composed of all of Jackson’s
wagons, all of Ewell’s and nearly every one of Banks’, besides some
of his own; and standing still in all the circumstance and panoply
of war, the blazing bridge cutting off his last and only means of
doing harm to his wily foe, the savage Gen. Fremont, in pitiful
helplessness and vindictive vandalism, could only fire his guns upon
the empty town of Port Republic.
By 10 o’clock the battle was over and Shields flying down the river
with the scattered remnant of his army, which Gen. Jackson only
followed for nine miles when he returned to look after his trains
and captures.
The enemy had lost all of his artillery, consisting of about fifteen
guns, all of his wagons and a great number of prisoners, besides
many killed and wounded, for Shields fought with more obstinacy than
Fremont, although the latter had considerably more force than his
adversary—Gen. Ewell—while Shields had an inferior one to the
combined troops of Jackson and Ewell.
The couriers had very warm and exciting work to-day, as is usual on
the battle-field, but although many narrow escapes were made not one
was wounded, and they captured a full company of Ohio infantry.
Lieut. Myers was sent by Gen. Jackson, during the heat of the
battle, with a dispatch to Col. Munford to charge, with his cavalry,
a battery which was doing heavy execution, and remained with the
Colonel until the enemy’s lines broke up in full retreat, when he
rejoined Gen. Jackson and kept with him in the nine mile pursuit,
which caused him to be the recipient of another scolding from Gen.
Ewell, who informed him that he was no courier for Gen. Jackson, and
that his business was to keep his (Ewell’s) Division supplied with
couriers, and to obey his orders and nobody else’s. It is needless
to say that the lesson was laid to heart and closely followed
thereafter.
The army bivouacked in Brown’s Gap that night, and the next day the
usual rain storm which follows a battle poured down upon them, as
they still waited to see and do whatever “Old Stonewall” might
decide upon as best for them; and two days after, the great
commander put his people in camp at Mount Meridian, where, for
several very beautiful June days, the troops passed away the time,
fishing and bathing in the blue Shenandoah, and visiting the
wonderful Weyer’s Cave, while each day a regular detail was made to
go to Port Republic and “make believe” build a bridge as if Jackson
intended to try another campaign down the Valley, when, in reality,
he was preparing to march his army to the relief of the Confederate
Capital, which was now closely environed by the magnificent army of
McClellan, and was anxiously waiting the critical moment when the
last spadeful of dirt should be thrown, and the “Young Napoleon”
would replace his sappers and miners with the splendid battalions
who were to immortalize the name of McClellan by taking, under his
plans and direction, the now world-renowned City of Richmond.
White’s company was in splendid condition, the ranks full, the
horses thriving and the men all armed equal to any cavalry in the
army, and all they wanted was for their Captain to come up and take
command again. While at Mount Meridian Gen. Jackson had divine
service regularly, and appointed times for praise and thanksgiving
to the God of battles who had crowned his arms with victory; while
from all around our borders came news of Confederate successes, and
rumors that foreign nations had recognized the independence of the
Southern Confederacy. So that the future was brilliant with hope and
no man in the army would have willingly exchanged his Confederate
dollars for an equal amount of greenbacks.