The Valley Campaigns - Chapters XXI-XXIV



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CHAPTER XXI 
THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN

   IN the latter part of June, 1863, the Confederate army broke camp on 
the Rappahannock and began the march north in the direction of western 
Maryland. The main route of march was across the Blue Ridge, through 
Chester's Gap by way of our village. 

   The force under General Lee amounted to over 70,000 men, including 
infantry, cavalry, and artillery. This large body of men were three days 
in passing through our place, and they presented a most interesting and 
impressive sight. It was the largest army I had ever seen or have seen 
since, and I recall a number of incidents connected with the march. The 
men were in splendid condition and in high spirits. As they passed through 
the village the soldiers closed up their ranks and the bands played as if 
on parade. The artillery and the wagons, interspersed between the 
different commands, added to the impressiveness of the occasion and gave a 
good idea of the details and appurtenances of war. 

   Two miles north of the village this large body of men had to cross the 
Shenandoah River at a 

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point where the north and south branches meet to make the main river. At 
this confluence a pontoon bridge had been placed, and the men, and wagons, 
and artillery had to cross in a narrow file. The passage of the army over 
the bridge was slow, and the marching columns were often delayed and had 
to rest by the roadside until the line of march could be continued. For 
miles the road was often blocked, and while the men were waiting for the 
order to march they had a merry time by the way. I recall one of these 
incidents as it made a lasting impression on me. 

   The division commanded by General A. P. Hill was passing through the 
village and had to halt until the block at the river was open. It was in 
the early forenoon, and the day was somewhat foggy and damp. 

   The men resting by the roadside and in the field adjoining were 
laughing at the pranks in which some of their comrades were engaged. The 
field was covered with bats, which were flying around, darting here and 
there, and coming so close to the ground that they could almost be reached 
with a long stick. The men were striking at these bats with sticks, 
bayonets, and guns, - anything, in fact, that they could find to throw at 
them. The fun was most exciting, and the men made perfect pandemonium as 
they tried to hit these swift-flying little creatures. Though there were 
hundreds 

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of men and an enormous number of bats, not one was struck. This fun lasted 
for a half-hour and only stopped when the order to march was given. 

   General Hill and his staff, dismounted, were standing in a field near 
the road while this fun was going on and they entered into the sport with 
as much zest as the boys. The General laughed immoderately at the 
performances of the soldiers and laid aside all the graver cares of war. 
When the line of march was taken up I and several boys of about my age 
joined the men and went to the river to see them cross on the pontoon. We 
spent the entire day watching the different commands file across the 
bridge. It was a sight that few boys can ever see and was worth the time 
we gave to it. 

   As we were marching along the road one of the men called me and asked 
me to carry his gun. This was just the thing I wanted to do and in a few 
minutes I was loaded down with guns. After carrying them a short distance 
I would give them back to their owners and in return they would give me a 
handful of caps. Before I reached the river my pockets were filled with 
caps. One of my boy companions was named Charlie. I called out, "Charlie, 
come and get this man's gun." In an instant the men along the line as far 
as we could hear took up the cry and called, "Charlie, Charlie, come and 
get my gun," so that before 

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we reached the river Charlie had more guns and caps than he could carry 
and his name was known to every man in the command. 

   This little incident will show some of the small things that make up a 
soldier's life, and how these men in daily contact with the hardships of 
march, life in camp, and on the firing line can find fun and real 
enjoyment. It was this spirit that often held men to the duties of 
military life, for with all its dangers and trials men often found 
satisfaction in camp life, on the march, and in the strife of battle. 

   After the army had passed our way we were left within the Confederate 
lines and were in anxious expectation of the results from the front. 
General Lee pushed forward his men, and after crossing the Potomac he 
advanced through Maryland into Pennsylvania. In the meantime the Federal 
army under General George Meade had assembled a large force near the line 
dividing the States of Maryland and Pennsylvania in the neighborhood of 
Emmetsburg and Gettysburg. The two armies were approaching and at length, 
on the afternoon of July 2d, 1863, they ran up against each other and the 
opening battle began at Gettysburg. 

   In the first encounter the Federals were driven back through the town; 
but the Confederates failed to occupy the strong position on the heights 

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south, known as Cemetery Hill. The battle was renewed on the 3d and 4th 
with desperate fighting on both sides. The advantage was with the Federals 
as they were on the defensive and held very strong positions. 

   In the assaults made by the Confederates during the second and third 
days the losses were very heavy and the position was firmly held by the 
Federals. The celebrated charge made on the 4th of July by General 
Pickett's command has gone down in history. At the close of the third 
day's battle the two armies were so badly crippled that neither ventured 
to renew the fight. General Lee withdrew his army and retired to the south 
bank of the Potomac. He was not closely followed by the Federal forces. 

   The battle of Gettysburg was very disastrous in its final results to 
the Confederate cause. It was the high-water mark of the war and from that 
time on the success of the South was held in a balance until the final 
overthrow two years later. 

   On the retreat of the Confederate army from Gettysburg it passed for 
the second time through our village. Its condition on the retreat was far 
different from that on its advance. The men and the equipments of the army 
plainly indicated the rough service that had been experienced. The ranks 
of many of the regiments were depleted, the horses and wagons were worn 
and broken down 

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in many instances, and the morale of the troops had suffered greatly. 
There were many wounded and sick and a general indication of 
disorganization. Many of the men who had passed our way a few weeks before 
in high spirits and confident of victory had been left dead on the field 
of battle or were wounded and prisoners in the hands of the enemy. It was 
a sad spectacle to our people and many hearts were in deep distress, for a 
number of our boys had been killed and were buried on Northern soil, while 
others were wounded and in Northern prisons. 

   A boy with whom I had gone to school was mortally wounded in a cavalry 
engagement at a place called Fairfield. Some of his comrades buried his 
body in the corner of the yard of a citizen, but while they were giving 
the last rites of burial they were being pressed by the Federal cavalry 
and had to leave before the grave was entirely covered with earth. This 
poor fellow still sleeps in the spot where his friends left him. On the 
retreat a regiment of Confederate infantry, in which there was a company 
from our county had been left on duty at Winchester and did not get across 
the Potomac. 

