Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/674

626 army. During the West Virginia campaign he acted as chief of cavalry for General Loring. In the winter of 1861-62 he was ordered to Fredericksburg, Va., and was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Ninth Virginia cavalry regiment, promotion to the colonelship following in March. With his regiment he was attached to the cavalry brigade of J. E. B. Stuart, and shared its operations during the retreat from Yorktown toward Richmond. In the famous raid around McClellan's army Stuart's men were led by the three colonels, Fitz Lee, W. H. F. Lee and W. T. Martin; the artillery under Breathed. His troopers defeated the enemy's cavalry at Hawes' Shop, June 13th, during this expedition. Upon the organization of the cavalry division in the following month, his regiment was assigned to the brigade of Fitzhugh Lee, and he participated in the operations of this command in the campaign of Second Manassas. After serving on the advanced line before Washington, during the advance into Maryland, he was particularly distinguished in the rear-guard fighting after the action at Turner's pass. Squadron after squadron of his regiment bore the brunt of the attacks of the Federal advance until they were the last to enter Boonsboro. At this point Colonel Lee was unhorsed and run over in crossing a bridge; and severely bruised and at first unconscious, lay by the roadside for some time in full view of the passing enemy. He managed to escape and finally reached the army on the Antietam, where he was welcomed as one from the dead. Subsequently he commanded a detachment of Lee's brigade during the Chambersburg raid, and held the advance during the return movement in the rear of McClellan's army. His intrepid conduct and coolness in demanding the surrender of a largely superior force of the enemy which held White's ford on the Potomac, caused the withdrawal of this obstacle which might have been fatal to the safe return of Stuart's command to Virginia. At the reorganization in November he, having been promoted brigadier-general, was given command of the brigade of cavalry consisting of the Fifth, Ninth, Tenth, Fifteenth Virginia and Second North Carolina. During the operations preceding and following the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville he was frequently engaged, and during the combats with Pleasanton's cavalry before the