large numbers of splendid cannon, field and light pieces, vast sup-
plies of small arms and ammunition, and a great many horses and
negroes. Our cavalry was posted in the place till the next day,
foraging our famished horses on the vast quartermaster garners.
On the day following all the troops were hurried up the river, and
crossed at Shepherdstown, rejoining Longstreet on the Antietam
Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland.
Sketches of Hampton's Cavalry 91
Early next morning: our different corps, sadly reduced by press-
ing marches, took position on the north side of the Antietam
Creek, the enemy being drawn up along the base of the mountain
on the other side, and early began advancing in force upon our
position. As the sun rose, his gay blue uniforms and bright and
glittering weapons contrasted strongly with the dusty, threadbare
apparel and unpolished weapons of Lee's "''rebel army." The bat-
tle opened with a free use of artillery on both sides, soon followed
by a general roar of musketry along the entire line. The enemy
massed heavy forces and bore down with all his fury on our left;
but the indomitable Jackson met him with his usual coolness and
determination, repulsing and driving him back a mile and a half.
In the centre the intrepid Longstreet. with D. H. HilTs corps,
after a desperate and bloody struggle, drove him back, too, from
this point, with heavy slaughter. On our right, about 3 o'clock
in the afternoon. General A. P. Hill was advancing from Harper's
Ferry, and came up just in time to meet the enemy as he was mak-
ing a bold demonstration in that direction, which was held only
by Jenkins' and a part of Toombs' brigades. They had driven this
little force before them, and were dashing across the Antietam
with every show^ of success; but at this juncture the timely arrival
of the latter corps changed the fortune at this point, and after an
obstinate contest, that lasted from 5 o'clock till dark, the enemy
was driven into and across the creek with great loss. During the
fight the Federal sharpshooters had picked off and disabled nearly
every man of a battery of the Washington Artillery, wdiich had
been conspicuously effective in the fight. General Longstreet
being near, and discerning the cause of its silence, he dismounted,
and with the assistance of his staff' worked one of the gims until
the crisis was over. As it has been remarked, "To see a general
officer, wielding the destinies of a great fight, with its cares and
responsibilities upon his shoulders, performing the duties of a
common soldier, is a picture indeed worthy of the pencil of an
artist.'' The sun set upon one of the most desperate and bloody
fields of the war, the Confederates resting that night on their
arms at every point considerably in advance of their position in
the morning. And the question may be asked : "V\Tiy did we not
pursue the enemy up? Simply because from the topography of
the country, where he was driven against the mountain sides,
92 Stories of the Confederacy
would have given him signally the advantage over us ; and, from
the causes above mentioned, our forces were too much reduced to
have relinquished their hold and attempt a flank movement. On
the next day, Thursday, from our position of the day before, the
challenge was early thrown out to renew the engagement, but the
beaten foe let the gauntlet lie.
It is no exaggeration to say our army went into this battle
reduced fifty per cent., worried out by fasting, incessant marching
and fighting. Not more than thirty-five thousand of our brave
troops could be counted on that desperate day; for as the col-
ums of many of the commands had to be rushed in almost double-
quick marches in order to gain their respective positions at the
projDer time, many a willing comrade fell out for miles along the
road from sheer exhaustion. And it is a base slander upon our
brave and noble soldiery to say that Lee's army ''straggled on
that day," No; to have seen the pale, emaciated soldier, seem-
mgly with nothing but an invisible spirit bearing him on, dispens-
ing with every incumbrance, save his musket and cartridge box,
halting along, flinching at every step, as he hesitatingly set his
bleeding feet down upon the stony surface, and then sink down
under the goading effect, was a rare comment upon heroism ! Yet
some pusillanimous newspaper generals and army critics called
this "straggling." No; if your unfeeling hearts possessed an
Infinitessimal part of your victim's virtue, then you might with
some degree of assurance criticise behind your paper walls and
staff parapets.
McClellan. with an army already four times as large as our own,
and with reinforcements coming up, a retrograde movement was
deemed expedient under the circumstances, as every day would
strengthen the enemy, and in our present position the means for
adding anything to our strength was sadly beyond our reach.
Accordingly our forces were withdrawn late Thursday night and
Friday morning, in the face of our foe, and safely re-crossed the
Potomac near Shepherdstown, at one single ford. This important
feat was accomplished in the space of twelve hours, sustaining no
material loss, and without any interruption on the part of the
enemy.
