Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/80

74 the enemy. Robinson's and Jenkins' brigades, supposed to be on our left, were not seen during the day.

The Ninth Regiment was the rear-guard of our brigade. One squadron, under the Colonel's immediate command, moved in support of two pieces of artillery. Two squadrons under Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis, and two under Major Waller, took positions alternately in front to check the enemy's advance. On reaching the Trappe road, Jones' brigade, moving from our flank, passed over the open country between us and the mountains. We followed the two guns up the Trappe road. The Second North Carolina, followed by the Tenth Virginia Regiment, were on our left as we moved on this road. Our aim was to form a junction with Hampton at the intersection of the Trappe road and the 'pike before the enemy, who were forcing him back, reached that point. From delay, caused by halting the artillery to wait for a guide, Hampton passed before we came up, and the enemy made dispositions to cut us off. A body of infantry were pushed up a bottom running in rear of Upperville, and posted behind a stone fence enclosing a field which lay beside the Trappe road, and a body of cavalry were put in position near the head of this bottom.

The Second North Carolina Regiment was moving in column through the field when the Yankee infantry from behind the fence fired upon them. This was immediately followed by a charge by some squadrons from the head of the bottom. The North Carolinians met the charge with a shout, and the Yankee troopers were driven to the fence held by the infantry, and back towards the bottom. The two guns which we were escorting passed from the road to the field on their right, and, quickly unlimbering near the road, opened a rapid fire upon the enemy in the field in which the cavalry was engaged. Deeming it useless to make fight against such odds, we were directing our march to the foot of the mountain in rear of our guns, and out of range of the musketry, when orders came for the regiment to relieve the Second North