The battalion remained on the bank of the Shenandoah for a day, but
seeing no decrease in the flood, impatience got the better of
prudence, and the Colonel, giving way to the wishes of his men,
(which in this case coincided so fully with his own,) marched them
to the river, and such as were not afraid to “take water,” swam the
horses across, while the others went over in a skiff. When about
fifty men had got over, and the shades of an early twilight
commenced to gather from the low-hanging clouds, a courier from
Lieut. Moon, of the 6th Va. Cavalry, who had charge of the pickets
in the Gap, came down the mountain and informed Col. White that the
Yankees were moving into the Gap. The boys hastily dressed, and
mounting their horses marched up to see if the report was true, but
before going far they met Lieut. Moon retiring, while behind him
came a large force of Yankee infantry; and with many a curse on the
delay in crossing the river, the detachment turned back and passed
up between mountain and river to the Shepherd’s mill road, which
brought them out at the Trap. The next day they learned that Meade’s
army was in Loudoun, following the track of Burnside, and as nearly
all the men who had been scattered through the county, at their
homes, returned to the command, the Colonel retired to Ashby’s Gap,
where he resolved to make a fight, if anything like his number
advanced upon him.
On Sunday morning, July 19th, the long lines of the Yankee army were
seen marching along to Southward, and when the sun was an hour high,
a few cavalry scouts rode up towards the mountain position where
White and his men were standing, but showed no disposition either to
be captured themselves or to attempt to drive the rebels from the
Gap. After waiting and watching a long while for such an advance as
they had made at Snicker’s Gap, the Colonel ordered Capt. Myers to
“send some men down there to stir up those fellows,” and a party of
half a dozen was instructed to ride down and drive away the pickets
below Paris. This party went down, and making a dash drove the
picket out of sight over the hill, but in an instant was seen coming
back at full speed, while along the hills, a blue line of infantry,
deployed as skirmishers, sprang up as if by magic and advanced at a
quick march towards the Gap, and in the pike beyond, at least a
brigade was seen marching in the same direction.
Capt. M. now turned to the Colonel, and asked if he would “have
those fellows stirred up any more?” to which he replied that he
“thought _that_ would do just now,” and sending Captains Grubb and
Myers to the village to check the advance, he prepared to leave the
last corner-stone of Loudoun. When the men with Grubb and Myers
reached their position at Paris, they dismounted, and as the Federal
advance on the turnpike, which was a party of cavalry, came up, they
commenced a fire which drove them back; one man, Harper, of Co. A,
bringing down the Yankee Major in command, and his horse, at one
discharge of buckshot from his musket. The battalion now took the
mountain road to Manassa Gap, and on reaching that place saw and
captured a Signal Corps, which was operating on the side of the
mountain, near Linden.
The Yankees marched through towards Front Royal, but were met and
driven back by A. P. Hill’s people.
Col. White now crossed the river again, to wait until the remainder
of his battalion could come up, but gave permission to Captains
Myers and Grubb to take a party of their men on foot and make a
scout along the mountains to capture wagons, if possible.
With eighteen men, they went down among the enemy’s camps near
Piedmont, at dark, but found nothing but infantry, and the next day
went to Ashby’s Gap, where they discovered a heavy force holding
that position, which forced them to cross the river at Berry’s
Ferry, and passing down to Shepherd’s mill they again went over,
climbing the Blue Ridge near Snicker’s Gap, only to find that pass
strongly guarded by both infantry and cavalry, while all the wagons
passed along with the army, keeping entirely clear of the mountain,
it being pretty evident that Gen. Meade had learned a valuable
lesson from the mistakes of Burnside the year before.
Everything was now at a stand-still, and thus they remained for
several days, when the Colonel came over with the battalion, and
moving down into the lower country begun to trouble the enemy’s
scouting parties, and succeeded in capturing a number of horses and
prisoners. On the morning of August 7th, he went to Woodgrove, where
he learned that a regiment of Michigan Cavalry had come out from
Harper’s Ferry to Hillsborough, and moving cautiously to the latter
place, found that they had passed on towards Waterford.
