Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/213

 212 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Sergeant Cleary, by whom I sent word to Captain Moore that I had not been able up to that time to overtake General Imboden, but that I desired him (Captain Moore) to join the wagon train and move forward without unnecessary delay. I then hastened forward and met General Imboden' s Adjutant at Greencastle, and informed him that I had received no orders to march. I did not see the General there, but learned that he had gone forward Riding forward, I had not proceeded more than three miles when our train was attacked by a body of the enemy's cavalry, and I was captured, but was soon rescued by a company of our cavalry. I, however, did not recover my horse, which had been taken by the enemy. I, therefore, had to proceed as best I could part of the way on foot and arrived at Williamsport during the afternoon of the 5th ulto. I there saw General Imboden and informed him again, as I had done at Cash- town the previous day, that my horses were in bad condition, and asked him if he could furnish me with more horses, as I thought I might need assistance. He said he had already directed Colonel Smith, commanding a regiment of infantry belonging to his com- mand, and then not far from the rear of the wagon train, to take charge of them and turn over to the artillery and wagons all the serviceable led -horses in the train.

The horses in the wagon train of this battalion, which had arrived, were not in condition at this time to assist in bringing up the artil- lery, but the next morning I directed that all the serviceable horses in our camp should be at once sent to aid in bringing up the artillery. General Imboden ordered me the morning of July 6th to ride around the line of battle that he had formed and select positions to be occu- pied by my artillery, as soon as it should arrive. This order I obeyed, and, on returning to camp, found Captain Moore with his two guns, the caissons having been unavoidably abandoned. I lost no time in placing Captain Moore's battery in position, and had just done so when Lieutenant Landry arrived with one ic-pounder Parrott, and informed me that his horses having entirely broken down, he was compelled to abandon his caissons, and that he had turned over to Captain Hart, of General Hampton's legion, his two 3-inch United States rifles, being unable to move them with his horses.

As the enemy was then threatening us, I lost no time in placing Lieutenant Landry' s piece in position, and this had just been done when Captain Moore opened upon a battery of the enemy's guns, which appeared in range on the Sharpsburg road. Our guns were