   This regiment was sent in advance to hold one of the gaps of the Blue 
Ridge and to protect the line of retreat of the main army, which was to 
follow. In some way I heard that these men were 

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going to cross the river and also that a pontoon bridge would be thrown 
across the stream. With the curiosity of a boy I, with several of my 
companions, went out to the river in the early morning and saw the men 
cross, remaining all day on the bank to see the men make the pontoon 
bridge. 

   The regiment had to ford before the bridge had been placed in position, 
and as the water was deep there was considerable difficulty in getting the 
men over. Some removed parts of their clothing and others plunged in and 
waded through, regardless of clothes, carrying their arms and ammunition 
above their heads. After reaching the opposite bank they formed in line 
and took up their march. I did not go back to the village, but remained, 
as I have stated, to see pontoons laid. 

   Late in the afternoon I returned home with my companions and on the way 
back met several Confederate soldiers with a Federal prisoner. I was not 
aware that the Federal army was within miles of our village and we asked 
the soldiers where they had got this prisoner. They then told us that the 
regiment we had seen crossing the river in the morning had scarcely taken 
a position in the Gap some four miles east of our place before the Federal 
cavalry charged into their pickets and ran them in; that the regiment had 
hardly time to form when a general charge was 

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made and a general engagement followed. The position of the regiment was 
well taken in a piece of timber which skirted the road as it curved around 
a deep ravine. When the head of the Federal cavalry regiment charged down 
this road it practically ran into an ambush, and the Confederates poured a 
volley into its ranks, which killed 17 horses and a number of men in a 
bend of the road within a distance of less than one hundred yards. 

   The road was too narrow for the cavalry to retreat and it had to run 
the gauntlet of the fire until the distance was covered and they could 
spread out in the fields beyond the woods. A number of these Federals were 
captured. The regiment then formed in line and made an advance to a 
position on a high hill, one mile beyond the woods where they were 
encamped. In this position they formed in line of battle and waited for an 
assault from the enemy's forces. A deep ravine separated the two armies, 
now drawn up in line of battle on opposite hills, about one mile from each 
other. There was some exchange of firing and an advance and retreat, with 
only a few casualties. The color-bearer, Bob Buchanan, of the Confederate 
regiment was wounded in the right hip and thigh. This poor fellow was 
brought to my home the morning after the fight, and we cared for him for 
several months 

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until he was able to go to a hospital in the interior. I shall have to say 
something about this soldier later on, for he has an interesting history, 
and he played an important part in my boyhood life while under treatment 
in my home. 

   It was most fortunate for General Lee that the regiment here referred 
to had got in position as soon as it did and that it was able to hold the 
Gap in the mountain until the main body of the army came up. It enabled 
the entire army to cross over into eastern Virginia by a direct route. But 
for this the entire army would have been forced to retreat by way of the 
Shenandoah Valley and cross the Blue Ridge much further south. It would 
have given the Federal troops under General Meade the inner line of travel 
and the possession of Fredericksburg before the Confederates could have 
reached the place. 

   On the following day the Federals attempted to force the Gap, but as 
the main body of the Federal army had not come up and as Lee had placed a 
larger force in the Gap the place was securely held. I have a vivid 
recollection of a visit to the place where the engagement of the previous 
evening had taken place, then in the possession of the Confederates, - and 
this visit simply goes to illustrate the character of a boy whose 
curiosity is often greater than his discretion. I did not ask 

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my parents' permission, but with several of my companions undertook to go 
and see what a battlefield looked like after the fight was over. It was 
not a prudent thing for a small boy to do, but I was not thinking of 
possibilities, being too deeply interested in what was going on. While we 
were seeing the sights of the day before, the two armies were drawn up in 
line of battle on opposite hills a mile away, and batteries of artillery 
were in position to begin work at any moment. No one knew at what moment 
an attack would begin. 

   Scattered along the road and in fields by the roadside the division of 
Texans, commanded by General Hood, was resting, under orders in broken 
ranks. These men were lying down under shade trees, wandering about the 
fields looking for berries and fruit, while some were eating, others were 
sleeping, and all were patiently waiting to be called to do battle. Under 
some cherry trees in the same field were Federal soldiers who had been 
wounded the day before and had not yet been carried to the hospital. I 
heard one of the Confederates remark that these men were mortally wounded 
and too near death to be disturbed. I also saw one dead Federal soldier, 
who had not yet been buried. He had been stripped of every stitch of 
clothing and was as naked as 

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when he had come into this world. He had probably been dead only a short 
time, for he was the only one not buried. 

   The next evening the Federal army came up and made an attack but was 
repulsed. As the Federals were driven back, the Confederates followed, 
with a charge that drove the attacking party back to a very strong 
position. For several hours the artillery and infantry were engaged; no 
results followed other than the death of several hundred men and the 
wounding of many more. The Confederate wounded were brought to our village 
and were quartered in the hotel, then unoccupied. 

   After the third day the entire army had passed through, and it was no 
longer necessary to hold the Gap. The Confederates withdrew, and the 
following morning the Federal army took possession of our village. These 
men were in a desperate frame of mind and wherever they went they robbed 
and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on, sweeping the 
country through which they passed like a cyclone and inflicting great 
suffering on our citizens. The excuse they gave for this highway robbery 
was that the Confederates had cleaned up things as they passed through 
Maryland and Pennsylvania, seeming to forget the fact that they had first 
set the example during their previous invasions of the South. 

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   An incident happened in my home at that time which explains the nature 
of the situation. Soon after the Federal troops entered the village a 
Federal officer, dressed in the uniform of a colonel, rode up to our home, 
and dismounting, came to the front door, where he was met by some member 
of the family. He very politely asked if he could see a late Richmond 
paper. He was invited into the hall and a chair was given to him. We 
fortunately had a late paper, which was handed to him and he quietly began 
to read it. In the meantime my mother came in and offered him a glass of 
ice water, which he accepted. She then offered him a glass of milk and a 
sandwich which he seemed to enjoy. While he was in the house a cavalryman 
rode up in the back yard and told one of the servants that he wanted all 
the silver in the house and that he intended to have it, drawing his 
pistol and commanding the servant to go and get the plate. In great alarm 
she went into the house and told my mother what the man had said; 
whereupon my mother went out to where the man was sitting on his horse. He 
then repeated his threat. My mother went into the hall where the officer 
was seated and asked him to protect her. He immediately went out and 
ordered the man to leave the place at once, taking his name and command 
and declaring that he would have him arrested as soon as he returned to 
his 

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command. This officer remained in our house for several hours. We had no 
further trouble. Had he not been present this cavalryman would probably 
have robbed us. I think, also, that the kindly way my mother had treated 
him had made him act as promptly as he did. We never learned his name, but 
we know that he was a gentleman and a true man. 