The Colonel had about one hundred and twenty men with him and
determined to attack them, so passing down the road he halted at a
favorable position near Mr. Vandevanter’s, and made his arrangements
for an ambuscade, thinking the enemy would return to Harper’s Ferry
in the evening, but in this he was mistaken, for after waiting some
time, he learned, about sundown, that they were preparing to encamp
at Waterford for the night. He now moved his command into the woods
on Catocton creek, near Mr. J. E. Walker’s, and waited until about 9
o’clock, when, leaving their horses, he marched his people over
toward the camp, as he had discovered it, on a high hill south of
the town.
He instructed his men to march quietly up to the enemy’s position
without firing, and when he gave the signal, to rush upon them and
secure as many horses and prisoners as possible; and to prevent
mistakes in the confusion of the attack gave as challenge and reply
the words “Bob” and “Joe.”
On getting into the field, the men found a great number of haycocks,
which caused them to become somewhat scattered in their march, and
as the Colonel advanced in front, holding his pistol ready to fire,
he accidentally fell over one of the cocks, in which his pistol was
discharged.
This caused a panic, and while some of the men, imagining that they
were beset by the enemy, commenced to retreat, the others looked
upon it as the signal for attack and rushed forward firing their
pistols, although nearly two hundred yards from the enemy. The
flying ones were speedily rallied and brought back, but the Yankees
were all mounted and ready to retreat, which they did with all
haste, after firing one volley at the Confederates, killing a very
gallant young soldier of Co. C,—John C. Grubb.
Three or four of the enemy fell, and a few horses were captured, but
the most of them made their escape. A part of the command, under
Captain Grubb, were standing in the road when two or three pickets,
who had been stationed on the Hamilton road, alarmed at the firing,
came up, and were halted with a demand for a surrender. Some of
Grubb’s men drew up their pistols to fire upon them, but the Captain
prevented it, saying, "don’t shoot them, they will surrender," when
one of the Yankees discharged his carbine almost in Captain Grubb’s
face, and at the same time exclaimed, “I surrender,” and the whole
party gave themselves up as prisoners.
Capt. Grubb fell, mortally wounded, and with mournful hearts his men
carried him back to his father’s house near Hillsborough, where he
died in about two hours, and the battalion met with a loss that was
well nigh irreparable, for he was one of the best, if not the very
best officer in it. He had been in the service from the commencement
of the war, first as a member of Capt. N. R. Heaton’s Company, (A,)
8th Regiment Va. Volunteers, and the gallant Heaton bears willing
testimony to the noble daring of R. B. Grubb, while under his
command, at the bloody battles of Manassas and Ball’s Bluff, while
Gen. Eppa Hunton pronounces him one of the best men he ever had in
that regiment of heroes, whose name is crowned with the glory that
beams brightly upon the fame of Virginia, won in a hundred battles.
In the Spring of 1862, “Dick” Grubb was discharged from the infantry
service, and going to the Valley, attached himself to the 7th Va.
Cavalry, where he distinguished himself as a scout for Colonel
(afterwards Major-General) Wm. E. Jones.
In the fall of that year, he obtained permission to raise a company
for White’s battalion, in which he was entirely successful, as has
been shown.
After this affair at Waterford, which had been fruitful only in
disaster to his battalion, Colonel White established a camp on the
Blue Ridge near Mr. Howell’s, where he remained for several days,
during which time the business of the command was, to some extent,
brought into shape, as it was highly necessary to do, for it had
begun to suffer for want of proper attention.
The old Company of Capt. Grubb was now officered by Capt. Dowdell
and Lieut. Sam. Grubb, who were promoted, and by Lieut. T. W. White
who was elected Second Lieutenant.
