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 208as 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 209Grubb 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 210over, 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, 211leaving 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 212Grubb, 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, 213attached 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 214men 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 215gap 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.

216Conrad 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 217attempts 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.

218Col. 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:
219
“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.

220Two 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 au............