   That same afternoon these Federal troops left our village and we did 
not see a Federal soldier for months. Our section of country was now free 
from military operations and we were at liberty to do as we pleased. The 
domestic life of the community now went along quietly and peacefully and 
we lived for the time being as happily as circumstances would permit, 
considering the anxiety that beset many homes, as the men in the army were 
still exposed to casualties of war. 

   When the Federals left they did not disturb the wounded soldiers in the 
hotel or other places where they had been left by their commands. These 
wounded men were cared for until able to resume duty. 

   The young color-bearer who had been carried from the fight to our house 
with the two wounds in his thigh, was nursed as carefully as possible. We 
had no surgeons to dress his wounds, - which were flesh wounds, but were 
infected and discharged very freely, - and I soon 

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learned to dress them for him. He grew pale and thin but he was patient 
and appreciative and I became very fond of him. 

   I would spend much of my time in his room trying to amuse him and he, 
in return, gave me many interesting accounts of his military experiences. 
He was only 19 years of age and was the color sergeant of his regiment, in 
which position he was greatly exposed to danger in battle. He told me that 
three men had been killed carrying the flag before he had been promoted to 
the position. He had been wounded in the first engagement in which he had 
acted as color-bearer. I enjoyed the company of this young soldier and was 
sorry when he left. 

   After he was able to walk on crutches he was eager to get within the 
lines, as he was apprehensive that a raiding party would come and take him 
to prison. Late in the fall he went to Lynchburg and entered a hospital, 
where, we afterward learned, he died of smallpox contracted there. 



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CHAPTER XXII 
THE FALL AND WINTER OF 1863

   THE fall and winter of 1863 brought quiet and rest to our community. 
The military operations of both armies had practically ceased in Virginia. 
The men went into winter quarters and only a few raiding parties of 
cavalry were now and then seen. A brigade of Confederate cavalry encamped 
about two miles south of our village for some four or five weeks to rest 
their horses and secure food for the men and animals. It was a season of 
rest for man and beast. A number of the men who lived near were given 
short furloughs, as they lived near their homes and could report for duty 
in a few hours. Those who remained in camp amused themselves with 
different sports, among which was horse racing. Close to the encampment 
was a long and level river bottom that made an excellent race course. 

   A most exciting race took place between horses belonging to Colonel 
Massie and Lieutenant-Colonel O'Farrell, of the 12th Virginia Regiment, - 
a race that I had the pleasure of witnessing. Colonel Massie owned a farm 
in the northern part of our county on which he raised some well-bred 

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colts. Among these colts was a three-year-old that had never been shod and 
was scarcely bridle-wise. It had been running in pasture with the cattle 
and had never had a touch of a currycomb. Its hair was long and coarse 
and, with its unkempt hair, it looked like a sheep. The boys on the farm 
had discovered that the colt was a fast runner. Lieutenant-Colonel 
O'Farrell had a very handsome and showy horse, full of spirit and energy, 
but, like many showy persons, it did not have much real merit. This 
Colonel Massie knew, for he was an excellent judge of horses. He 
accordingly made a bet with his lieutenant-colonel that his colt could 
beat the showy horse. 

   All the arrangements were made for the race, and the entire camp was in 
high glee for the sport. The betting ran high and the odds were in favor 
of the horse, as the colt presented an ugly appearance. When the race was 
planned the men gathered on a bluff along the side of the race course and 
had a splendid view of the track from start to finish. The colt was 
brought out and was ridden by a boy of 15, - a son of the Colonel, - who 
rode bareback and used his hat as a whip. The horse, ridden by a man in 
the regiment, had on his handsome trappings and was very showy and 
spirited. The colt, to the contrary, was as meek as Moses, and few 
believed that it had any go or merit. When the order was 

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given for the start the two horses flew up the track amidst the shoutings 
and cries of the men, keen with excitement and intent on the finale. The 
boy on the colt soon took the lead and when the two entries passed the 
judges' stand he was some lengths ahead. The horse seemed winded, but the 
colt paid no attention to the honors it had won and walked around as 
quietly as though nothing had been done. The excitement was wild; the men 
threw up their hats, yelled, and made the woods and fields echo with their 
shouts. As the betting had been largely on the horse the winner gave good 
returns, and money changed hands very freely. 

   This was the first horse race I ever saw, and it was worth more than 
all I have seen since because of picturesque and unique surroundings. 
These soldiers entered into the spirit of the occasion and forgot for the 
time the hardships and cares of war. 

   A few weeks later the command moved away and made an excursion into 
western Virginia as far as the town of Keyser, on the Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad, where they captured and destroyed much property. One of the boys 
in the command, who had been my schoolmate in the early spring and who was 
a witness of the horse race I have described, was killed in a charge upon 
a garrison posted in Greenland Gap. He was a gallant 

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young man, not over 18 years of age, and had seen service in the army less 
than half a year. 

   I recall a most exciting chase of two Confederate cavalrymen by a 
company of Federal cavalry that I witnessed in the fall of 1863, and which 
to the looker-on, at least, was real sport. 