Marcellus French had been made Captain of Co. F, with Charles James
as his First Lieutenant, and everything put in order, as far as
possible, to make the battalion efficient.
One morning, about the middle of August, Triplett, of Co. F,
reported to the Colonel that a regiment of Yankee cavalry, encamped
on the Rappahannock, near Orleans, in Fauquier county, was in the
habit of sending a party every day, about 3 o’clock, to Barbour’s
Cross Roads, on a scout; and the Colonel at once resolved to attempt
their capture. So starting with about one hundred men he reached,
just before midnight, an admirable place of concealment in the thick
pines near the Cross Roads, where the command halted to wait until
the scouting party came along the next day. The time passed wearily
enough in that hot, piney encampment, but every man knew that an
absolute certainty of success depended on their lying hid until the
enemy came.
Lieut. Chiswell, with seventeen men of Co. B, was stationed in the
thick bushes close along the road, with instructions to fire when
the Yankees came opposite them, and a picket was placed on the
Orleans road half a mile below, to watch for the enemy, and now
nothing remained but to wait for the game.
About 3 o’clock, the picket came quietly in and reported above one
hundred approaching, when all the men got up from their lounging
among the broom sedge and mounted their horses, and notice being
sent to Lieut. Chiswell, everything was, as the man-o’-wars-man
would say, “cleared for action.” After waiting anxiously, with ears
strained to catch the sound, for about ten minutes, the carbines of
Chiswell’s men rung out, and with a shout, away dashed the mounted
men to charge. On emerging from the pines into the road, the Yankees
were seen in the field on the opposite side, in great confusion from
the unexpected volley they had received, but as soon as they saw the
battalion they dashed off towards a gap in the fence, to gain the
road again; but now one of those unaccountable things, which so
often occur without any reason at all, and just at the moment when
their influence is most damaging, happened; and as Col. White, Adjt.
Watts, and Capt. Myers, who were a little distance in front of the
command, galloped up towards the gap to cut off the enemy’s escape,
and thinking they were followed by the men, the Major, who was
exactly at the head of the column, wheeled it down the road, leaving
these three officers to meet the sixty Yankees alone.
In a few minutes the Colonel and Capt. M. were dismounted, both of
their horses being shot at the same moment, and the Adjutant was
among the blue-jackets without any assistance at all, but pretty
soon Lieut. Conrad managed to turn Company A back, and with part of
Company B, under Lieut. Crown, who had not been in the column when
Major F. started it away from the Yankees, dashed in and made the
scene look something like a fight, for the Yankees were resolute
fellows from the 6th Ohio Cavalry, and in spite of their surprise,
fought bravely.
Conrad, with a few men, followed a part of them nearly to their
camp, and on their return met another portion, who had made a
circuit towards the Cross Roads at the first fire, and were now
going full tilt towards camp with Crown and his boys right behind
them.
Conrad and the few men with him were encumbered with prisoners and
horses, but attempted to halt the Yankees, and fired into them as
they came, but they only called to the Confederates to “clear the
road,” and passed on with their sabres flashing so dangerously that
their foes gave them room.
The whole force now returned to the Cross Roads, having taken about
twenty-five prisoners and thirty horses, besides killing and
wounding about ten of the enemy, with no loss to themselves except
the two horses before spoken of.
Strange as it may appear only one man was killed by the fire of
Chiswell’s men, although they had a rest and the distance was
scarcely twelve yards, but that one man had seven bullets through
him.
That was the usual result of ambuscades, for under the most
favorable circumstances they seldom did much damage; and it would
appear, (so miraculous did the escapes from them seem,) that
Providence guarded in a special manner the unsuspecting party who
became entangled in the murderous snare of a hidden enemy, no matter
how cunningly devised the plan might be; and it must be confessed
that such a mode of fighting is a poor school in which to learn
lessons of chivalry and honor, the old adage that “all is fair in
war,” to the contrary notwithstanding.
