on the morning of june 1st, 1863, the brigade marched from the valley for gen. stuart’s camp in culpeper county, the battalion having the following officers: lieut.-col. white, major ferneyhough, adjt. watts, dr. wootten, quartermaster white, and sergeant-major stephenson, in field and staff; co. a, lieuts. barrett and conrad; co. b, had her full corps of officers; co. c, capt. grubb and lieut. grubb; co. d, had all her officers present; co. e, capt. grabill and lieut. grubbs; co. f, lieut. watts. capt. myers and lieut. marlow, co. a, were left sick in the valley; lieut. dowdell, co. c, was on detail there to settle up the quartermaster’s business, incident to the change just made in that department; one lieutenant of co. e, and one of co. f, had been removed for misconduct on the raid to west virginia.
soon after the brigade reached the army, the grand review of all the troops begun, that of the cavalry being held on the 8th of june, in which general stuart brought a division of full fifteen thousand troopers, in fine condition for service, but all the generals confessed that jones’ was the peer of the best brigade in the line.
181the morning of june 9th, while the men, worried out by the military foppery and display (which was stuart’s greatest weakness) of the previous day’s review, were yet under their blankets, the enemy sounded for them the reveille from the smoking muzzles of carbines and revolvers, as they drove the 6th regiment vedettes from their position on the river, and it was very soon discovered that a heavy force had crossed at kelly’s and beverly’s fords for the purpose of continuing the review, but in a different style, and but for the prompt action of gen. jones, would have had all of stuart’s artillery almost before that officer waked up. the regiments moved rapidly to the front, as soon as the men could obey the boot and saddle bugle call, and with the first that came, which were the 6th and 7th regiments, gen. jones met and checked the enemy, and arrangements for the battle, which was now inevitable, were made as quickly as possible. col. white was ordered with his battalion, to support the 12th regiment, which was ordered forward to make a charge; and he at once began to form his men in line of battle, but before it could be completed, gen. jones called to him to charge, which he immediately did, riding at a gallop towards the point where the firing showed that the 12th was into it heavy, but after going about two hundred yards, was met by that regiment in full retreat, and whose disordered ranks threw the right wing of the battalion in 182confusion, and checked for a time the advance of the “comanches,” but order was quickly restored, and again dashing forward they threw themselves upon the enemy, whose column, flushed with their successful charge on the 12th, was rapidly advancing, but after a sharp fight of a few minutes were compelled to retire before the irresistible onset of white’s men. the colonel says, in his official report, that not a man faltered, but with yells that a “comanche” might envy, they pressed forward, each man striving to gain the foremost rank and ride with his commander.
the yankees were driven over the field and about a hundred yards into the woods, where they met fresh troops coming up, and white’s people were in turn compelled to retire, but rallying at the edge of the woods, they again charged upon the overwhelming forces of the enemy, and not only checked their advance, which was all the colonel hoped to do, but completely routed them and drove their demoralized line for half a mile through the pines.
in this charge they captured about forty prisoners, and killing general davis, who was vainly endeavoring to rally his flying troopers, and also a brave major, who, after a fierce sabre fight with wm. shehan, of co. b, in which both were severely handled, was compelled to surrender to the gallant confederate.
while the battalion was thus occupied in front, 183a regiment of the enemy came in their rear and attempted to charge, but wheeling his left squadron, the colonel met and drove them back in splendid style, the men all fighting with the greatest enthusiasm, but lieut. crown, co. b, especially distinguishing himself.
about this time, gen. jones became aware that a strong party of the enemy had succeeded in flanking stuart’s position, and were approaching from the direction of culpeper court-house, and he at once sent the information to general stuart, who said to the courier, "tell gen. jones to attend to the yankees in his front, and i’ll watch the flanks."