In this short but eventful campaign, our whole loss was inside
of seven thousand men, while the enemy, according to his own
Sketches of Hampton's Cavalry 9S
confession, lost over forty thousand killed, wounded and taken
prisoners. But. as is usually the case, our loss was mingled with
some of our bravest and best officers — the brave and heroic Gar-
land, the noble Starke, and the grallant Branch, of North Carolina,
laid down their lives upon the altar of their country.
And with such pruml record of your fame,
Your bodies may sleep wrapt in gore.
But as long as liberty bears a name.
Your spirits will be cherish'd evermore.
Yet there was still a bloody episode to mark the close of this
campaign. The enemy, about 10 o'clock on Friday, had with his
heavy Parrott guns at long taw commenced a show of pursuit,
and on Saturday morning commenced crossing in heavy force.
Our troops on the opposite side were seen hurrying, as imder
semblance of a retreat, out on the different roads leading from
Shepherdstown, but really retiring covertly behind the adjacent
hills: while the rear guard, three brigades of infantry, under
Brigadier General Pendleton, were posted on the right bank of
the river, near the passage at Boteler's Mill, commanding which
we had masked thirty-five pieces of artillery, and with five or six
pieces exposed in advance, making a faint show of resistance, fall-
ing back slowly from one position to another, before the advanc-
ing enemy's batteries, that were being furiously plied from the
opposite side. Late in the evening a large force of the enemy,
consisting of nearly three entire divisions, came pouring over
with flaunting colors and defiant shouts ; and when fairly across,
our batteries were uncovered, and with A. P. Hill's Division
pounced suddenly down upon his confident legions, driving them
like chaff before the Avind. down into the narrow passage, where
the enfilading fire of our batteries were plowing and raking his
ranks in a most frightful manner, and from the crowded gorge
frightened masses would indiscriminately break panic-stricken up
the banks of the river, only to find themselves hemmed in from
that quarter, and in many instances, to escape the bayonets of our
impetuous soldiery, they would plunge wildly over these precipi-
tous bluffs, shattered on the rocky masses beneath ! The scene was
truly appalling. The wide, shallow fording was filled with dead
bodies, and the wounded, who would chance to fall in the stream,
94 Stories of the Confederacy
were suffocated in the water by the hurrying, heedless tread of the
living. All organization was destroyed, and as the broken rem-
nants would reach the opposite bank they would continue in the
wildest disorder across the hills; and why no token of surrender
was hung out to stojD this fearful slaughter, was a question with
the conscience of the commander of this ill-fated movement.
Our loss was only two hundred in killed and wounded, while
the Yankee loss must have been at least two-thirds of their num-
ber in killed, wounded and prisoners. Thus ended this bloody
campaign, leaving the enemy crippled and beaten on his own soil,
from which he lay cowering, unable to move for months.
It is but candor to say that in entering Maryland the Confed-
erates had two objects in view : First, to give her pent up sym-
pathy a chance to burst forth and join us in physical resistance;
and however much we are disposed to revere that sympathy,
which has always and still exists there for our cause, the reluc-
tance and tardiness of her people failed to meet the occasion — for
"they who would be free, themselves must strike the blow." In
the second place, our victorious arms had just driven the enemy
before us behind the walls at Washington, and, by threatening his
country, would draw him out and bring the matter to a nearer
issue. The former was surrounded by circumstances over which
we had no control; and how far we controlled the circumstances
of the latter, the facts of the campaign have fully demonstrated
to the world.
Some Louisianians, while on picket near Boonsboro', encount-
ered a Yankee scout and killed him. One of the party, being a
little seedy in the way of pants, exchanged with the unlucky man,
at the same time observing the name John D. S., very plainly
wrought with red silk thread on the lining of the waistband.
However, thinking nothing more of it, nor none the less of himsel'f
for wearing Yankee blue, on going back to camp the party called
at a neat little farm house, where milk jars, peace and plenty
seemed to reign, and called for some milk. They were answered,
as they stepped into the little vine-bound piazza, by a repugnant,
elderly looking lady, "That she had no milk for rebels, and that
she would give it to the neighbors' pigs first ; and that it would
be her heart's desire to give every rebel that crossed the Potomac
a good drink of poison." Which sharp vents of caloric elicited
Sketches of Hampton's Cavalry 95
retorts of similar character from the personage who had donned
the unlucky man's pants: and after concluding a volley which
had mntuaily raged between them, the latter drew near and coolly
remarked:
'•Madame, you fight so well with your tongue, it is a great pity
you aint a man, to fight for your 'glorious Union.' "
"I thank you, sir, I have an only son there fighting for it, and I
only wish I had twenty."'