   I was playing in the front yard of my home and saw two Confederate 
soldiers riding along the road in the direction of Winchester. Each man 
was leading a horse, which was probably being taken home to be turned out 
for a winter's rest. When these men had reached the brow of a hill, where 
the pike leads down to the river, they ran up against a company of Federal 
cavalry coming in the opposite direction. As soon as they saw the 
Federals, - who were not over one hundred yards in front of them, - they 
wheeled their horses and took to their heels; but not before they had been 
seen by the Federals. The two Confederates ran back as fast as they could 
go, - letting the led horses loose to follow, - the Federal cavalry in hot 
pursuit; but, having fast-running horses, they gained in distance on their 
pursuers, so that when they were opposite my home they were some three 
hundred yards in the lead. Opposite my home was a large field, then in the 
commons. When this field was reached the two led horses left the road and, 
with heads and tails up, ran out in the field and made a circle around in 

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front of their pursuers. The horses suddenly turned their heads in the 
direction of the men following and with loud snorts seemed to bid defiance 
to their followers. They waited for a moment until the Federals were 
within a hundred yards of them when they suddenly wheeled around and made 
up the road after the two cavalrymen as fast as they could run. The 
Federals fired their pistols at the horses and pressed on after them; but 
the animals made a safe escape and soon joined the two Confederates. When 
the pursuers saw that they could not overtake the two men and their horses 
they gave up the chase. The attitude of defiance which these two horses 
put up amused me greatly, for they seemed to know instinctively that they 
were being followed, and they entered into the sport of the chase with as 
great a show of high spirits as young colts in the pasture. The two 
Confederates probably did not enjoy the chase half so much, as they were 
bent on getting away from their pursuers. 

   That reminds me of a similar case that I witnessed about a year 
later, - the chase being by a squad of Federal cavalrymen in pursuit of 
one Confederate. On this occasion the soldier was a one-armed Confederate 
named Clarence Broadus, whom some of our people knew well. Clarence was a 
native of Page County, and had lost an arm in battle. He was afterwards 
appointed a 

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conscript officer in the service of the Government and was very active in 
running down men who were eligible to military duty. He was an energetic 
and daring fellow and had made some narrow escapes in hunting men who were 
dodging service and who hid in the mountains away from the sight of men. 
Clarence used to go after these characters and was several times fired 
upon from ambush by some of them, but he usually landed the man he was 
after and was much feared by the shirkers of military service. He made 
frequent visits to our village and on one occasion came very near being 
captured by the Federals. One day, as he was sitting on his horse in the 
main street of the village, a company of Federal cavalry made its entrance 
at the north end of the street, coming from the direction of Winchester. 
Clarence sat quietly on his horse until the Federals were within one 
hundred yards of him, when he pulled off his hat and beckoned to them to 
come on and capture him, firing off his pistol, putting spurs to his horse 
that ran as fast as it could go. The Federals followed him in hot pursuit; 
but he soon outdistanced them, and as he ran he would turn in his saddle 
and fire his pistol at them, calling to them to come on. With the stump of 
the amputated arm he guided his horse, while he used the pistol with the 
other hand. The horse he rode was a handsome dun and very fleet. 

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It had been trained to obey his command, and was easily guided or checked 
by his handless arm. 

   Clarence was a man that took all kinds of risks and it was a surprise 
that he got through the war with his life. I do not know what became of 
him after the war. 

   While on the subject of conscript duty carried on by the Government 
during the last year of the war, it may not be uninteresting to the 
present-day reader to know what strenuous efforts were made to secure 
recruits for the army. Every white male in good physical health, between 
the ages of 16 and 60 years, was subject to military duty during the last 
years of the war; and few men escaped the service. My own county had been 
raked, and I know of but two men who were able to dodge the service, one 
of whom had managed to keep out of the army until the fall of 1864, when 
he was forced to enter the service. He bought a horse and had himself 
equipped with uniform and high-top cavalry boots, which he wore around 
like a knight on parade. He was always pretending that he was going to the 
front but in some way he managed to stay around his home and never was 
enrolled in any company. The war closed in time to save him from arrest. 

   The other man had enlisted in one of the infantry companies at the 
beginning of the war, but he soon deserted and hid in the mountains near 
his 

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old home until he was at length caught, tried for desertion, and sentenced 
to be shot. His father was a very reputable citizen, and through the 
influence of friends he succeeded in getting the sentence of death 
removed, upon condition that his son should do other work for the 
Government. The man was made useful at a post removed from danger; for he 
was simply one of the class of constitutional cowards. A case of 
constitutional cowardice, with which I came in contact as a boy, was that 
of a man in the army that had a fear of bullets which he could not 
overcome. Whenever he went into an engagement he invariably ran, and no 
threats of his officers could overcome that fear. He admitted that he 
could not help running and begged to be transferred to some branch of 
service in which he would not be exposed to danger. He was a correct man 
in every respect, and in camp or on the march always did his duty, while 
his comrades respected him and sympathized with him, for he did not 
profess to be courageous, as some cowards do. This man was forced by his 
captain to go into a fight, and under the influence of the fear that 
overcame him, he went to the Federals, became a deserter, and remained in 
the North as a non-combatant until the close of the war. 

   I always had a deep sympathy for this fellow and have always thought 
that the captain of his 

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company made a great mistake in not having him assigned to the hospital 
corps where he would have been of far greater service to his country than 
in the ranks. Courage, both physical and moral, is a gift that all men do 
not possess in the same degree. The man who has it is not necessarily 
better than the man who has to struggle to overcome his weakness of 
temperament. Some of the best men I have known, - men who were soldiers in 
the army, - have told me that nothing but pride and a high sense of duty 
had held them steadfast under the great dangers of battle. 



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CHAPTER XXIII 
ROSSER'S RIDE AROUND MEADE'S ARMY

   ON December the 16th, 1863, General Rosser, in command of the Laurel 
Brigade, made a raid around the army of General Meade, - a raid that 
created much interest and excitement, and one that presented a remarkable 
illustration of the daring and endurance of the Confederate cavalry. 

   Leaving Fredericksburg with his command of three regiments and the 
battalion of White, Rosser forded the Rappahannock and moved by rapid 
marches around the army of Meade, encamped along the north bank of the 
river in the neighborhood of the old encampment of Burnside. By a 
circuitous route Rosser pushed forward in the direction of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains, traveling over muddy and frozen roads, crossing dangerous 
streams, and contesting every mile with the forces of the enemy that were 
either opposing or following his march. For three days his men were kept 
constantly in the saddle, suffering for food and sleep and from the 
severity of the weather. It was not until they reached Upperville that 
they were able to go into camp for a night's rest; and when they did get 
there some of the men were 

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so frozen that they had to be lifted from their saddles, and their horses 
were jaded and half starved. After resting overnight Rosser crossed the 
mountains at Ashby's Gap and then followed the banks of the Shenandoah 
River until he reached Front Royal, at dusk in the evening of December 19. 

