Thomas T. Munford to Second Virginia Cavalry, February 26, 1863
February 26, 1863.
February 26, 1863.
Masor: In obedience to instructions from Lieut. Gen. T. J. Jackson to furnish a report of the operations of the cavalry brigade connected with his brilliant campaign in the valley, I beg leave respectfully to submit the following:
» When I joined his army, under Major-General Ewell, the Sixth and ‘Second Virginia Cavalry were attached to his division. Our regiments had just been reorganized, and as the senior cavalry officer I had the outpost. My headquarters were at the Swift Run Gap, and my pickets extended from Culpeper Court-House to the mountains on the east side of the Blue Ridge, and from near Harrisonburg to Wolftown on the west. A heavy scout was kept watching Geary’s command on the Manassas Gap Railroad, and General Shields’ command, who was marching on Fredericksburg to re-enforce McDowell. After Shields
had passed Warrenton my regiment was for the first time assembled. Finding over 100 unarmed recruits added to my regiment, I was sent to Richmond to get arms, and while en route for that place General Jackson started after Banks. I joined his command at Winchester and reported for duty. The Sixth and Second Cavalry were then under the command of Brig. Gen. George H. Steuart. My regiment had been employed in tearing up the railroad near Front Royal (LieutenantColonel Watts’ report has already been sent in) and guarding the flank of the division and constantly skirmishing with the enemy, and as soon as they had commenced their retreat they were pursued by the Sixth and Second on the turnpike to within 5 miles of Winchester, capturing a number of men, wagons, arms, and stores. My regiment supported the Sixth in their charge upon the First Maryland (Yankee infantry) and were constantly engaged picking up stragglers until the morning of the battle of Winchester; there they supported a battery on the right until atter the rout of the enemy, when they pursued them on the road to Martinsburg, capturing many prisoners, wagons, arms, negroes, &c., the enemy making a stand at that place. It was not entered until the next day. Here I joined my regiment. Captains Dickinson, of Company A, and Whitehead, of Company E, were sent to destroy the bridge on Back Creek, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at North Mountain Depot. They captured many valuable stores, which they sent to Martinsburg, to add to the splendid prize found in that town.
On the 28th of May I took two squadrons of my regiment to within 1 mile of Williamsport, with one piece of artillery from the Baltimore Battery, and had a brisk skirmish with the Yankees, giving them several telling rounds of shell, but was unable to pursue, as they opened their batteries from the other side of the river. I was then recalled by General Steuart, when I sent for the rest of my regiment, and every few hundred yards on the road we found evidences of a complete rout. Wagons and ambulances were burnt, tents and cooking utensils, arms and clothing, were scattered along for miles and miles.
On the 29th we marched to Charlestown; supported the batteries which were engaged in shelling the enemy from Bolivar Heights. That evening I was driven from the heights. My regiment was performing heavy picket duty on all the roads on the Key Ferry road and the Harper’s Ferry road, and one squadron was kept bringing Colonel Allen’s regiment, Second Virginia Infantry, across the river behind them (they had been occupying Loudoun Heights). We were shelled nearly all night, and had had nothing for men or horses to eat for twentyfour hours.
We marched from Charlestown to Kernstown on the 30th; had no feed for our horses; and on the morning of June 1 we started at early dawn to cover our retreat to Strasburg, at which place we were kept in line of battle nearly the whole day, watching for the approach of both Shields and Frémont. Then we got about a third of a ration of corn for our horses.
That night we were halted in rear of General Taylor’s brigade, who were cooking rations about two and one-half hours. The Sixth Regiment (cavalry) was in the rear, and our men were completely worn down and most of them sleeping on their horses. Captain Dulany, now colonel of the Seventh Cavalry, was in command of the rear guard, [and] was approached by the Yankee cavalry. It was dark, and when challenged they replied, ‘””Ashby’s cavalry.” Having been previously informed that General Ashby had one company out, he allowed them to
Cnar, XXIV.) OPERATIONS IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
approach very near, and suddenly they fired a volley and charged him. The Sixth Cavalry were surprised and dashed through the Second, who were sleeping and relying upon the Sixth to guard the rear, as we had alternated each day with that regiment. Colonel Dulany was badly shot in the leg and several of his men were captured. To add to the confusion thus created, a part of the Seventh Louisiana fired into our ranks. This was our first surprise. Many of our men were nearly exhausted from hunger and loss of sleep. We had been in the saddle and had had no regular rations for three days. My command was soon formed and we drove them back, capturing three or four, who in the dark mistook us for their friends.
The next morning, June 2, found us still covering the retreat. Near Woodstock Generals Steuart and Ashby, each with a battery and their cavalry, selected a position. Each seemed determined to do something, as the enemy had become very bold and annoying. My regiment was thrown to the right and rear of Caskie’s battery, on the left of the road, coming up the valley, one company acting on my flank. Here the enemy opened a battery and shelled us furiously, and I was ordered by General Steuart to move back out of range, and crossed with my command to the other side of the turnpike, to support a battery there in position, which would check the enemy while Caskie’s battery was retiring. In executing this order, after we had gone but a few hundred yards, to my utter surprise I saw the battery and cavalry teeming together down the road pell-mell and the Yankees after them at full speed. The
head of my column was under a hill, and as we came out of the woods a part of the Forty-second Virginia Infantry, mistaking us for the Yankees, fired into my advance squadron, causing a stampede, wounding several.