when this reply was communicated to jones, he remarked: "so he thinks they ain’t coming, does he? well, let him alone; he’ll damned soon see for himself." and he did see, for about one o’clock the flanking force appeared exactly in rear of, and very near stuart’s headquarters; and again col. white was ordered to follow and support the 12th regiment in case of need; but on arriving near the house, gen. stuart ordered white to form his battalion on the right of the road leading to the court-house and charge the squadrons of the enemy on the high ground around the general’s headquarters, and here again, just as col. white commenced to move, a squadron of the 12th, which had met the enemy and been defeated, broke the line of the battalion, badly deranging 184its right wing, and causing the loss of valuable time, but the colonel ordered major ferneyhough to charge with the first squadron (companies a and d) which had not been broken, upon those squadrons of the enemy in front of the house, while with two squadrons (companies b, c, e and f) he charged a regiment in rear and to the left of the building. both charges were successful, the enemy being driven down the road towards the rail road, but while the colonel with his party was pressing them, a regiment passed between him and the hill, cutting off the first squadron and again occupying the ground from which they had just been driven.
as soon as the colonel discovered this situation of affairs, he withdrew all but twenty men from the pursuit, and renewed the contest for the possession of the hill, which, after a spirited fight, he succeeded in gaining, driving off the regiment and killing its colonel.
in this fight around stuart’s headquarters, lieut. barret was wounded and captured, and captains grabill and anderson made prisoners.
the battalion was now reinforced by a company of the 6th va. cavalry, and ordered by gen. stuart to charge a battery which had been playing on white’s men during all the fighting on the hill. without a moment’s hesitation the charge was made, and the wreath of glory which white’s battalion had been weaving and twining around 185its name, during all that long summer day, was completed.
the gallant fellows at the battery hurled a perfect storm of grape upon the “comanches,” while from the supporting cavalry a rain of bullets fell in their ranks, but with never a halt or a falter the battalion dashed on, scattering the supports and capturing the battery after a desperate fight, in which the artillerymen fought like heroes, with small arms, long after their guns were silenced. there was no demand for a surrender, nor any offer to do so, until nearly all the men at the battery, with many of their horses, were killed and wounded.
while most of the men pursued the flying cavalry that had supported the battery, col. white with a few others attempted to turn the guns, and work them on the yankees who were rapidly closing in upon him in heavy force both on the right and left, not doubting for a moment that general stuart would support him, but nothing seemed further from the general’s intention, and feeling that he was being wantonly sacrificed, col. white rallied his men, and charging with desperation upon the enveloping ranks of the foe, cut through to safety again, but the deliverance cost half the number of the battalion.
in the battle of brandy station, the battalion had captured and brought out two regimental standards, (besides two others taken, but lost in 186the escape from the battery,) and upwards of one hundred prisoners, with a great quantity of arms and equipments and many horses, but many of its gallant men had been lost.
capt. geo. w. chiswell was badly wounded, so badly that he was never again fit for service, and the brave lieut. watts, of co. f, was mortally wounded, both of them in the charge upon the battery.
the whole loss was ninety men killed, wounded and missing, and but few of the latter ever returned to the command, some having died of wounds in u. s. hospitals, some in prison, and some escaping from the battle after being wounded died at the houses of citizens in the neighborhood; as it was, only four of the dead were found and buried by the battalion.
the following general order issued by stuart, shows the conduct of the battle and the desperate valor of the men who fought and fell at brandy station, a name rendered famous forever as the scene of one of the greatest cavalry battles of modern times:
"hd.-qrs., cav. div., army n. va.,
"june 15th, 1863.}
"general orders, no. 24.
"the major-general commanding congratulates the cavalry of the army of northern virginia, upon the victory of “fleetwood,” achieved under providence, by the prowess of their arms, on the 9th instant.
"comrades, two divisions of the enemy’s cavalry and artillery, 187escorted by a strong force of infantry, “tested your metal” and found it “proof steel.”
“your sabre blows, inflicted on that glorious day, have taught them again the weight of southern vengeance.
“you confronted with cavalry and horse artillery alone, this force, held the infantry in check, routed the cavalry and artillery, capturing three pieces of the latter, without losing a gun, and added six flags to the trophies of the nation, besides inflicting a loss in killed, wounded and missing, at least double our own, causing the entire force to retire beyond the rappahannock.
“nothing but the enemy’s infantry strongly posted in the woods saved his cavalry from capture or annihilation. an act of rashness on his part was severely punished by rout and the loss of his artillery.
“with an abiding faith in the god of battles and a firm reliance on the sabre, your success will continue.
“let the example and heroism of our lamented fallen comrades prompt us to renewed vigilance and inspire us with devotion to duty.