'•Well, madam, you are the worst Union case I've met in Mary-
land, and I want to take your name, as a contrast to some kind
people I've met, and let me have it as a remembrancer."
Still with wrathful emotions she continued : "My name I never
concealed from friend or foe: it's Mary Ann S.; and I wish my
son was here with his rifle, and he would give you something to
remember."
The latter, with gathering interest: "What's your son's
name?"
"I can give you his name, too, and only wish he could give you
rebs a bullet for every word that has passed between us."
Emphasizing, "His name is John D. S."
"Well, madam, he'll kill no more rebels, for I killed him this
morning, and these are his pants I now have on," at the same time
exposing the name from the inside of the waistband. The name
was readily recognized. The cloud of angry passion that had
swelled in every feature of the woman's face was swept off by a
sudden gush of despair; and, with her glaring eyes riveted for a
moment upon the name that read the fatal message, the unhappy
woman swooned and fell on the floor.
The day after the Antietam fight, our cavalry were placed on
duty, some distarice to the left up the river, and in the evacuation
were cut off from the fording at Shepherdstown. But on Friday
night, by a circuitous route up the river, passing round a large
body of Yankee forces, winding down steep and dangerous cliffs,
that seemed impassable for man and beast, belter skelter, down
the rugged acclivity, we plunged into the channel of the river —
a fording that an Indian pony would snort at and turn away from
— our horses, after blundering over rocks, then plunging through
eddying whirljjools. dripping and chilled, we reached the Vir-
ginia side. Following up the train of our narrative, we proceeded
96 Stories of the Confederacy
to Martinsburg, from whence, a few days after, General Stuart
dashed across the Potomac into Williamsport, and drove the
enemy from that place, killing a number and capturing a quantity
of prisoners and arms with a small loss; returned again, and
established headquarters at Martinsburg, where, a few days after
this affair, the Yankee cavalry undertook to pay him back. They
came dashing up the ShepherdstoAvn road, driving in our pickets
and scouts to the skirts of the town. Hampton's cavalry was fall-
ing back before them, while Lee's was dashing round to get in
their rear: perceiving this, they suddenly wheeled and broke
back; Lee immediately set after them, supported by Hampton,
killing and capturing several, and it was by making the fastest
possible speed that the whole expedition saved themselves from
capture.
CHAPTER V.
STUARTS CAVALRY EXPEDITION INTO PENNSYLVANIA— PREPARATION
FOR THE EXPEDITION — TROOPS COMPOSING THE EXPEDITION — CROSS-
ING THE POTOMAC — SURPRISING THE ENEMY'S PICKETS— THE SUC-
CESSFUL PASSAGE THROUGH THE RIGHT WING OF McCLELLAN'S ARMY
— PASSES OUT OF MARYLAND INTO PENNSYLVANIA — HORSE PRESSING
ORDERS ISSUED — CAPTURE OF ST. THOMAS AND CHAMBERSBURG.
