Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/149

Rh regiments. Meanwhile the enemy disappeared in the wooded country, and the chance was gone.

A body of infantry now came into sight moving at a double quick, and halted about four hundred yards from us, and from a barricade of fence-rails opened a harmless fire. Another column was soon seen deploying into line on our left flank. Finally, artillery opened on us, and the line on our left advanced. We were now ordered back to Malone's Crossing. Soon the roar of cannon and the rattle of small arms reached us from up the road in the direction of the enemy, and as the evening wore on the enemy vanished from our front. We were presently ordered forward. As our little brigade advanced on foot across the field we were preceded by Colonel Roberts and the Second North Carolina Cavalry, escorted by Ball's squadron.

About a mile above our position Roberts encountered a line of low barricade occupied by the enemy. This Ball charged, leaping it with his horses, and capturing about one hundred prisoners before the dismounted men of the regiment could get up. The men in advance here waited until those behind reached this line.

Our line was now reformed and very heavy shelling commenced. After some delay we were put in motion, and soon entered the woods, where an occasional shot was fired by a retiring vidette. We then reached a number of rifle-pits, from which, with little or no firing, about fifty men surrendered. The few men of the Thirteenth Regiment on our extreme left were put in charge of the prisoners and sent back. We now came into woods where the bushes had been chopped off, and the trees felled, and where marching was very difficult. But we pressed on, and got through it. A gentle slope was seen to lead up from the edge of the wood to a heavy line of breastworks extending from the railroad for a quarter of a mile along the crest of the hill. The woods to our right receded from these formidable works, and a tremendous volley issued from the enemy occupying them against that part of