The Yankees pressing on my rear captured 8men. Such management I never saw before. Had the batteries retired by échelon, and the cavalry in the same way, we could have held our position or driven back their cavalry by a counter-charge from ours. But a retreat was ordered and a disgraceful stampede ensued. Mortified and annoyed at such management, Colonel Flournoy, of the Sixth, accompanied me to see General Ewell, who was kind enough to intercede with General Jackson and have us at once transferred to General Ashby’s command. Here the gallant Ashby succeeded in rallying about 50 straggling infantry and poured a volley into the Yankee cavalry, emptying many saddles and giving them a check, clearing the road for the rest of the day. Ashby’s cavalry, the Sixth, and a portion of the Second, were all equally stampeded. We then marched across the Shenandoah beyond Mount Jackson in a drenching rain all day and night. Encamped for the night, getting rations for both men and horses. The next morning we were ordered to recross the bridge before it was burned, relieving the Sixth, who were bringing up the rear. After burning the bridge heavy picket was thrown out, and we retired to New Market, and had heavy picket skirmishing all day.
On the 5th the enemy got their pontoon bridges over and about one regiment of their cavalry crossed. The army moved up the valley on the 5th and encamped near Harrisonburg.
June 6 we moved on the Port Republic road. About 3p. m., while the Second and Seventh were grazing their horses in a field on the right of the road, the Sixth bringing up the rear, it was again suddenly charged by the Yankee cavalry; but we succeeded in repulsing them, who in turn were charged by the Seccnd and Seventh and driven back within half a mile of town. In this fight the Yankees lost their colonel
(Sir Perey Wyndham), captured, and 63 officers and men, together with their colors. Major Green, of the Sixth, was severely wounded here, but we sustained no other loss.
Here it was that Ashby determined to ambush them. Leaving me in command of the brigade, he marched with the First Maryland and Fifty-eighth Virginia Infantry under cover of the woods to my right, intending to flank the Yankees, instructing me that as soon as he had dislodged them from the hill to charge them with my whole force. In that enterprise he was baffled and ambushed himself. As soon as our forces became engaged the Yankee cavalry advanced to the support of the Bucktails. I advanced with my command to meet them, and getting within easy range, I opened with two pieces of Chew’s battery, which had been masked in rear of the cavalry, and drove them from their position. Finding that a severe engagement had taken place, and that the brave Ashby had fallen, General Ewell ordered me to retire, making a heavy detail from my regiment to bear off our wounded on horseback.
The next morning, June 8, I assumed the command of the brigade. The general commanding having determined to give battle, the cavalry were disposed of as follows: The Second on picket on the McGaheysville road and on General Ewell’s right flank; the Sixth and Seventh were thrown across the river, protecting the baggage train. Two companies (Captains Myers’ and Chipley’s) disgraced themselves by running and leaving the bridge to be burned by the enemy. The night after the battle I was engaged reconnoitering the road between Port Republic and Brown’s Gap. Major Breckinridge, with the Second Squadron Second Virginia Cavalry, was thrown on picket on the road to Swift Run Gap, and skirmished with the enemy (Shields’ command) until the battle commenced the next morning by the infantry, the Second Regiment bringing up the rear. Lieut. Thomas Waller, Gompany E, was left on the other side of the bridge watching the enemy, which was burned before he could cross, and in attempting to swim the river was drowned. We were not engaged in the fight until after the enemy had been routed. The cavalry then pursued them about 8 miles, capturing about 150 prisoners, 6 or 7 wagons filled with plunder, and bringing off the field two pieces [of] artillery abandoned by the enemy, and about 800 muskets. Also recaptured one of General Jackson’s staff. We encamped about midnight near the top of the mountain, having been without rations for either man or horse for twenty-four hours.
June 10 we were engaged most of the day picking up stragglers and ee off prisoners to Lynchburg by the dismounted men of my command.
June 11 we started again for the valley; crossed the South and Middle Branches of the Shenandoah, camped near Mount Crawford, and captured 2 of the enemy’s pickets.
Next morning, June 12, we occupied Harrisonburg; captured about 200 prisoners, many of them severely wounded in the Cross Keys fight. We also captured medicines, wagons, camp equipage, and about 200 Belgian guns. Here we again had evidences of a precipitate retreat by the enemy. I advanced my picket to New Market, and then to Mount Jackson, and held that position until relieved by Brigadier-General Robertson.
On the 13th a Yankee major and surgeon came up with 28 ambulances, ander a flag of truce, asking the privilege of carrying off their wounded. For military reasons it was declined by General Jackson, they having enough surgeons within our lines to attend to them.
Having received orders from General Jackson to move back with my regiment to Port Republic and await further orders, I there learned that he was en route for Richmond and that I was to follow. His command having had three days’ start of me, I did not. overtake him until he arrived at Hanover Court-House.
The weather had been extremely hot during our campaign in the valley. The roads macadamized and the cavalry unprovided with horseshoes, and being conipelled to subsist them mostly on young grass without salt, I found my command in a most deplorable condition. Our work had been eternal, day and night. We were under fire twenty-six days out of thirty. Having gone in with more than 100 men unarmed, we returned generally well equipped. History bears no record of the same amount of service performed by the same number of cavalry horses in the same time.
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Colonel Second Virginia Cavalry, Commanding Ashby’s Brigade.
P. S.—I have failed to mention any special marks of gallantry exhibited by any of my men, supposing that it has been done by those
under whose orders they were acting. I shall omit in the rest of my
report our Richmond campaign, and begin at Waterloo Bridge, where
I was ordered again to report to General Jackson, in advance of his
‘ army moving on Manassas.
No, 67.