   Within 72 hours Rosser had traveled from Fredericksburg to our village, 
covering a distance of over one hundred miles and only resting in camp one 
night. The weather was rainy and cold, and both men and horses suffered 
severely. When our village was reached General Rosser and his staff spent 
the night in my home, and I am able from this fact to recall the facts 
connected with the raid. I have never seen men so worn out and dilapidated 
in appearance. After a hearty supper they went to their rooms and slept 
like dead men. The next morning when Rosser and his staff appeared at the 
breakfast table they were much refreshed by sleep and gave an account of 
the experience of the past four days in the saddle. 

   I remember General Rosser as he looked at that time. He was a man of 
large stature and striking appearance, - muscular, well built, and 
athletic. He was then not over 26 years of age. He had graduated at West 
Point in April, 1861, and immediately after graduation resigned from the 
Federal 

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army and went South to join the Confederate forces. He was made a 
lieutenant of artillery, but was soon transferred to the cavalry and made 
colonel of the Fifth Virginia Cavalry. His dash and daring soon brought 
him into notice and he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and 
given the command of the old Ashby Brigade, now called the Laurel Brigade. 
As the commander of this brigade he made a distinguished record in the 
last years of the war. The raid which is here referred to, and that added 
largely to his fame, was made soon after he took command of the brigade. 
After resting overnight in our village the command moved south to Luray 
and later went into camp in the upper Valley where forage was provided for 
the horses. 

   My recollections of this expedition made by Rosser are made most 
impressive by one circumstance which had a peculiar interest to a boy of 
my age. The morning following the stay of Rosser in my home one of the 
couriers on the staff, named Will Aisquith, was compelled to leave with us 
the horse he had ridden, for the reason that when he had taken the animal 
out of the stable after a night's rest the poor beast was so stiff that it 
could scarcely move. I have never seen a more emaciated and miserable-
looking horse than this one, and as Will Aisquith had no idea that the 
animal would live he gave her to me. I took 

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charge of her, fed her, and looked after her comfort until she was able to 
move about. After a few weeks she began to improve in strength and I was 
able to ride her. During the rest of the winter she became my constant 
companion and the amount of pleasure I got out of her would be difficult 
to tell. To a boy of my age she was invaluable at that time, for good 
horses were not then to be had and we were glad to use any old plugs left 
by the armies. 

   When the spring came I took this mare to the mountains where good 
pasturage was to be had, where she was not exposed to capture by the 
Federals, and where I could make occasional visits to see her. Before the 
early summer came she had got as fat as a seal, and had so improved in 
appearance that no one would have recognized her unless well acquainted 
with her in her more prosperous days. Some time during the summer Will 
Aisquith came to our village and, recalling the old mare he had left with 
me to die, came to my home to inquire about her. When I told him of her 
present condition and that he could have her if he wanted her, he was so 
happy at the idea, that I went at once with him to the mountain, some four 
miles distant, and after chasing the mare for some time we caught her, and 
Aisquith went away rejoicing. I never heard of the mare after she was 
again put in the service of the cavalry. She 

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probably soon went the way of all horse flesh. She came into my life at a 
time to add to its enjoyment and robustness and, like other old war horses 
I owned as a boy, passed out of my hands to reenter service and to die in 
the cause of war. 

   In the history of human warfare, where this noble beast braves all the 
dangers of battle and bears all the hardship of military service with 
unselfish loyalty, it will be found that the horse responds more promptly 
to the calls of duty and service than any living creature. The old war 
horse has, therefore, a peculiar interest to me and I love to recall his 
heroic services and to pay respect to his deeds. 

   In the War between the States the cavalry service in my section was 
both conspicuous and brilliant. Our people are a horse-loving people; and 
from the very earliest years of childhood our boys and girls are taught to 
ride, and there are few youths who do not excel in horsemanship, so that 
when the war came many of our best young men entered the cavalry. Out of 
five companies that went from my county into the Confederate army three 
were cavalry and a number were members of Mosby's independent command. 
These men were all first-class riders and were mounted on the best of 
horses. Three of these cavalry companies were in the Laurel Brigade; and 
it is probable that no brigade of cavalry in either army measured up to 

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the standard of the Laurel Brigade in all that makes the efficient 
cavalryman. 

   No Arab of the desert was ever more devoted to his steed than the 
Virgina cavalryman was to his horse. The flower and chivalry of the Valley 
and Piedmont counties were enlisted in cavalry service, each man owning 
his own horse, and each horse being filled with the pride and spirit of 
his rider. No braver and bolder riders followed Spotswood and the Knights 
of the Golden Horseshoe than followed Ashby and Rosser in the Valley 
campaigns. No better mounts were ever known in war than the horses ridden 
by these men. 

   Both before and during the war the Valley horse was famous for his 
speed, endurance, and spirited life. These animals gave such an advantage 
to the cavalry service that the success of Stonewall Jackson in his Valley 
campaign was largely attributed to the cavalry of his command. After Ashby 
and Jackson passed away the reputation of the cavalry was kept up by 
Rosser and the old Laurel Brigade. These men held out until the war closed 
and many of them brought their old horses home to work in the wagon and in 
the plow. 

   A relative of mine owned one of these old cavalry horses after the 
war, - a horse that he had purchased at a sale by the Government of army 
horses, at Winchester. This old horse had been in many a cavalry charge 
and still had all the fire 

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of war in his heart, though he had been degraded to the service of the 
wagon and of the plow and to the quiet life of the farm. It was one of my 
greatest pleasures to ride this old animal; for with the slightest 
encouragement he would take the bit in his mouth and run as fast as his 
legs would carry him. With all my strength I was unable to hold him in 
until I could bring him to a long hill and wind him. When a cheer was made 
or another horse attempted to pass him he imagined he was in a charge, and 
away he would go until almost completely exhausted. I greatly admired and 
loved this old fellow. He gave me many happy hours. 

   Our county, so famous before the war for its high-bred horses, still 
retains this distinction, which has within the last two years been 
recognized by the Government by the establishment of a Remount Mount 
Station that promises to become one of the most important horse-breeding 
establishments in this country. The landscape, climate and grass of my old 
county are especially adapted to the growth and raising of the highest 
class of cavalry horses, and here the United States Government has 
purchased a large body of land and is now extensively engaged in raising 
horses for army service. 

