Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/580

538 the 11th, Rosser, later in the day, started upon his return, and on the 18th reached his old camp near Swoope's.

On the 18th of January, Echols' old brigade of Wharton's division, left for Dublin Depot in southwest Virginia, and McCausland's came to Fishersville, en route to its winter quarters in Alleghany and Greenbrier counties. On the 20th, Jackson's cavalry came, from toward Gordonsville, on its way to winter quarters in Bath and adjacent counties. On the 22d the Federal cavalry captured Early's picket at Edenburg, but was repulsed and the picket retaken. The month of January was very cold and stormy, with intervals of thawing which broke up the roads and made traveling very difficult.

On the 2d of February, two battalions of artillery, under Col. Thomas L. Carter, left the vicinity of Waynesboro and went to Richmond. On the 7th snow fell to the depth of eight inches, interrupting railway communication. On the 8th, Payne's brigade received orders to cross the Blue ridge, from Lexington, where it had gone into camp. There was sadness at headquarters on hearing of the defeat of the Second corps near Petersburg, and of the death of Gen. John Pegram, commanding one of its divisions, who had begun his military career at Rich mountain in the early part of July, 1861. On the 9th, Gen. Fitz Lee left for Richmond. On the 20th a portion of the general hospital of the army, which had so long been located at Staunton, was removed to Richmond, and on the 22d the Churchville company of cavalry also marched for Petersburg.

On the 24th of February, Major-Generals Crook and Kelley, of the Federal army, were brought as prisoners to Staunton, by a squad of McNeill's company of partisan rangers, having been boldly and adroitly captured from their beds at Cumberland, Md., in the midst of an army of 5,000 men, and brought out on the night of the 21st, mounted on their own horses. General Early interviewed these two Federal officers, and General Crook, who was in command of the Federal army at the battle of Cedar Creek, on the morning of September 19th, in the absence of General Sherman, confessed to him that the Sixth corps was as badly damaged, or nearly so, as were the Eighth and Ninth, by Early's attack, and was, in his opinion, in no condition to resist a third attack, if such had been made.