After Barbour’s Cross Roads, there were many attempts to strike the
enemy’s scouting parties, but they always came in such force it was
impossible to do anything with the slightest show for success, and
the Colonel turned his attention to the camps of the foe in Fairfax
and Maryland.
About the last of August, he learned that a force, entitled "Scott’s
900," was stationed at Edwards’ Ferry, and crossing the river some
distance above the ferry about midnight, with one hundred and fifty
men, the Colonel hid his force along the bank to wait until the
patrol which passed up and down the tow-path of the canal, every
half hour, should go down, and at the same time he placed two men
near the tow-path, with instructions to notice closely the patrol,
and if they appeared hurried or excited, to stop them, for that
would be evidence enough that they had learned something of his
presence on the Maryland side, and they must not be permitted to
reach the camp, but if they came along quietly, as usual, to let
them pass, for they evidently would know nothing of his movement;
but it so happened that old “Uncle” Charley Butler was along, and
moreover that he was about half drunk, and when the patrol of two
men came riding very leisurely along, “Uncle Charley” sprang up and
caught the bridle of the leading Yankee, who raised his gun to fire
on Butler, and to save him the other boys had to shoot the Yankee,
and of course the firing alarmed the camp.
Col. White now urged his people across the canal as rapidly as
possible, and coming up in rear of the camp, (which he knew to be
fortified in front,) halted long enough to form his line and ordered
a charge, in which they received a volley from the enemy that badly
wounded one man, and several slightly; and on reaching the camp
found that it had a regular fortification all around it, but the men
spurred their horses on, leaping the ditch and riding recklessly
over the breastworks. Most of the enemy, thanks to Butler’s drunken
blunder at the canal, had escaped, and the daring and desperate
assault only resulted in the capture of about a dozen, but their
whole camp equipage fell into the hands of White’s people.
The wounded man, Robert W. Jones, a splendid soldier of Company A,
was so badly hurt that it was impossible to move him, and he was
left at the house of a citizen near by where he was kindly treated,
even by the Yankees; and up to this time, (1870,) although more than
seven weary years have passed, he is still unable to walk, the
bullet having lodged near the spine.
This, and the affair at Barbour’s Cross Roads, was acknowledged by
Gen. Lee, in the following letter to Gen. Stuart:
“HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY N. V., }
“Sept. 9th, 1863. }
“Major-Gen. J. E. B. STUART,
“_Commanding Cavalry_:
“GENERAL—Your letter, enclosing reports of Lieut.-Colonel E. V.
White, of the operations of his battalion at Poole’s farm, on
August 27th, and his previous attack on Kilpatrick’s Cavalry, have
been received, and forwarded to the Department as an evidence of
the great boldness and skill of that officer.
“The activity and energy of his command, and the gallantry of his
officers and men, especially in the attack on Poole’s farm,
reflect great credit upon the service. I hope his operations will
always be attended with the same success.
“I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant.
“R. E. LEE, _General_.”
Soon after this, an order was received through General Lee, from the
Secretary of War, and the execution of which has caused great blame
to be attached to Col. White, by those citizens of Loudoun county,
who, denying the ground-work upon which the Federal Constitution was
built, claimed that the rights of the States were not merely
delegated but irrevocably transferred to the General Government, the
testimony of common justice, common sense, and of the fathers and
framers of the Constitution to the contrary notwithstanding, held
their allegiance to the Northern government; and while the praise or
blame of traitors to their State, in matters connected with the war,
is of small importance, yet to show that the Colonel was blameless
in this case, I make the explanation.