   But - to return to my story - during the winter months our school was 
conducted without interruption. 

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We boys and girls had a most pleasant time at school, and after school 
hours our home life was filled with profitable duties. We had to do much 
of the work around our homes and on the farm, and when not engaged in 
these duties we had many opportunities for hunting and for the sports of 
the season, such as skating and coasting, horseback riding, and sleighing; 
for we had a few old army horses, somewhat broken down in service but 
still retaining the spirit of previous army service. These horses had been 
trained in the cavalry, and, because of the practice of service in the 
charge and the excitement of battle they were fiery and mettlesome, and 
would run and jump, with all the spirit of younger animals. There was the 
greatest abundance of wild game, such as rabbits, partridges, wild turkeys 
and pheasants. We boys would set snares for the rabbits and with our old 
army muskets, loaded with slugs, would hunt in the fields and woods for 
the larger game. In this way we had most pleasant experiences, and we 
seldom failed to bring home the fruits of our hunting excursions. I became 
quite an expert shot with the musket and pistol, and practiced the use of 
these arms by shooting from the back of the horse which had been trained 
to stand under fire. A number of the boys had these old army horses and we 
had amusing experiences with them, the most exciting of which 

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was running to the mountains when the report came that the Federals were 
going to raid the village. It was only in this way we could keep 
possession of our horses. There was usually some announcement given of the 
coming of these raiding parties, - often false alarms, - but we would 
mount our old horses and run to the mountains and refugee for one or more 
days until all fear of the enemy had quieted down. The Blue Ridge 
Mountains and their foothills were close to our village, and into these 
mountains the enemy seldom went. Much of this mountain land was in grass, 
and during the war a great deal of it was kept under cultivation, corn, 
wheat, rye and oats being raised. But for this circumstance we would have 
suffered much more for necessary food. All the farm lands in the valley 
and along the roads were without fencing and what crops the farmers could 
grow were taken or destroyed by the armies that passed through. 

   During the winter of 1863 our farmers were able to gather the crops 
they raised, and we did not suffer greatly for food supplies. The greatest 
difficulty we had was in getting labor to cultivate the land and gather 
the grain. We still had a number of faithful negroes and they, with the 
aid of the old men and boys, did the work of the farm, while our women and 
girls did the work of the home. To tell the truth, we boys and girls 

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enjoyed doing the work, for there was an excitement and interest in it 
that more than compensated for the drudgery of labor. We were being taught 
lessons of self-sacrifice and of hardship that were valuable in building 
up our characters and habits. While we children were growing up under 
these severe conditions of life, our older people were even greater 
sufferers by the acts of war. Their property, the fruits of early 
industry, was being swept away; their nearest of kin were in the army, 
exposed to the casualties of war, and almost every family was in mourning 
for the death of some near relative who had lost his life in service, and 
as the war progressed it became more and more apparent to our older 
citizens that the results of the conflict were be- coming more and more 
uncertain. 

   Christmas Day, 1863, I shall always remember. The boys at home on 
furlough decided to give our people an illustration of a sham battle. All 
who had horses entered into the engagement. The men were divided, and one 
party was to be that of attack, and the other party on the defense. The 
pistols were loaded with blank cartridges, and everything was done to make 
the fight as realistic as possible. 

   One party took a position at the north end of the village. The 
attacking party made an assault on this position and when it was repulsed 

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it was driven through the main street as fast as the horses could carry 
them, both sides firing their pistols and going through the fight as if it 
were an actual battle. There was an advance and then a retreat, charge and 
countercharge, until one party completely routed the other. When these men 
had finished with their sham battle they presented an appearance that I am 
scarcely able to describe. There had been a slight snow on the ground and 
the streets were full of slush and mud. As the horses ran over the streets 
they threw the snow and mud in the faces of each other and all were 
literally covered with mud. Both horses and men were in the dirtiest 
condition possible and presented a most horrible plight. If this is war, I 
thought, may Heaven spare me such an experience! Yet this was actual war 
without its carnage. As no one was hurt and the mud could be removed, no 
serious harm came of it. 

   I remember that I hung up my stocking on Christmas Eve and when I 
opened it the following morning I found in it some cakes, apples, walnuts, 
and doughnuts, but no candy, toys, and the things that boys usually get in 
times of peace from Santa Claus. I thought the old man must have put me on 
a war diet. But I was just as happy, for my wants were simple in those 
days. 

   We saw no candy during the last two years of 

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the war and had no toys, but I had a pair of old skates and several old 
muskets and pistols that gave me all the amusement I wanted. I made my own 
wagons and sleighs and coasted the hills on a plank, which is just as good 
as the best sled; and he who thinks that the simple life is not worth 
living, let him live as I spent my boyhood days during the war, and he 
will learn what pleasure the simple things of life can give. For if I did 
not have fun and sport, I do not know what such things are. If I did not 
have the refinements, as we know them now, I had a training in manly and 
strenuous ways that give a boy an endurance which the hardships of the 
times could not break down. I grew very fast in stature and took so much 
physical exercise that I was very strong for one of my age and enjoyed the 
robust health which has carried me through life with no loss of time from 
sickness since I was a boy 13 years of age. I was not the exception, for 
some of my boyhood companions still live in excellent health. It is not my 
wish to make this story too personal, but I hope that it may some day fall 
into the hands of some of the boys of the present generation and that it 
will give them some idea of the benefit of experiences that should come 
into the life of a boy. 



Page 275

CHAPTER XXIV 
THE MILITARY OPERATIONS OF 1864

   IN the spring of 1864 the two armies, - one under Grant and the other 
under Lee, - were facing each other on the banks of the Rappahannock. 
General Grant had been placed in command of the Army of the Potomac with a 
force of 150,000 men. He had won success in the West and was now looked 
upon as the Moses who would lead the Federal army to final victory, having 
strength in numbers and every equipment to walk over the depleted ranks of 
Lee. But he soon found that he had an adversary to deal with that would 
try his mettle. Opposing this large force General Lee had an army of less 
than 70,000 men, - poorly clad and badly fed, but seasoned veterans, who 
still had the spirit of do and die. They were the remnants of the old 
guard and the last resources the Confederacy had to depend on to protect 
Richmond. 

