On the morning of June 1st, 1863, the brigade marched from the
Valley for Gen. Stuart’s camp in Culpeper county, the battalion
having the following officers: Lieut.-Col. White, Major Ferneyhough,
Adjt. Watts, Dr. Wootten, Quartermaster White, and Sergeant-Major
Stephenson, in field and staff; Co. A, Lieuts. Barrett and Conrad;
Co. B, had her full corps of officers; Co. C, Capt. Grubb and Lieut.
Grubb; Co. D, had all her officers present; Co. E, Capt. Grabill and
Lieut. Grubbs; Co. F, Lieut. Watts. Capt. Myers and Lieut. Marlow,
Co. A, were left sick in the Valley; Lieut. Dowdell, Co. C, was on
detail there to settle up the quartermaster’s business, incident to
the change just made in that department; one Lieutenant of Co. E,
and one of Co. F, had been removed for misconduct on the raid to
West Virginia.
Soon after the brigade reached the army, the grand review of all the
troops begun, that of the cavalry being held on the 8th of June, in
which General Stuart brought a division of full fifteen thousand
troopers, in fine condition for service, but all the Generals
confessed that Jones’ was the peer of the best brigade in the line.
The morning of June 9th, while the men, worried out by the military
foppery and display (which was Stuart’s greatest weakness) of the
previous day’s review, were yet under their blankets, the enemy
sounded for them the reveille from the smoking muzzles of carbines
and revolvers, as they drove the 6th Regiment vedettes from their
position on the river, and it was very soon discovered that a heavy
force had crossed at Kelly’s and Beverly’s fords for the purpose of
continuing the review, but in a different style, and but for the
prompt action of Gen. Jones, would have had all of Stuart’s
artillery almost before that officer waked up. The regiments moved
rapidly to the front, as soon as the men could obey the boot and
saddle bugle call, and with the first that came, which were the 6th
and 7th Regiments, Gen. Jones met and checked the enemy, and
arrangements for the battle, which was now inevitable, were made as
quickly as possible. Col. White was ordered with his battalion, to
support the 12th Regiment, which was ordered forward to make a
charge; and he at once began to form his men in line of battle, but
before it could be completed, Gen. Jones called to him to charge,
which he immediately did, riding at a gallop towards the point where
the firing showed that the 12th was into it heavy, but after going
about two hundred yards, was met by that regiment in full retreat,
and whose disordered ranks threw the right wing of the battalion in
confusion, and checked for a time the advance of the “Comanches,”
but order was quickly restored, and again dashing forward they threw
themselves upon the enemy, whose column, flushed with their
successful charge on the 12th, was rapidly advancing, but after a
sharp fight of a few minutes were compelled to retire before the
irresistible onset of White’s men. The Colonel says, in his official
report, that not a man faltered, but with yells that a “Comanche”
might envy, they pressed forward, each man striving to gain the
foremost rank and ride with his commander.
The Yankees were driven over the field and about a hundred yards
into the woods, where they met fresh troops coming up, and White’s
people were in turn compelled to retire, but rallying at the edge of
the woods, they again charged upon the overwhelming forces of the
enemy, and not only checked their advance, which was all the Colonel
hoped to do, but completely routed them and drove their demoralized
line for half a mile through the pines.
In this charge they captured about forty prisoners, and killing
General Davis, who was vainly endeavoring to rally his flying
troopers, and also a brave Major, who, after a fierce sabre fight
with Wm. Shehan, of Co. B, in which both were severely handled, was
compelled to surrender to the gallant Confederate.
While the battalion was thus occupied in front, a regiment of the
enemy came in their rear and attempted to charge, but wheeling his
left squadron, the Colonel met and drove them back in splendid
style, the men all fighting with the greatest enthusiasm, but Lieut.
Crown, Co. B, especially distinguishing himself.
About this time, Gen. Jones became aware that a strong party of the
enemy had succeeded in flanking Stuart’s position, and were
approaching from the direction of Culpeper Court-House, and he at
once sent the information to General Stuart, who said to the
courier, "Tell Gen. Jones to attend to the Yankees in his front, and
I’ll watch the flanks."