Two citizens of Loudoun, who, among many others, had, at the
tinkling of the “little bell,” been dragged to a Federal prison, and
although no crimes were charged against them, were held in durance
on the ground that they refused to take an oath of allegiance to the
United States, a government to whom they owed none, and which was
incapable of protecting them in it if they did. These were Henry
Ball and Campbell Belt, and their friends, after appealing time and
again to the United States authorities for their release, without
success, and the health of both being so delicate as to excite grave
fears that confinement would speedily end in death, sought by
retaliation to effect their discharge from prison, and procured of
the Secretary of War an order for the arrest and confinement of
William Williams and Asa M. Bond—two prominent Union citizens—until
Messrs. Ball and Belt should be released, and simply for the reason
that Col. White was in a situation to execute the order it was sent
to him; but owing to the inefficiency of the men detailed to make
the arrest, Mr. Bond escaped, and they substituted R. I.
Hollingsworth in his stead, who, with Mr. Williams, was sent to
Richmond, and now their friends used their influence with the United
States authorities, which soon brought about the release of both
parties.
About the middle of September, the Colonel was informed by one of
his scouts that there would be several carloads of horses sent down
on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road on the 16th, concluded to
attempt their capture, and having decided to take only Company B
with him, sent Lieut. Crown, with his people, on the night of the
14th, to a point on the Catocton mountain near Mr. Gray’s, above
Leesburg, with instructions to remain there until he (the Colonel)
should have examined the fords and fixed upon a place to cross the
Potomac, and as there is some difference of opinion as to who was to
blame for the disaster that followed, I deem it proper to give all
the particulars, and let the reader settle the point.
No one was admitted by the Colonel into the secret, but Lieut.
Crown, and as the Colonel was about to leave the battalion in charge
of Major Ferneyhough, he sent for Capt. Myers, and telling him that
Cole’s battalion and Means’ men were in Waterford, gave him
permission to go, if, he so desired, and try to capture their
pickets.
Lieut. Crown says, that Col. White promised to send a force to
attack the party at Waterford before he would consent to take his
company into the mountain as White desired him, and that Col. White
informed him he had given such orders, before he left the camp; but
he certainly did not order Capt. Myers to make an attack, or tell
him that anything depended on its being made, and he merely told him
he could go down and capture their pickets if he desired.
Crown took his company to the appointed place, and Myers, with his
people, went down near Waterford, but learning that the pickets were
drawn in after dark to the town, and that the force there was
composed of Cole’s battalion, a regiment of Connecticut Cavalry, and
Means’ Company, all commanded by Col. Cole, he retired without
making any attack, his orders being entirely discretionary.
The next morning Cole’s command left Waterford and marched straight
to the camp of Co. B, a spy having reported their position, and
whether Lieut. Crown is blameless entirely, and all the fault lies
with Col. White and Capt. Myers, or not, it does appear that Co. B.
was surprised in the fullest sense of the word, for the first
intimation they had of Cole’s approach was the firing of his advance
guard among them, and both Lieuts. Crown and Dorsey were at the
house of Mr. Gray, waiting for breakfast and listening to the piano.
Both officers were captured before they could reach the company, and
nine of their men were made prisoners at the same time, but the
others, with great difficulty, made their escape. There is no doubt
that if Lieut. Crown had had a picket out, and had notice of the
enemy’s approach, he would have whipped them, for he had about fifty
of the best fighting men in the army, and Crown and Dorsey never
counted odds in any kind of a fight. So it is self-evident that
situated as they were there, they would have whipped Cole’s four
hundred easily, for the latter had not the best troops in the world,
in fact they were morally opposed to the usual dangers of the
battle-field.
Col. Cole treated Lieut. Crown just as cowards always do those in
their power, and even went so far as to threaten him with hanging
for being a Confederate soldier so unfortunate as to be a prisoner
to Cole.
Of course this disaster wound up the projected horse capture in
Maryland, and Col. White returned to camp with his spirits
considerably below zero, but he was never heard to charge the damage
to the misconduct of any one, and only seemed to look upon it as one
of the natural misfortunes of war.
---------------------------------------------------------
NOTE.—Since writing the above, a letter from Lieut. Chiswell has
been received, which makes some correction necessary.
