Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/26

20 surrendered; one or two refused to do so, and in endeavoring to escape were shot.

We halted here for over an hour, awaiting the return of two squadrons sent under command of Captains Knight and Hammond to Putney's Ferry, on the Pamunkey, where some vessels were landing military supplies. This party, after meeting a slight show of resistance, captured the place, and, having destroyed such things as they could not remove, including two vessels loaded with stores, brought off some prisoners and many mules and wagons. The wagons found near Tunstall's Station generally were without teams, these having been captured by our men in advance of us, or else ridden off by the teamsters upon our approach. These wagons we burned.

After darkness set in our march was resumed in the direction of Forge Bridge on the Chickahominy. Encumbered with our captives, which increased continuously, we moved slowly. About midnight a sutler's storehouse was reached, at Talleysville, and the command halting for some time to close up the column, many troopers helped themselves to such refreshments as the sutler had provided for his customers, without the usual ceremony of giving something in exchange. Continuing our march from this point, by dawn we reached the Chickahominy, and attempted its passage at a blind ford two miles above Forge Bridge. The river, swollen by recent rains, was too full to be forded. Tall trees were felled in the vain hope of their reaching from shore to shore, and a line formed of many halter-reins tied together, was stretched across the stream, and several rafts made of fence-rails lashed together, were put afloat in the many efforts to effect a crossing here. A few men, led in person by Colonel W. H. F. Lee, swam over, and a few succeeded in crossing on the rafts. General Stuart, finding it impossible to cross the command at this point, withdrew, leaving about thirty-five officers and men of our regiment who had crossed to the opposite bank with