Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/743

Rh aided in covering the retreat. On September 9, 1863, he was commissioned brigadier-general, and put in command of Wickham's brigade of Fitzhugh Lee's division. The cavalry of both armies had frequent encounters during the following months, the engagements at Bristoe, Brandy Station and Buckland Mills being the most serious until February, 1864, when the fighting to repel Kilpatrick's raid upon Richmond, and Custer's attack on Charlottesville was very desperate. In March and April, 1864, General Wickham and his brigade were again on guard on the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers. He took part in the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House, and when Sheridan moved on Richmond, he was with Stuart on May 11th at Yellow Tavern. "Order Wickham to dismount his brigade and attack," was the last order given by General Stuart to a brigade of cavalry. Subsequently he was actively engaged in the battles of Totopotomay, Cold Harbor, Trevilian's, Reams' Station and many of the lesser cavalry engagements. On August 10, 1864, he and his command were ordered from the south side of the James river to join Early's army in the valley of Virginia, Fitzhugh Lee being in command of the cavalry corps with General Wickham in command of Lee's division. At the battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864, General Wickham covered the retreat. Rallying his men with great ability, General Early again sustained a terrific reverse at Fisher's hill, September 22d, and his army was saved from destruction by the successful defense of the Luray valley by Lee's cavalry division under the command of General Wickham, against the advance of Torbert's corps on which Sheridan relied to intercept the retreat of Early at New Market in the main valley. Rejoining General Early at Brown's gap, Wickham was ordered to guard Rockfish gap, and on arriving at the foot of the mountain attacked the Federal cavalry at Waynesboro, driving them back. The next day the enemy retreated down the valley, and the lines of the armies were established at Bridgewater. General Wickham resigned his commission in the Confederate army on October 5, 1864, transferred his command to General Rosser, went to Richmond and took his seat in Congress when the session opened. It took him but a few days after the assembling of the Confederate Congress to ascertain that the end of