When this reply was communicated to Jones, he remarked: "So he
thinks they ain’t coming, does he? Well, let him alone; he’ll damned
soon see for himself." And he _did_ see, for about one o’clock the
flanking force appeared exactly in rear of, and very near Stuart’s
headquarters; and again Col. White was ordered to follow and support
the 12th Regiment in case of need; but on arriving near the house,
Gen. Stuart ordered White to form his battalion on the right of the
road leading to the Court-House and charge the squadrons of the
enemy on the high ground around the General’s headquarters, and here
again, just as Col. White commenced to move, a squadron of the 12th,
which had met the enemy and been defeated, broke the line of the
battalion, badly deranging its right wing, and causing the loss of
valuable time, but the Colonel ordered Major Ferneyhough to charge
with the first squadron (Companies A and D) which had not been
broken, upon those squadrons of the enemy in front of the house,
while with two squadrons (Companies B, C, E and F) he charged a
regiment in rear and to the left of the building. Both charges were
successful, the enemy being driven down the road towards the Rail
Road, but while the Colonel with his party was pressing them, a
regiment passed between him and the hill, cutting off the first
squadron and again occupying the ground from which they had just
been driven.
As soon as the Colonel discovered this situation of affairs, he
withdrew all but twenty men from the pursuit, and renewed the
contest for the possession of the hill, which, after a spirited
fight, he succeeded in gaining, driving off the regiment and killing
its Colonel.
In this fight around Stuart’s headquarters, Lieut. Barret was
wounded and captured, and Captains Grabill and Anderson made
prisoners.
The battalion was now reinforced by a company of the 6th Va.
Cavalry, and ordered by Gen. Stuart to charge a battery which had
been playing on White’s men during all the fighting on the hill.
Without a moment’s hesitation the charge was made, and the wreath of
glory which White’s battalion had been weaving and twining around
its name, during all that long summer day, was completed.
The gallant fellows at the battery hurled a perfect storm of grape
upon the “Comanches,” while from the supporting cavalry a rain of
bullets fell in their ranks, but with never a halt or a falter the
battalion dashed on, scattering the supports and capturing the
battery after a desperate fight, in which the artillerymen fought
like heroes, with small arms, long after their guns were silenced.
There was no demand for a surrender, nor any offer to do so, until
nearly all the men at the battery, with many of their horses, were
killed and wounded.
While most of the men pursued the flying cavalry that had supported
the battery, Col. White with a few others attempted to turn the
guns, and work them on the Yankees who were rapidly closing in upon
him in heavy force both on the right and left, not doubting for a
moment that General Stuart would support him, but nothing seemed
further from the General’s intention, and feeling that he was being
wantonly sacrificed, Col. White rallied his men, and charging with
desperation upon the enveloping ranks of the foe, cut through to
safety again, but the deliverance cost half the number of the
battalion.
In the battle of Brandy Station, the battalion had captured and
brought out two regimental standards, (besides two others taken, but
lost in the escape from the battery,) and upwards of one hundred
prisoners, with a great quantity of arms and equipments and many
horses, but many of its gallant men had been lost.
Capt. Geo. W. Chiswell was badly wounded, so badly that he was never
again fit for service, and the brave Lieut. Watts, of Co. F, was
mortally wounded, both of them in the charge upon the battery.
The whole loss was ninety men killed, wounded and missing, and but
few of the latter ever returned to the command, some having died of
wounds in U. S. hospitals, some in prison, and some escaping from
the battle after being wounded died at the houses of citizens in the
neighborhood; as it was, only four of the dead were found and buried
by the battalion.
The following general order issued by Stuart, shows the conduct of
the battle and the desperate valor of the men who fought and fell at
Brandy Station, a name rendered famous forever as the scene of one
of the greatest cavalry battles of modern times:
"HD.-QRS., CAV. DIV., ARMY N. VA., }
"June 15th, 1863. }
"GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 24.
"The Major-General commanding congratulates the Cavalry of the
Army of Northern Virginia, upon the victory of “Fleetwood,”
achieved under Providence, by the prowess of their arms, on the
9th instant.
"Comrades, two divisions of the enemy’s cavalry and artillery,
_escorted_ by a strong force of infantry, “_tested your metal_”
and found it “proof steel.”
“Your sabre blows, inflicted on that glorious day, have taught
them again the weight of Southern vengeance.
“You confronted with cavalry and horse artillery alone, this
force, held the infantry in check, routed the cavalry and
artillery, capturing three pieces of the latter, without losing a
gun, and added six flags to the trophies of the nation, besides
inflicting a loss in killed, wounded and missing, at least double
our own, causing the entire force to retire beyond the
Rappahannock.
“Nothing but the enemy’s infantry strongly posted in the woods
saved his cavalry from capture or annihilation. An act of rashness
on his part was severely punished by rout and the loss of his
artillery.
“With an abiding faith in the God of battles and a firm reliance
on the sabre, your success will continue.
“Let the example and heroism of our lamented fallen comrades
prompt us to renewed vigilance and inspire us with devotion to
duty.