Lieut. C. says, that at the time of the attack, himself and Lieut.
Dorsey, with several of their men, were in Leesburg, and as soon as
they heard of it, Lieut. Dorsey, with one man, (a member of the 8th
Va. Infantry,) started to the scene of action at Gray’s, but at a
turn in the road they came suddenly upon the enemy’s column and were
captured, the man with Dorsey having his thigh broken, and the
Lieutenant himself being severely handled in the conflict.
Lieut. Chiswell and his party were hard pressed, and with the
greatest difficulty effected their escape.
At one time Chiswell’s horse fell with him, and rolling over lay
prone upon his leg, but he managed to withdraw it, leaving his boot
in the stirrup, and having gotten his horse up, the lieutenant took
the boot in his hand, and though the Yankees were close upon him, he
got clear. He says, “boots were boots” in those days, and he
couldn’t think of losing his.
Col. White had frequently been called upon by General Lee to destroy
the Rail Road bridges in rear of Meade’s army, in order that their
supplies might, to some extent, be cut off; but such enterprises
were very difficult and hazardous, more especially as he had no men
who knew the country well enough to pilot him at night to the scene
of operations. On several occasions he attempted to accomplish
something in this way, but to no purpose; however, having learned
something of the bridge over Pope’s Head creek, on the O. and A.
Rail Road, he resolved to attempt its destruction, and with nineteen
men of Companies A and C, he started in the evening from his camp in
upper Loudoun, with John Davis of Fairfax, for his guide, and
marching all night, camped about daylight on the Hatmark creek,
below Fairfax C. H., where the company remained all day with nothing
to eat but fox grapes; the enemy being so thick around that part of
the country that the men would have been discovered if they had
ventured out of the friendly shade of the pine woods.
When night came, the little party moved out, and passing Barnes’
mill on the Accotink, arrested the miller and carried him along with
them.
On arriving within half a mile of the bridge, the Colonel,
accompanied by Jack Dove, rode out to reconnoitre, finding a guard
of four or five men on the bridge and a reserve of some twenty or
more lying around a fire about a hundred yards from it. Returning to
the command, the Colonel moved it forward, intending to charge and
drive off the guards, but on reaching the bridge found they had
already retired, but whether they had become alarmed at something
they had heard, or, as a patrol, had passed during the time he was
gone for his people, the Colonel could not determine, nor did he
waste much time in speculations on the subject, but setting his men
to work splitting and piling up rails on each end and in the middle
of the bridge, they soon had a good lot of kindling ready to fire
up, and after emptying a few canteens of coal oil on it, the fire
was applied, and the boys withdrew a short distance and watched
until the whole frame of the bridge was burning well, when they
started on their return. It was long past midnight when they left
the bridge, and consequently could not go far before daylight
compelled them again to hide themselves, and here another day was
spent with nothing but grapes to eat. Some wagon trains, from
Fairfax C. H., passed them, and could have been easily captured, but
this would have almost insured the capture of the whole party, and
consequently they were permitted to drive on.
When dark came the third night, the now half-famished band started
again, this time for the nearest point where rations could be
obtained, and very soon they were being well fed by the good people
of upper Fairfax, who, no matter how hard pressed they were
themselves, always had something to divide with the Dixie boys, and
no people in the whole Confederacy would more gladly share their
last morsel with the Southern soldier, than these very ones whose
homes were constantly overrun by the blue-coated gentry who looked
upon all they had as lawful spoil for Uncle Sam, and treated all of
them as if they were rebels only wanting arms and an opportunity to
show their hand.
