Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/742

686 he determined to share the fortunes of his people, and took his company, "the Hanover dragoons," into active service. He participated in the first battle of Manassas and the preceding outpost skirmishes, and in September, 1861, was commissioned by Governor Letcher, lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Virginia cavalry. On May 4, 1862, he received a severe saber wound in a cavalry charge at Williamsburg, which prevented him from participating in the battles around Richmond. While wounded he was taken prisoner at his home on McClellan's advance, paroled, and speedily exchanged by special cartel for his wife's kinsman, Lieut.-Col. Thomas L. Kane, of the Pennsylvania "Bucktails." In August, 1862, he was commissioned colonel of the Fourth Virginia cavalry, and in that rank he participated in the battles of Second Manassas, Boonsboro, Sharpsburg and the frequent engagements of the cavalry under General Stuart. During the advance of the army of the Potomac into Virginia, after the battle of Sharpsburg, he was again wounded, by a piece of shell, in the neck, while temporarily in command of Fitz Lee's brigade at Upperville. Recovering from this wound, he regained his command in time to take part in the battle of Fredericksburg, December 12, 1862. When the army went into winter quarters, he was on the picket lines on the Rappahannock river from Fredericksburg to a point above the junction of the Rapidan, and was on those lines when Burnside made his unsuccessful attempt to cross the river again. In the spring of 1863, he and his command participated actively in the outpost conflicts preceding the battle of Chancellorsville, and was posted on the right flank during that battle. Prior to the opening of the campaign in 1863, while in command of his regiment at the front, he announced himself a candidate for the Confederate Congress from the Richmond district, and without going into the district was elected shortly after the battle of Chancellorsville, by an unparalleled majority. He, however, remained at his post in the army, leaving his seat in Congress vacant until the fall of 1864. On the advance into Pennsylvania Colonel Wickham's command formed a part of the force which Stuart took on his raid around Meade's army, rejoining the army of Northern Virginia on the eve of the battle of Gettysburg, was posted on the extreme left flank during that engagement, and