“J. E. B. STUART,
“_Major-General Commanding_.”
The Orderly Sergeants of the several companies of the battalion made
the following reports of the losses of the companies:
Co. A—wounded 9, missing 7—total 16.
Co. B—killed 1, wounded 7, missing 12—total 20.
Co. C—wounded 5, missing 12—total 17.
Co. D—wounded 3, missing 5—total 8.
Co. E—killed 2, wounded 2, missing 8—total 12.
Co. F—killed 1, wounded 1, missing 15—total 17.
After the battle of Brandy Station, Col. White’s command was
detached from the Cavalry Division, and ordered by Gen. Lee to
report to Lieut.-Gen. Ewell, who had again taken the field and been
assigned to the command of the old 2d Corps A. N. V., the men whom
General Jackson had so often led to victory, and who believed that
the mantle of military inspiration of their now sainted chieftain
had fallen upon the person of the lion-hearted Gen. R. S. Ewell, and
soon after his disabling wound at Manassas, which now caused him to
appear with an artificial leg, Gen. Ewell had told White that if he
ever again took the field he wanted White and his boys to be with
him, an assurance never forgotten by either of them.
At the time Gen. Ewell crossed the mountain and made his attack upon
the enemy at Winchester, adding another to the invariable whippings
the bombastic coward and cow-stealer, Milroy, received every time he
stood long enough for the rebels to reach him, Col. White asked and
obtained permission to make a raid on the Point of Rocks, in the
hope of striking again his old enemy, Means.
Crossing the Potomac below Berlin, the Colonel divided his force,
sending Lieut. Crown, with sixty-two men of Co. B, to pass along the
Frederick road and come up in rear of the Point, while he marched
with the remainder, about one hundred, directly down the tow-path of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, intending to attack the enemy in
front, while Crown should intercept the retreat of any who attempted
to escape by the road to Frederick.
After a quick march of about two miles, Lieut. Crown observed the
rear of a body of cavalry about a mile in advance, and wishing to
ascertain what force and command it was, he sent Lieut. Dorsey
forward with six men to capture a straggler, which was soon done,
and the prisoner reported that the force in front was two hundred
men of Cole’s battalion, commanded by Captains Vernon and Summers.
Not disposed to take one Yankee’s evidence without having it
corroborated, Crown again sent Dorsey forward, instructing him as
before, to capture a Yankee but to avoid the use of fire-arms, if
possible; but this time “Nich.” rode up on two of them, one of whom
he captured but was obliged to shoot the other, and as soon as Crown
heard the firing he moved his command rapidly to the front, only
halting long enough to assure himself that the story of the last
prisoner tallied exactly with the first. The enemy halted after
crossing Catocton creek, and forming their line of battle, waited
for the Confederates to come up, which they very soon did, and Crown
discovered that as the advantage in position, numbers and arms, was
all greatly against him, he must trust to charging and close
quarters; and he at once gave the order to charge, which Company B
executed in her usually gallant style, but now with more of fiery
valor than ever, for they were that day upon the soil of their
native State, and to add to their enthusiasm, knew that the blue
jackets in their front covered the forms of Maryland men.
The Yankees poured a heavy fire upon them from their carbines, but
Company B was moving at a gallop and on the lowest ground, so that
most of the bullets flew over the heads of the men, while those that
were low enough only tore their clothes or wounded their horses, and
the fact that Cole’s men had not been drilled to fight at sabre’s
length was soon evident, for the moment that Crown’s boys gained
their side of the creek the Yankees broke, and notwithstanding the
efforts of one of their officers fled like sheep from hungry wolves.
A running fight for about four miles was kept up, when finding his
men overloaded with horses and prisoners, and fearing too that Col.
White might need him at the Point, Lieut. Crown recalled his men and
turned towards that place, taking with him thirty-seven men and
horses of Cole’s battalion, many more having been captured, but in
the darkness and confusion made their escape.
When Company B joined Col. White at the Point of Rocks, they found
that he had already taken the place, having routed Means’ command
and captured about twenty prisoners and horses, and was then engaged
in setting fire to two railroad trains that had just come down, one
of which he destroyed where it stood, but after getting the other in
a good way to burn some of the men let steam on the locomotive and
started the blazing train at full speed for Baltimore. After getting
all the men together, and taking plenty of time to secure the
plunder they wished to take away, the Colonel marched his battalion
to Loudoun, and encamped near the Blue Ridge, above Hillsborough,
where his people enjoyed themselves finely until the order came
calling them to join their General, who was now leading the advance
of Lee’s army through Maryland and opening the way for the brilliant
but fruitless campaign in Pennsylvania.