Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/232

24 changing of its occupancy by the armies of each side. It is well established that, beginning with Wallace's raid, at least fifty-six times during the war it passed into the control of the Federal army.

After the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, June 16, 1861, when the army of the Shenandoah retired toward Winchester, Thomas J. Jackson, then ranking as colonel, was stationed near Martinsburg, and after making some demonstrations against the Federal advance, did good work in destroying transportation cars and locomotives on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad.

The Thirteenth Virginia and Third Tennessee regiments, under the command of A. P. Hill, were marched from Harper's Ferry, by way of Winchester, to Romney, a distance of about 75 miles. The Union troops had retired. Upon reaching Romney it was ascertained that a company of Federal infantry, with two field pieces, was guarding the bridge over the north branch of the Potomac on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, some 18 miles northwest from Romney. Colonel Hill detached Company I, of the Thirteenth, and a company of Tennesseeans and sent them to capture the bridge referred to. About sunrise on June 19th, an attack was made, the Federal soldiers driven from the bridge and the two pieces of artillery captured and carried off. This little fight was quick and sharp, ending in one of the first victories of the war.

Jackson, having advanced to Darkesville, at Falling Waters, encountered the Federals who had crossed the Potomac to attack him, and although fighting in retreat with one regiment of infantry and his cavalry, punished his adversary by the loss of 49 prisoners and several killed, while in his own command there were 12 wounded and 13 killed and captured. Jackson was made brigadier-general a few days previous to this fight. On June 26, 1861, Richard Ashby, a brother of the celebrated Gen. Turner Ashby, lost his life in a skirmish in Hampshire county. The two Ashbys were in charge