Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/230

22 lowing night to a point near West Union, when they crossed the Maryland line to Red House and thence moved southward, the next day, to Greenland, Hardy county, finally reaching Monterey after seven days' arduous marching.

Colonel Pegram's command, which we left in the course of their march of 17 miles along the summit of the mountain to join Garnett, on the night of the 12th made an attempt to cross the valley eastward, but his reconnoissance was fired upon and he was advised that the enemy held Leadsville, in the rear of Garnett's former position. Both commander and troops were exhausted and starving, and it was decided after returning to the foot of the mountain range to surrender. Accordingly at midnight a proposition to that effect was sent to General McClellan, then at Beverly, and on the next day, July 13th, the first formal capitulation of the great war took place, 28 officers and 525 men becoming prisoners of war. They were well treated, and in a few days all were released on parole save Colonel Pegram.

Thus ended in disaster the first completed campaign of the Confederate war. There were many instances of remarkable heroism and valor. In the main the troops fought with coolness and tenacity in the face of fearful odds, and maintained their organizations wonderfully well during exhausting and rapid movements over the most impassable country that can well be imagined. Their marches were made through dense thickets of laurel, over precipitous mountains, across raging streams, and along paths impracticable for ordinary military operations. Yet the conduct of the Confederates under these circumstances, and particularly their stubborn fighting at Hart's house and Carrick's ford would suffice to convince a careful observer that the same sort of soldiers, given chances somewhat even, would yet win a victory glorious enough to lift the cloud of gloom which settled upon the South after this unfortunate campaign. Such a prophet would