Our command was quietly laying around Martinsburg, picket-
ing on the upper lines of the Potomac, and having to a consider-
able extent recruited the nerves of both man and horse, which
had been seriously drawn upon b}" the incessant and arduous
labors of the Maryland campaign, we were here in this beautiful
and romantic region of the Old Dominion, enjoying ourselves
with as much '"''otium cum dignitate'^ as a soldier's life would
admit of. The first leaves of autumn had just begun to fall ; the
neighboring mountain peaks were doffing their summer green
and fast assuming the bronzed hue; and as the bugle's unwelcome
morning sound would cause the soldier to peep from his blankets,
the first traces of Jack Frost could be seen upon the half crisped,
fallen leaf ; while the weather-worn trooper, with repeated strokes
of his currycomb to smooth the rough hair of his faithful steed,
would soliloquize to himself: "Well, I do wish old Stuart and
Sketches of Hampton's Cavalry 97
Hampton was a? tired nv these ere parts as I am. we'd 'git' a little
further inter Dixie than this; as these ere cold mornin' winds
from the mountains blows our loose rags off'en the bare places a
little cuttin'. and our toes peei)s a leetle too impidently thru our
old shoes for this ere white thing on the leaves uv mornins. and
out uv respect for us they orter c(»nsider the policy. And besides,
jist tu think uv our poor dum brutes. Why, thar was Jackson's
army passed thru these parts last roasting-ear time, and they
cleaned the cornfields afore the milk filled the grain, and so horse
stock can't stand it much longer. And so it's policy to 'git'
further South any way you look at it. But I reckon old Stuart
and Hampton knows best.'' Such rude surmises were frequent
from the humblest private in the command, and even the "reliable
gentlemen" from headquarters would quaintly give out that back-
word move was under way. In fact, all outward appearances
seemed indicative of a "fall back." Wliile we were regaling our-
selves over the idea of getting where we could hear a railroad
whistle again, or open communication with home once more,
orders were issued to the diflferent commands of the division for a
detachment of picked men, mounted on the best horses, to prepare
five days' rations for a scout on the ensuing day, yet still the idea
of covering a "fall back" w^as entertained by officers and men.
On the ensuing day, October 9th, at 2 o'clock, we "fell in"
and took up the line of march, but found our horses' heads turned
northward. The whole force was comprised of detachments from
Hampton's, Lee's and Mumford's cavalry, and a small detach-
ment from Scott's partizan corps, with one section of mounted
artillery accompanying each, all told, twenty-five hundred men,
led by Stuart himself, dashing along on his little dark bay favor-
ite, in his usual don't-care, dare-devil style, while the cheerful,
deep cunning expression of his features betokened some one of his
favorite "tricks" ahead, while Hampton rode along at his usual
easy trotting style, as though he was just going out to look over
his broad cotton fields. Leaving the town of Martinsburg to the
right, and passing along the base of the north range of the Blue
Ridge, which breaks off into hills as it nears the Potomac, we
passed through Hedgesville and beyond our outer picket posts,
where the column was halted and rested till dark. Avithin ear-shot
of the roaring waters of the Potomac. After good dark the com-
7— S. C.
98 Stories or the Confederacy
mand resumed the march, and was advancing cautiously over a
narrow by-way in the direction of the river, to within a mile of
the crossing, and here we were halted for the night. Two recon-
noitering parties were thrown out, one under Sergeant R. C.
Shiver, of the Second South Carolina Cavalry, and the other
under Lieutenant Barrier, of the North Carolina Cavalry, led by
Hampton in person. After a successful reconnoissance, it was
ascertained that the enemy had no pickets on this bank of the
river, but we discovered their posts immediately on the other
side of the ford, beyond the culvert of the canal, which opens to
the ford. Here, content with our discoveries, the party bivouacked
the remainder of the night on this side behind the cliffs that over-
hang the banks above the ford, until nearly daybreak, when Gen-
eral Hampton detached fifteen men from the party and placed
them under Lieutenant Phillips, and despatched them across the
river on an old fish dam, a quarter of a mile above the ford, to
surprise and bag the post at the ford, and the remainder, under
Lieutenant Barrier, were posted among the cliffs along the banks
for a support, in case the party on the opposite side should become
pressed. Day was just dawning; our comrades could be seen slyly
creeping under cover of the canal banks, making their way suc-
cessfully without any interruption to the mouth of the culvert.
One more dash and the game is in their hands. But suddenly
out dashed a grim bull terrier dog, with snarly gnashes, to dis-
pute the passage of the culvert, which merely gave notice to the
sentinel to scamper off without even firing his piece, while the
reserve was immediately onslaughted, and the quick and suc-
cessive cracks of our carbines, and the excited exclamations, "Kill
them ! here goes the d — d blue backed rascals," which gave us to
understand that our support was no longer required, and every
man to horse, and across we dashed, and found one "blue back"
lying bleeding, while earnest leg bail had succeeded in getting
off his comrades, which caused a stampede along the whole line,
and had it not been for the timely notice of their faithful dog
in the culvert, the body would have been nicely bagged, as at
the time the reserve were regaling themselves near by in a little
shanty at "seven up," little dreaming that their game so early in
the morning would be "trumped'' by rebel intrusion.
