Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/306

 294 Southern Historical Society Papers.

On the 1 5th of May Breckinridge had sharply repulsed Sigel's column at New Market, the cadets of the Virginia Military Institute making a gallant charge, to the admiration of both armies, and cap- turing guns from veterans, at a loss to themselves of one to every five killed or wounded. Breckinridge had hastened with his slender division to join Lee at Cold Harbor, and after that battle had been fought, wheeled right about to meet the same force which, reinforced, and now commanded by Major-General David Hunter, was march- ing up the Valley from Harrisonburg, with 8,500 men. On June 5th Hunter had defeated and slain the gallant cavalry general, W. E. Jones, at Piedmont in Augusta. Three days later, June 8th, Crook and Averill had joined him at Staunton with 10,000 men, and now with this united force, 18,500 strong, he was marching on four parallel roads to Lynchburg.

Meantime Major-General Sheridan had been sent by Grant with a corps of cavalry on June yth to destroy the Central (now Chesa- peake and Ohio Railway), and Grant, expecting him to meet Hun- ter at Charlottesville, they were to return together to the Army of the Potomac. Neither of these commanders met at the tryst, for on June nth Hampton had intercepted Sheridan at Trevilians with Fitz Lee's and Butler's Divisions, and after the bloodiest cavalry battle of the war, Sheridan had retired all the way to the White- House on the York river; Hampton, victorious, had returned to Lee, and Lynchburg, for the time being, had by him been saved. But Hun- ter was still marching on, and on June I2th was within forty miles of Lynchburg, at Lexington, Va., where he burned the Virginia Mili- tary Institute and Governor Letcher's home, and sacked Washing- ton College.

EARLY TO THE RESCUE.

General Lee on that day ordered Lieutenant- General Early, com- manding the Second Corps, to be ready to move at 3 A. M. on the morrow with that corps and with Nelson's and Braxton's Artillery Battalions, and General A. L. Long as chief of artillery. Their or- ders were to move to the Valley, strike Hunter, destroy him if pos sible, and threaten Washington. Not aware that Hunter had ad- vanced as far as Lexington, for the telegraph wires had been cut, his instructions to Early were to move by way of Louisa Court House and Charlottesville, and through Brown's or Swift Run pass in the Blue Ridge, as he might deem most advisable, strike Hunter's force in the rear and, if possible, destroy it. Then to move down