When the Colonel started on this expedition, he had left Major
Ferneyhough in command of all the battalion except Capt. Myers and
his company, and had instructed the latter to scout around the river
country, mainly for the purpose of collecting a supply of long range
guns, in which his command was always very deficient, and for which
he had special use in a contemplated attack on Cole’s battalion. The
Major moved the rest of the command to the old camp at the Trap, and
here Major Cole paid him a visit, causing the whole thing to move at
a quick march into the mountain, while Cole encamped for the night
at Bellfield, and strange to say he only lost one or two pickets by
the operation, whom “Moll” Green, of Co. B, accidentally came in
contact with. As Cole was returning the next day he came near
breaking up the blacksmith department, by capturing Jo. Conner and
Wm. Horseman, who were at work shoeing horses at the Woodgrove shop.
Several other soldiers were at the shop, but they made their escape.
Myers in the meantime had been scouting around in the neighborhoods
of Hillsborough and Lovettsville, and the night Cole was at
Bellfields, his party lay near Waterford, listening to the music of
a party of infantry left at that place as a reserve for Cole in case
he should need it.
What had been considered an impossibility the year before was now
demonstrated to be perfectly feasible, and to the great discomfort
of the border land both uniforms were daily seen by the citizens,
and very frequently followed each other so rapidly that when not in
actual chase, one party would scarcely be out of sight before the
other would be demanding rations and horse-feed, and making awful
threats against Rebels or Yankees as the case might be.
Not long after the bridge burning expedition the Colonel sent Capt.
Dowdell with his company and a part of Co. A, under Lieut. Conrad,
to look after Yankee scouting parties “between the hills,” as the
country lying between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill from
Hillsborough to the Potomac is called, while with seventeen of Co. A
he started himself to arrest a notorious Yankee spy and guide, in
Fairfax county, named Amey.
Capt. Dowdell, with fifty-five men, marched to St. Paul’s church
below Neersville, at night, and waited quietly in the woods for his
game, but no blue-jackets put in an appearance until about noon the
next day, when Dowdell’s scout, who was none other than the famous
John Mobberly, reported about one hundred Yankees coming from
Harper’s Ferry. Soon after this, the pickets on the Short Hill side
came in at a gallop, saying the enemy was in their rear, which
caused the Captain to wheel about and march his command in that
direction, and he soon came upon an interesting little fight between
Lieuts. Sam. Grubb and Ben. Conrad, who, while reconnoitering, had
run upon two of the enemy’s scouts engaged in the same business, and
had attempted their capture. After this was over they started back
to the grade, but the Yankees there had heard the firing and were
retreating towards the Ferry, and owing to difficulties presented by
the rough and broken country, considerable time was lost by Capt.
D.’s command in reaching the road, but those of the men who were
best mounted soon came up in the enemy’s rear, and chased them under
cover of the batteries on Maryland heights, wounding two and
capturing five, together with eight horses of the enemy, who proved
to be a scouting party of Means’ command, numbering about
seventy-five men, with three days’ rations, on an intended scout,
but owing to Capt. Dowdell’s interference with their plans, they did
not get more than two miles from their headquarters.
On their arrival at Harper’s Ferry, a brigade of cavalry was sent
out, which followed the Confederates to Hillsborough, but travelled
too slow to overtake them.
Col. White with his party had, in the meantime, passed through
Fairfax, by Hunter’s Mill, Lewensville and Vienna, to Green’s Store,
where he succeeded in taking Amey; and on his return was told by
“Jack” Dove, who got his information from Albert Gunnell, that a
strong force of the enemy had passed up after Col. Mosby, who had
been troubling them, as was the custom of that gallant and
enterprising officer; and Col. White turned out by Thornton’s Mill,
but just before reaching that place, about midnight, the prisoner,
who was riding behind one of the men, leaped from the horse and
escaped into the woods.
