Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 09.djvu/125

116 Seventh and Eleventh regiments of Virginia cavalry left Snickersville and joined Brigadier-General Robertson at Berryville. The Twelfth Virginia cavalry having been sent to picket towards Harper's Ferry, was left on that duty. The 30th of June a part of this regiment under Lieutenants Harmon and Baylor surprised and captured a cavalry picket of the enemy on Bolivar Heights. They killed one and captured twenty-one, including two officers, with all their arms, horses, and equipments.

White's battalion, which was detached at Brandy Station, has not been reporting its operations.

The three remaining regiments of the brigade accompanied General Robertson by way of Williamsport and Chambersburg, arriving at Cashtown the 3rd of July. Near this point an order from General Lee required a force of cavalry to be sent at once to the vicinity of Fairfield to form a line to the right and rear of our line of battle. In the absence of General Robertson I determined to move my command at once into position, which met with the approbation of the General who returned to camp before I was in motion. About two miles from Fairfield we encountered the Sixth United States regular cavalry en route to capture our cavalry division train, which must have fallen an easy prey but for our timely arrival. Many wagons in quest of forage were already in a few hundred yards of the enemy. We met in a lane, both sides of which were of post and rail fences too strong to be broken without the axe. The country is open, the fields small and all the fences of the same character as along the lane. No estimate could be made of the opposing force, but knowing a vigorous assault must put even a small force on a perfect equality with a large one until a wider field could be prepared, I at once ordered the Seventh regiment, which was in front, to charge. Before the enemy could be reached he succeeded in throwing through gates, right and left, carbineers, who poured into our flanks a galling fire. The leading men hesitated, the Seventh regiment halted and retreated, losing more men than a glorious victory would have cost, had the onset been made with vigor and boldness. A failure to rally promptly and renew the fight is a blemish in the bright history of this regiment. Many officers and men formed noble exceptions. In their efforts to renew the fight fell the noble brothers Captain and Lieutenant Shoup, the former desperately wounded, and the latter instantly killed. Lieutenant Simpson, of this regiment, on provost guard duty, was in the thickest of the fight from first to last, capturing many more prisoners than he had men. Captains Kuykendall and Magruder also added to their brilliant and well earned reputations. Fortunately the Seventh had a chance in a day or