The aura built around Colonel John S. Mosby has caused the exploits of
another "Border Partisan" to be almost entirely ignored. Lt. Col. E. V.
White, dashing leader of the 35th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, rendered
service to the Confederacy on a scale greater than that of the more
renowned Mosby. Too often White's Battalion was called from its warfare
to fight with other segments of the army, thus he was not afforded the
opportunity to be identified solely as a partisan. The hard bloody
fighting, while filling pages of the Official Records, does not appeal
to the romantic writer.
Elijah Viers White was born near Poolesville, Maryland, but at the
outbreak of war was farming in Loudoun County, Virginia. For
distinguished service as a volunteer aide to Colonel Eppa Hunton at
Ball's Bluff, White was commissioned captain in the Provisional Army of
the Confederacy with permission to organize an independent company for
service along the border. The original company was organized at Leesburg
in December, 1861. This company became the nucleus of the 35th
Battalion, better known as White's Battalion or "The Comanches." This
hardy band, under the daring leadership of White, possibly saw as much
action as any unit in the Confederate Army. Excellent riders, well
mounted, armed with two revolvers and a sabre, their attacks created
terror in the unsuspecting enemy.
Their first service with the regular army was as scouts and couriers for
General Ewell in the Valley. A strange attachment sprang up between "Old
Bald Head" and this little band of "Comanches." Ewell relied on their
information and they in turn idolized this eccentric dyspeptic.
White suffered the first of several wounds during the Valley Campaign,
but returned to duty in time to lead his men in the battles around
Richmond. They followed Ewell's Division on to Cedar Mountain where they
preyed on scattered parties from Pope's Army. As the armies moved on
toward Second Manassas, White returned to Loudoun where he surrounded
Captain Means' Loudoun Rangers in the Waterford Baptist Church. After a
two hour battle in which both sides suffered heavily the Rangers
surrendered and were paroled. He then joined the main Confederate Army
as it invaded Maryland. At Frederick, White fell under the displeasure
of General Stuart who ordered him back to the south side of the river.
(This was probably a renewal of the old argument that White had
organized only for border service.) Finally General Lee resolved their
differences by ordering White on a scouting expedition to Harpers Ferry
and to report only to him (Lee). The "Comanches" returned to Loudoun and
were engaged with Union Cavalry under Kilpatrick at Leesburg. In
charging 400 Blue cavalrymen the Confederates were repulsed and their
commander suffered a shoulder wound.
A Maryland company under Captain George W. Chiswell joined White, and
shortly thereafter three more companies were organized. His daring was
attracting young men in search of action. On October 28, 1862, Colonel
Bradley T. Johnson formally mustered these five companies into the
Confederate service; a sixth company was later added.
The battalion was quite active during McClellan's return from Maryland.
Striking quickly at loosely guarded wagon trains, White captured about
1000 prisoners and 200 wagons while the Federals were crossing Loudoun.
Christmas eve, 1862, saw the battalion ford the Potomac into Maryland
and bring off sixty horses and large quantities of supplies from upper
Montgomery County.
In January, 1863, White was formally assigned to "Grumble" Jones'
Brigade. Open mutiny almost broke out over this order as the men claimed
that theirs was an independent command not subject to assignment to any
regiment or brigade. The Maryland company claimed they owned no
allegiance to the Confederacy and had the right to select their service.
White soon quelled this insubordination and the battalion settled down
to fighting Yankees again. As in as many similar organizations
discipline was a problem. White was not a disciplinarian, believing that
his mission was to fight and leave the "house-keeping" to others;
however, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February.
The battalion continued to serve with Jones' Brigade in the Valley but
made frequent sorties into Loudoun to battle their old border enemies,
the Loudoun Rangers and Cole's Maryland Cavalry.
Ordered to join Ewell in Pennsylvania, White led Early's advance to the
Susquehanna. It was the "Comanches" who dashed into Gettysburg on June
26, and scattered the 26th Pennsylvania Militia, thus firing the first
shots on that great battlefield.
Again back in Virginia they served with Jones until his death, and then
with General Rosser as the brigade picked up the famous sobriquet of the
"Laurel Brigade." When Rosser moved on to division command White was the
popular choice to succeed him, but the old problem of discipline stood
in the way. Governor John Letcher and Judge Brockenborough petitioned
President Davis in White's behalf, but General Lee could not be swayed
because of the laxity of the battalion while not engaged in battle;
drilling and sabre grinding were termed as a "perfect nuisance" by
White. On one occasion General Lee wrote Rosser to say that no reports
had been received by the ordnance department from White's Battalion.
Rosser replied that he had never been able to get a report from White,
and if General Lee could get it he would be happy to see it.
Hard service had depleted the battalion to a mere skeleton of its former
organization by the fall of 1864, but a favorite pastime throughout that
winter was raiding General Devin's lines around Lovettsville. Devin had
camped his cavalry brigade there to protect the B & O Railroad and the
Canal against raids by White and Mosby, but hardly a night passed in
which the pickets were not fired on.
Engaged at Five Forks, the battalion now numbering only eighty men,
formed the rear guard for Pickett and Fitz Lee as the long retreat to
Appomattox began.
At High Bridge the "Laurel Brigade" was surrounded by both infantry and
cavalry. General James Dearing, then in command of the brigade, ordered
a charge to break the encircling ring. Dearing went down mortally
wounded but White led the brigade through. At last the command which had
been so long denied was his, but only for a few days. As the infantry
surrendered at Appomattox White led the brigade on to Lynchburg
following Rosser. There they disbanded to seek paroles individually over
the next few weeks.
The battalion hardly numbered more than five hundred men, but accounted
for many times their number in killed, wounded, and captured of the
enemy. If they had bothered to carry a guidon its battle streamers would
have shown The Seven Days, Cedar Mountain, Brandy Station, Gettysburg,
Mine Run, Wilderness, Trevilliam Station, The Cattle Raid, Petersburg
and Five Forks. In addition to these were the countless unnamed
skirmishes that occurred daily.
The 35th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, led by the intrepid White, was
truly one of the best fighting organizations in the Confederacy.
[Illustration: Confederate Monument in front of the Court House,
Leesburg.]
IN MEMORY OF THE
CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS
OF LOUDOUN COUNTY VA.
ERECTED MAY 28 1908