Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/138

 Reminiscences of Cavalry Operations. 137

creek, which was intended as a feint, and his two guns under the gal- lant Carter were very active. I could see that we were in imminent danger of capture. The enemy fell back in Rosser's immediate front. Payne had now moved up, and when this body fell back, another column, unobserved by Rosser, passed under and behind a hill to his left, and pushed rapidly in his rear towards our hospital of the evening before, and our camp. The next time the enemy moved up to attack Rosser, it was a heavy column, and their whole line started. They soon overpowered Payne and White, of Rosser's brigade. We could now hear the yell of the column on our left and rear, and on my right we could hear Lomax's guns receding. I saw we had no possible chance now but to move out, and that, at a run, my left had given away, and it was only by a quick run that we escaped capture. Lieutenant-Colonel Cary Breckenridge had the best opportunity, being on the extreme right held his regiment in hand, covered by the Sharpshooters of the Second, and when, they arrived in some timber, half a mile in the rear, he formed his regi- ment, and upon which the brigade was soon formed. Captain Lamb of the Third. Hobson of the Fourth, Captain James Breckenridge of the Second, kept his Sharpshooters well out, and Captain Litch- field of the First, were all active with their Sharpshooters, and con- spicuous in their efforts.

My men could see the enemy's numbers, and it was clear from the very start that this handful had not a glimmering of a chance in its favor. Had we retired at once, we could have done so without trouble, and with credit; had we attempted to hold our line any longer the capture of the whole command was inevitable. When my brigade had reformed, Rosser came to where we were and told me that the rest of the command were forming in our rear, and would support me; that he wanted me to move over to the road and drive off a small body of the enemy and recapture a part of our train which had attempted to escape. I did move my brigade as he had wished, and upon arriving at the point he desired me to move to, he accom- panying me, I made the necessary dispositions for the attack, and just as we were about ready, a regiment moved up in full view with drawn sabres, and his discretion returned, he then said "we can't doit." The enemy moving up towards us, my sharpshooters en- gaged them, and we had another sharp skirmish in which Lieuten- ant Abner Hatcher, of Company A, Second Virginia, was killed, and we lost some others. (I sincerely regret that I am without data to enable me to report from any of the other regiments than my