Sketches of Hampton's Cavalry 99
At this rono:li and difficult ford the whole command, artillery
and all, speedily and safely crossed over; and on we hurried over
a narrow and difficult defile through the hills of the western part
of "Washinorton County, capturincr the balance of their stamped-
ing party, who ran into our column before they were aware of our
presence. Having pursued this road about five miles, where it
crossed the turnpike leading from Hagerstown to Cumberland, we
found that we had run against the rear of a division of Yankee
infantry, moving on to Cumberland. Just at this point our
advance came upon their rear guard and took a batch of them
prisoners, and also captured one stand of colors, which sudden
and unexpected onslaught put their whole command in confused
commotion, and caused them to make fast time down the pike in
the direction of Cumberland. Their burning vehicles behind gave
full evidence that the skedaddling manoeuvre was in active play !
but as Stuart's business did not lay on their route, they were per-
mitted to "double-quick" along uninterrupted from their own
shadows. Here we crossed this pike and pursued our march
along a narrow, difficult by-way, following the north side of a
range of mountains through a rockj^, bleak, and almost barren
region, with here and there a lonely cabin to relieve the wild
scenery. Having moved on some ten miles through this wild
region, we found ourselves crossing the last ridge of this range,
emerging out down into a beautiful and expansive valley, known
as "Blair's Valley,"' surrounded by an extensive range, known as
the "Short Hill" range, which breaks off gradually into lesser
hills as the Blue Ridge nears the Potomac, which to the eye of the
casual beholder seems as steps to the summit of her lofty peaks.
The day was not a bright one; thin, vapory clouds were over-
spreading the heavens; the sun's pale face looked dimly through
the gathering clouds, and the distant ridges seemed wrapped in
a misty blue, and the "sear and yellow leaf" at every breeze was
losing its hold and came rustling down around us. Such a scene
was indeed truly calculated to engender melancholy feelings. But
as the "broad acres" of Pennsylvania stretched out before us just
at the foot of the last hill, although we were impressed with our
hazardous situation, having just passed through and were in the
roar of the right wing of McClellan's grand army, yet every
soldier's face betokened emotions of inward joy, and with our
^f'U^K
100 Stories of the Confederacy
backs on the last rugged hills, we were beyond the limits of Mary-
land. The "ultima thule" of Southern invasion was passed. We
were indeed on the hostile soil of proud and defiant Pennsylvania,
who, sixteen months before, was going to make a light breakfast
out of the South, herself alone. But the rebel key had unbolted
and rolled away the keystone of the "glorious old arch" wide
enough for Stuart's rebel cavalry to pass. No demonstration
whatever marked the event, as the column moved quietly forward
from the borders of Franklin County, where we entered. It
seemed that a simple reflection on our situation would call forth
misgivings in the bosom of the most sanguine; but the over-
weening confidence in our true and tried leader would chide any
such a thought, and nerve it with stronger confidence and deeper
determination.
On we moved over a private country road, through the secluded
entrance of this valley, that had never been trampled by an armed
foot of either friend or foe. The unsuspecting inhabitants met
and hailed us as Union troops, and no assertion to the contrary
was likely to disabuse their minds of the fact that we were rebels,
and even when the horse pressing orders were put in execution
against them, they would look incredulously after us as we were
leading their faithful steeds off before their eyes. As an instance,
we will here give an amusing incident that occurred between an
old Dutch farmer and a party of our boys who were scouring the
country some distance from the road. They rode up uncere-
moniously to his large brick barn, that stood a short distance
from the dwelling, dismounted at the barn-yard gate, and were
proceeding to the stables. He and his fat better-half were stand-
ing in the piazza, watching the movement at the barn in astonish-
ment, and as the foremost entered the stables, he hurried down,
and in almost breathless excitement he accosted the party : "Gude
mornint. men, gude mornint. Vy. vot dush dis mean?" He was
informed that we just wanted his horses. Betraying feelings of
smothered anger and vexation, he exclaimed : "Mine bosses ! mine
hosses ! Vy, you shoust can't haf them again. Vy, ven you tarn
Home Guards* had tem afore, you shoust keep tem vun veek over
♦When our forces threatened Pennsylvania from Maryland, the border counties
resolved themselves into an organization called the Home Guards, and had pressed
the farmer's teams to transport their baggage.