Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/77

Rh got out of the narrow gorge on the highlands, when we faced about and formed line. They then moved away in the direction of Middleburg.

Colonel Chambliss now joined us with the other regiments of the brigade, and after dark the command marched with drawn sabres on the road which the enemy had taken. To aid in distinguishing friends from foes in the event of an encounter in the dark, a watchword and reply were passed down our line from man to man.

Two men had been sent from Thoroughfare Gap to General Stuart, at Middleburg, with dispatches, one saying that no enemy was there, and the other that they had come. Both of these couriers were captured.

After a tedious march we reached the vicinity of Middleburg at a late hour, and bivouacked in a grove on the edge of a large field. We were called to horse before sunrise. It was reported that some Yankee cavalry were close at hand, within the same field in which we had encamped and near one of the two roads leading south from Middleburg. We were directed to pursue them. Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, with two squadrons, was sent on the road to the left. The Colonel, with three squadrons, took the one to the right. Captain Haynes, having gotten his squadron into line first, was, at his request, put in advance. He soon found the same unfortunate First Rhode Island Regiment, which a year before had furnished us so fine an outfit at Mountsville, now drawn up to dispute his passage. Impetuous and dashing himself, he hurled his men in headlong charge upon them. The dead and wounded marked the place of the encounter to us who followed. As often as they attempted to rally Haynes charged, and for several miles the chase was kept up till scarcely two of the regiments were together. About a hundred were pursued to the mountains, where some, abandoning their overtaxed horses, found safety on foot. Nearly a hundred prisoners were captured.

We afterwards marched to Middleburg, and, passing