Several shots were fired at him, but with what effect no one could
tell, and the party moved forward again, and just before reaching
the mill were fired upon by a party hid behind a fence. The Colonel,
supposing them to be citizens, wheeled about and rode up to the
fence, but some of his men told him they were wounded, and the
firing being kept up, he turned to his guide saying, “They shoot too
well for citizens; show us the way out of here.” They now passed a
barn, from behind which a party of about one hundred opened another
fire upon them, at very short range, and Col. White ordered his men
to cross the Rail Road, but in attempting it were met and fired upon
by a third party of Yankees, when they turned to go up the Rail Road
and in a few yards were again exposed to a galling fire from a
fourth party. It now seemed that escape was impossible, but the
Colonel determined to make one more attempt, and his men following,
he rode over the Rail Road bank and got clear of the trap into which
they had so unwittingly wandered.
They lost two or three horses killed, but managed to get all the
wounded men out, and making the best time possible, were five miles
from Thornton’s when daylight came.
It was afterwards ascertained that the force of Yankees engaged in
this affair was over four hundred, and that the captured spy and
guide knew of the ambuscade, which induced him to risk so much in
his escape.
The next affair of importance was the raid to Lewensville, which
occurred about the 10th of October. One of his scouts had reported
to the Colonel that a cavalry camp of about two hundred men and
horses was located near that place, and taking with him about sixty
of Companies A and B, he secured the services of George Tramell as
pilot, and started on the hazardous expedition.
On arriving within five miles of the camp, about noon, the Colonel
halted his command to wait for night, and on cross-examining his
scout, elicited the fact that he had never seen the camp and knew
nothing except what citizens had told him, and not having anything
at all reliable from this source, upon which to base a plan of
attack, the Colonel resolved to find out for himself the enemy’s
situation, and putting on a Yankee uniform, he, with his guide,
started about sunset for the camp, leaving orders for the command to
meet him about 9 o’clock, at a designated point near the camp.
He reached the place at dark, and walked around it, finding where
the pickets were stationed, and the best way to get in, so that by
the time the men came to him he had his plan all arranged. Promptly
at the hour his people came, and dismounting about half of them he
placed them under command of “Jack” Dove, Co. A, and William Shehan,
Co. B, (than whom braver men never breathed,) with instructions to
march directly upon the camp, while, with the mounted men he made a
circuit and came in the enemy’s rear.
While the vedettes were halting the Colonel’s party, the dismounted
men had gone, unnoticed, into the camp and made their presence known
by firing a volley among the tents, which caused a general stampede
among all the Yankees who were able to run, and now White’s command
coming in, the camp was captured with about thirty prisoners and
sixty-three horses. The enemy lost about fifteen killed and wounded,
but none of the Confederates were injured, and with horses,
prisoners and plunder, the raiders retired to their camp at the
Trap.
A few days after this, news was received that Gen. Lee’s army was
advancing towards Washington, and Col. White, with a few men,
started on a scout towards Manassas, leaving Capt. Myers in charge
of the battalion, who, as soon as he heard that the Colonel had
reached his scouting ground, marched the command over to join him,
and on approaching Thoroughfare Gap, discovered a party of infantry,
who seemed disposed to hold the Gap, but a dashing charge resulted
in their capture, and they were found to be about twenty-five men
and a Lieutenant from a Vermont regiment, who had been left on
picket when their regiment retired.
Passing through the Gap the battalion met Col. White at Mt. Zion
church, and made several attempt to get among Gen. Meade’s wagons,
but he took quite as good care of them in his retreat as he had done
on his advance three months before, and the scouting only resulted
in the gathering in of a few straggling troopers who wandered too
far away from their main army.
The Colonel soon branched off again with his little squad, and
during his absence Gen. Stuart sent for Capt. Myers and ordered him
to get all the men together and report for duty to General Rosser,
who was now commanding the Ashby brigade, and shortly afterwards
Gen. Lee’s army retired to their old lines on the Rappahannock.
The Colonel returned and went to work gathering up his men
preparatory to going into the regular service again, and with heavy
hearts the battalion bade farewell to the fondly-loved border land,
about the 25th October, and marched to the camp of the brigade, then
near Flint Hill, in Rappahannock county.