   The capital was still the objective point of attack and defense. The 
order from the head of each government was, "Hold Richmond," or "Take 
Richmond," - "or die." Nothing would satisfy sentiment at the North but 
the capture 

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of the capital of the Confederacy, and nothing was considered so important 
to the South as to hold on to its capital. Thousands of lives were 
sacrificed for this purpose. It has been stated somewhere that General 
Grant told Mr. Lincoln that it would require 150,000 lives to take 
Richmond and that the President replied that he should have them. No 
matter how great the cost in blood, Richmond must be taken. 

   Early in May General Grant crossed the Rappahannock and began his 
campaign of advance. He soon found Lee in his front, and he also found 
that he had a stubborn opponent to contend with. 

   The two armies first came together in the Wilderness. The Wilderness 
was a dense forest of undergrowth, of pine, and of scrubby oak, almost 
uninhabited by man, and covering a large area of land in Spottsylvania 
County. It was through this country that Grant made his advance. When his 
men were well in the Wilderness they ran up against the forces under Lee, 
and the battle was fought. In this jungle the Federal troops became 
confused and mixed and the loss was very heavy, many of the wounded, who 
could not be removed, being burned to death by a fire that spread through 
the dense forest after the battle. 

   Failing to break the Confederate ranks, Grant moved his army by its 
left flank and tried to turn 

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the Confederate right. At every point he was met and held in check by 
Lee, - each army moving in parallel lines and facing each other, the 
Confederates remaining on the defensive, the Federals making the assault. 
From the Rappahannock to the James this attack and defense was kept up; 
and when Grant reached the James he had lost more men than Lee had in his 
entire army. 

   At the second battle of Cold Harbor Grant poured his columns against 
the lines of Lee in such masses that it has been claimed that some twenty 
thousand men were left dead and wounded on the field. Cold Harbor was one 
of the bloodiest battles of the war. Lee held his unbroken lines and 
repulsed the enemy at every point. 

   The Confederate losses were heavy in view of the fact that they could 
not be replaced, while Grant was able to fill his ranks with men as fast 
as they were cut down. Grant understood that every man he killed in the 
Confederate ranks was depleting the army to that extent and that the only 
way to win out was by a gradual destruction of Lee's army. When the lines 
of defense were extended to the front of Petersburg the Confederate forces 
had been greatly reduced and it was only a question of time when these 
forces would be exhausted. 

   While Grant and Lee were fighting in eastern 

Page 278

Virginia our section was comparatively quiet. In the spring a Federal 
force advanced as far up the Valley as New Market and the battle there 
temporarily arrested its progress; but later a force under Hunter pushed 
on to Staunton and Lexington and reached Salem where it was met and driven 
back through southwestern Virginia. 

   Hunter destroyed everything in his path and left sections of the Valley 
along his route as bare as a desert. He burned the barracks of the 
Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, in retaliation for the service 
the corps of cadets had rendered in the battle of New Market. 

   During the early summer a command under General Early came to the 
Valley and began operations in the counties of Warren, Clarke, Frederick, 
and Jefferson. Early crossed the Potomac and invaded Maryland, carrying 
his operations as far east as the suburbs of Washington, where he found 
the enemy so entrenched behind fortifications that he had to retire his 
forces to the south bank of the Potomac. 

   On the 9th of August a brisk engagement took place two miles north of 
our village between a large body of Federal cavalry and a force of 
infantry commanded by General Anderson. The Confederates held their 
position, and later they advanced as far north as Winchester. Early held 
Winchester until the latter part of September, 

Page 279

when a large Federal force made an attack on his command, and the battle 
of Winchester was fought. Early was forced to withdraw to the neighborhood 
of Strasburg and Woodstock. A large force of cavalry under Generals 
Torbert and Custer drove back a brigade of Confederate cavalry, commanded 
by General Wickham, which had taken positions at the fords of the 
Shenandoah River in my county. Wickham was greatly outnumbered and was 
forced to retreat to a position higher up in the Page Valley, to a place 
known as Millford. 

   It was before daybreak on the morning of September 21st that we were 
aroused by a heavy firing at the river about two miles from my home. My 
father jumped out of bed and, judging by the firing that the Confederates 
were being driven back, hastily determined to leave home and refugee, as 
it was currently reported that the Federals were arresting and sending to 
prison the old men and the boys that lived within the Confederate lines. 
In fact, they had already done so in the northern section of our county. 

   We had had no Federal troops in our village for months and we looked 
upon their return with great apprehension and alarm, for we knew that the 
Federal army was destroying property and robbing our people wherever it 
went. My father thought it best for me to go with him. I 

Page 280

had grown very fast during the year, and though only 15 years old, I was 
large for my age. We hastily dressed, and taking some extra clothing with 
us, started for the nearest mountain, leaving my mother and the family to 
the care of our old negroes. When we left the house the whole earth was 
covered with a dense fog, through which we could not see ten feet from us. 
We walked very fast, and when we reached a farmhouse about halfway up the 
mountain the fog had lifted, and we could see the valley below filled with 
Federal cavalry running over the fields and marching along the roads. We 
tarried at the house only long enough to get a bite of food, - for we 
found the family at breakfast, - then we hurried on; and when we had 
reached a high plateau we saw a squad of Federal cavalry climbing the 
mountain after us, less than a half-mile distant. We ran across several 
citizens, who were refugeeing with us, and several Confederate cavalrymen, 
who were making for the mountains. These men fired at the Federals and 
they came no nearer to us. We went a mile beyond, to the highest point of 
the mountain, where we had a wide view of the entire country about and 
where we felt safe. Taking a position under the shade of a large walnut 
tree, - that stood in an open field on the side of the ridge and gave us a 
beautiful outlook, - we saw the Confederate cavalry drawn up in line of 

Page 281

battle on a high hill some two miles below us, while the Federal cavalry 
had come up and was on a hill one mile distant. Federal pickets had been 
thrown out and were riding here and there through the fields. After the 
Confederates had taken a strong position on the hill the Federals were for 
a time undecided what to do. 

