Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/142

 Reminiscences of Cavalry Operations. 141

newspaper controversy, will thus make it clear to the ordinary reader.

During my leave of absence the battle of Cedar Creek had taken place, and the cavalry had seen some rough service. When I joined the brigade at Rude's Hill, on the I4th November, they occupied the old lines we had established when I was last with them. The long stay on these bottoms, from which the horses drew their principal supply of food by grazing most of our wagons had been captured, and corn was hard to get, except at a great distance the con- tinuous nipping of the horse's front teeth had made the pastures very close, like, by the continuous cutting of a little axe, the largest oak will succumb. So with the big fields covered with grass. They were now getting very lean, and the chilling blasts of the Fall winds were reminding us of the tent flies and blankets we had lost a month before. On the 22d of November, Torbert, with two divisions of the enemy's cavalry, hurriedly pushed back our pickets from Edin- burg upon their reserve, but they were checked long enough to get the brigade ready to prepare for them, then entered the broad bottoms, and presented a formidable appearance. As they moved across the river and bottoms we kept apace with them on the north side of the Shenandoah river. General Early being notified, moved out in line of battle with his infantry to the top of Rude's hill. The rumbling of his artillery, the glitter of his bayonets, and an occa- sional shot from a battery he had placed in position, gave them the information they were seeking, viz : Was Early still there ? When they moved back I followed, hanging on their flank and rear for five or six miles, taking advantage of any opportunity of attacking their rear, and hampering them. Pond's Book, page 247, says : " They only lost about thirty men." They left a good many of their dead in our hands, and as my men were without supplies, all of their dead were stripped as nude as when they were born. I did not know when this was done, or by whom; but as we passed over the same ground returning to camp, I saw then in different parts of the field we had fought over. At Mount Jackson we had a sharp encounter. 4 We lost some good men. The First Virginia behaved very handsomely in a mounted charge. Color-Sergeant Figgatt, of that regiment, was conspicuous in his efforts after this charge, and was shot, a ball cutting his jugular vein. He clung to his colors as long as he had strength to hold them. We returned to camp, and soon after this Rosser went on an expedition to New Creek. I remained on picket with the brigade. On page 117, General Early's