Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/104



The author was sick and broken down on reaching Virginia, and was forced to linger in the rear until the regiment reached Culpeper, when he obtained a ten days' leave of absence. Major Waller was in command, and the regiment camped near Leetown for several days. The enemy's cavalry having crossed the Potomac and moved up to Shepherdstown, the road to that point was taken by our division, and some heavy skirmishing occurred. Colonel Drake, of the First Regiment, was killed, and the Ninth suffered some loss. The march afterwards was through Leetown and Smithfield, and they bivouacked on the road to Front Royal. Next day the Shenandoah was crossed by a blind ford, and after marching through Rappahannock county, the regiment was left on picket at Gourdvine Church. From this point they returned to the vicinity of Brandy Station, and again encamped on the farm of John Minor Botts. An advance of the enemy from Rappahannock Bridge on August 4th brought on an engagement in the plain below Miller's Hill, in which the regiment took an active part, and was for some minutes a target for several of the enemy's guns. The casualties were slight.

We remained in camp in a measure inactive until the 13th of September. On the morning of that day, at three o'clock,