   About noon a regiment formed in the road and made a charge on the 
Confederate pickets and drove them in, but when they came to the reserve 
force on the hill they were driven back in the greatest disorder, only to 
rally and make a second attempt, with the same result. They then withdrew 
and remained quiet until late in the afternoon. We could see these 
movements very distinctly, and it was a very spectacular affair to look 
down on men riding, charging, and firing their carbines and pistols. I 
remember how we could see the smoke from the gun long before the report 
reached us. The crowd under the walnut tree had grown while we were 
resting under its shade. All but two were citizens; these two were 
cavalrymen, who had joined us. 

   While we were looking on and watching the different movements of the 
men far below us an amusing incident happened, - an incident that for a 
few moments gave us a great fright. One of our companions was a gentleman 
who lived on the mountain near by. He was mounted and had a 

Page 282

large field glass. In order to get a better view he climbed up into the 
top of the walnut tree, where he was intently engaged in taking 
observations, while his horse was browsing on the grass in the field. The 
two cavalrymen who were with us rode across the top of the ridge out of 
sight, and as they were riding through the field, a fox ran out from under 
the bushes in front of them. Without thinking of any result, they drew 
their pistols and fired some half-dozen times in rapid succession. Some 
one in the crowd cried out, "The Yankees are coming," and at once the 
crowd broke, and we ran for the woods as fast as we could go. My father 
and I ran down the mountain-side a hundred yards until we had reached the 
woods, when we stopped to look around, and seeing no soldiers in sight 
began to retrace our steps back to the tree. Some one had run across the 
ridge and discovered the cause of the pistol firing. 

   The gentleman in the tree had climbed down as fast as a boy could do, 
and hastily catching his horse, had mounted and started to ride away. When 
he discovered that the firing was done by the two cavalrymen at a fox he 
was very indignant and pronounced it a most imprudent act, as it directed 
the attention of the Federals to our position. As the Federal troops were 
over a mile distant, at the foot of the mountain, there was not 

Page 283

much danger from them; but he had concluded that a body of cavalry had 
followed us up the mountain and had discovered our hiding place. When we 
found it all a false alarm we laughed over the panic it had made and 
considered it a good joke on us. The gentleman who had nearly broken his 
neck getting down from the top of the tree could not see the joke as it 
was too practical an affair from his point of view. I have often laughed 
over the incident, for it was a very humorous performance. My father often 
during his lifetime referred to the experience and it amused him very much 
when he recalled how he had run down the mountain all the time calling to 
me to take care of myself and not get caught. 

   After the affair had quieted down we all again took our seats under the 
walnut tree and watched the movements in the valley below. About dusk the 
Federals ran up a battery of artillery on a high hill and began to fire at 
the position of the Confederates on a hill, over a mile distant, whereupon 
the Confederates brought out their artillery and returned the fire. For 
over an hour an artillery duel was kept up and from the position where we 
were located we could easily see the discharge of the guns, could trace 
the course of the shells, and then hear the report from the guns and from 
the explosion of the shells. The duel continued until after dark, and the 
passage of the 

Page 284

shells through the air could be followed by the streaks of fire that were 
thrown off. The effect was exciting and unusual and could not have been 
excelled, if we had had the privilege of ordering such an exhibition. We 
were so far above the valley that every discharge could be seen, and every 
report could be heard long after the flash from the cannon's mouth was 
noticed. 

   After the artillery duel had ceased we went to a near-by farmhouse and 
got our suppers. As I had had nothing to eat since early in the morning, 
except some apples from an old tree on the mountain, I was as hungry as a 
wolf. My father, the gentleman who had climbed the walnut tree, and I then 
went back to the top of the mountain and slept all night in a small 
house, - occupied by a family, - that had only two bedrooms. We threw 
ourselves across a bed, with our clothes on, and slept soundly until 
daylight, when we again returned to the walnut tree to see what was going 
on in the valley below. 

   The Confederates had fallen back during the night, and the Federal 
cavalry had broken camp, so that all we could see was a dense cloud of 
dust in the road; this cloud was made by the army, which at this early 
hour was marching in pursuit of the retreating Confederates. The 
Confederates took a strong position at a place six miles South, where they 
were able to protect their flanks, 

Page 285

and held this position until the Federals returned North a week later. 

   We returned home that afternoon after my only experience as a refugee. 
On the following Sunday morning a note was sent to my father from an old 
gentleman, who lived on a farm about one mile from my home. The note had 
been written to this gentleman by an officer in the command that we had 
seen from the mountain, General Wickham. The note stated that in the fight 
at the river a few days before a private and a captain of the Second 
Virginia Cavalry had been killed, that the bodies had been dropped in a 
strip of woods on his place, and that they had been so closely pressed 
that they were unable to bury them. It requested him to have these bodies 
properly interred. 

   When my father learned the facts he had Uncle Lewis, Billy, and several 
negroes on the place make two neat pine coffins, which we took on 
wheelbarrows to the place where the men had been dropped. 

   In a strip of small pines by the side of a road, which had been made by 
the army, we found the grave of these two Confederates. When the Federals 
came along this road, following the retreat of the Confederates, they had 
found these bodies and buried them in shallow graves, without coffins. A 
fence rail had been smoothed at one 

Page 286

end and on this was written, "Confederate captain and private killed 
September 21st. Names unknown." 

   The fence rail had been broken in half and one end had been driven in 
the ground at the head of the grave. The negroes opened the grave and 
removed the two bodies, which had been so drained of blood by the wounds 
they had received that they showed no signs of decomposition. The dead men 
were then washed and cleaned as much as was possible, and each body was 
placed in a coffin. The grave was enlarged and deepened and the men were 
then covered with earth in this quiet place by the good negroes who then 
built a rail fence around the graves. 

   I remember the looks of these dead men perfectly well. The captain was 
named J. Lasley. He was about 30 years of age, small in stature, with 
raven black hair and beard. A bullet had entered his forehead but had not 
made its exit. He must have died immediately. The private was named Hugh 
Garth, - a boy not over 19 years old. He had a very fair complexion, 
auburn hair, and was heavily built. He had been shot through the heart. We 
marked their graves as carefully as we could and for several years I kept 
watch over the place where they lay. In the fall of 1867, when a new 
cemetery was opened for the Confederate dead who had been buried in 

Page 287

our county, I helped to remove the bones of these two men to the spot 
where they now sleep with their comrades who perished in the same cause to 
which they gave their lives. I never visit the cemetery without going to 
see these graves and those of others, whom I so well remember, who died 
during the war.