“j. e. b. stuart,
“major-general commanding.”
the orderly sergeants of the several companies of the battalion made the following reports of the losses of the companies:
co. a—wounded 9, missing 7—total 16.
co. b—killed 1, wounded 7, missing 12—total 20.
co. c—wounded 5, missing 12—total 17.
co. d—wounded 3, missing 5—total 8.
co. e—killed 2, wounded 2, missing 8—total 12.
co. f—killed 1, wounded 1, missing 15—total 17.
after the battle of brandy station, col. white’s command was detached from the cavalry division, 188and ordered by gen. lee to report to lieut.-gen. ewell, who had again taken the field and been assigned to the command of the old 2d corps a. n. v., the men whom general jackson had so often led to victory, and who believed that the mantle of military inspiration of their now sainted chieftain had fallen upon the person of the lion-hearted gen. r. s. ewell, and soon after his disabling wound at manassas, which now caused him to appear with an artificial leg, gen. ewell had told white that if he ever again took the field he wanted white and his boys to be with him, an assurance never forgotten by either of them.
at the time gen. ewell crossed the mountain and made his attack upon the enemy at winchester, adding another to the invariable whippings the bombastic coward and cow-stealer, milroy, received every time he stood long enough for the rebels to reach him, col. white asked and obtained permission to make a raid on the point of rocks, in the hope of striking again his old enemy, means.
crossing the potomac below berlin, the colonel divided his force, sending lieut. crown, with sixty-two men of co. b, to pass along the frederick road and come up in rear of the point, while he marched with the remainder, about one hundred, directly down the tow-path of the chesapeake and ohio canal, intending to attack the enemy in front, while crown should intercept the retreat of 189any who attempted to escape by the road to frederick.
after a quick march of about two miles, lieut. crown observed the rear of a body of cavalry about a mile in advance, and wishing to ascertain what force and command it was, he sent lieut. dorsey forward with six men to capture a straggler, which was soon done, and the prisoner reported that the force in front was two hundred men of cole’s battalion, commanded by captains vernon and summers. not disposed to take one yankee’s evidence without having it corroborated, crown again sent dorsey forward, instructing him as before, to capture a yankee but to avoid the use of fire-arms, if possible; but this time “nich.” rode up on two of them, one of whom he captured but was obliged to shoot the other, and as soon as crown heard the firing he moved his command rapidly to the front, only halting long enough to assure himself that the story of the last prisoner tallied exactly with the first. the enemy halted after crossing catocton creek, and forming their line of battle, waited for the confederates to come up, which they very soon did, and crown discovered that as the advantage in position, numbers and arms, was all greatly against him, he must trust to charging and close quarters; and he at once gave the order to charge, which company b executed in her usually gallant style, but now with more of fiery valor than ever, for they 190were that day upon the soil of their native state, and to add to their enthusiasm, knew that the blue jackets in their front covered the forms of maryland men.
the yankees poured a heavy fire upon them from their carbines, but company b was moving at a gallop and on the lowest ground, so that most of the bullets flew over the heads of the men, while those that were low enough only tore their clothes or wounded their horses, and the fact that cole’s men had not been drilled to fight at sabre’s length was soon evident, for the moment that crown’s boys gained their side of the creek the yankees broke, and notwithstanding the efforts of one of their officers fled like sheep from hungry wolves. a running fight for about four miles was kept up, when finding his men overloaded with horses and prisoners, and fearing too that col. white might need him at the point, lieut. crown recalled his men and turned towards that place, taking with him thirty-seven men and horses of cole’s battalion, many more having been captured, but in the darkness and confusion made their escape.
when company b joined col. white at the point of rocks, they found that he had already taken the place, having routed means’ command and captured about twenty prisoners and horses, and was then engaged in setting fire to two railroad trains that had just come down, one of 191which he destroyed where it stood, but after getting the other in a good way to burn some of the men let steam on the locomotive and started the blazing train at full speed for baltimore. after getting all the men together, and taking plenty of time to secure the plunder they wished to take away, the colonel marched his battalion to loudoun, and encamped near the blue ridge, above hillsborough, where his people enjoyed themselves finely until the order came calling them to join their general, who was now leading the advance of lee’s army through maryland and opening the way for the brilliant but fruitless campaign in pennsylvania.