Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/259

 Rh From the direction we took the impression prevailed that we were going to reinforce Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley. The command bivouacked that night about twenty miles from Richmond, and a few miles from Hanover Courthouse.

Early the next morning Stuart asked me to go in advance with a few men to the court-house. This settled any doubt I may have had about the expedition. I had not asked him a question and he had not spoken to me on the subject of my recent scout since our interview on my return. I started off and soon struck the same road over which I had ridden four days before. Just as we got in sight of the village, a squadron of the enemy came, reconnoitered us, and as we simply halted and did not run away, rightly concluded that a support was behind us and left in a hurry. One of the men was sent to inform Stuart of their presence, but they had gone when his column came up. The column pushed on and in two or three miles came upon the enemy's pickets, and now began a running fight, or rather a fox chase for a mile or two. The 9th Virginia Cavalry, commanded by W. H. F. Lee (a son of General Robert E. Lee), was in advance, and as we were ascending a hill, one of the men came dashing back and said the enemy's cavalry was coming down upon us. We could hear but could not see them. I was sitting on my horse by Stuart, who had halted to close up the column. Latane's squadron was in front. There was an order to draw sabres; Lee said "charge men." The squadron dashed forward with that wild demoniac yell which the enemy often afterward heard and can never forget.

There was a sharp collision in the road. Latane was killed; Captain Royall, commanding on the other side, was wounded, and his squadron routed. It was a detachment of the 2d U. S. Cavalry we had met; Fitz Lee had been a Lieutenant in the regiment. He came on the ground in a few minutes, and several of his old company, who had been captured, recognized him. We could not stay to perform for Latane the last duty we owe to the dead—

From prisoners, it was learned that their camp was about a mile away. The column moved on. When we got there we found the its, camp utensils and commissary stores, but Royall and all his