Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/13

 I> try of C'l/tftiiti ./iiHK.i M. Garn</t. 7

and I (ailed to him to come on, but he amused himself bowing to tin-in while they were shooting at us. After viewing them long enough on Market street, I rode over to Main street and looked at tin-in a while there. A dozen or so of our men were on Main street, and the enemy fired several shots at us. I rode out of town and stopped at our skirmish line until after the Yankee skirmishers appeared on this side of town, and then came on to the division, which stopped a while in the woods beyond Kernstown, then moved about a mile this side of Newtown and camped for the night in line of battle. I called at Mrs. B's as I passed and told them all good-bye, and spent the night at division Headquarters, General Battle being in command. Moved at four yesterday morning to our old position to the left of Fisher's Hill. I came on and stopped a while at the division quarter- master's train, and at the reserve ordnance train of the army, and then came on here, fatigued in body and spirit, especially the latter. Cannot get over a feeling of sadness and humiliation at having been compelled to abandon Winchester in that style. If we had only had some good cavalry to resist that of the enemy, our infantry could have maintained its position, but our cavalry did not behave well, even if there were superior numbers against them. If Wharton's division had been up early in the morning when we repulsed the first attack, we might have followed it up, but its withdrawal from below let in the whole Yankee cavalry upon us, for McCausland's and Im- boden's brigades couldn't, or wouldn't, resist them. I haven't life enough left for anything. I have just issued this morning the last of the arms, accoutrements and ammunition that I had, and the division still lacks arms and accoutrements, though it is pretty well supplied with ammunition, for it has lost, I suppose, about 1,000 men all to- gether. General Ramseur has been assigned to the command of the division. I had a conversation with Major Peyton on that subject yesterday morning and he requested it of General Early; it is better than yesterday's commander, but no man here can equal General Rodes. We sent a large ordnance train to Staunton this morning for stores. May we have more success with them than with those expended day before yesterday, though up to three o'clock we had whipped the enemy well, and but for that cavalry we might have held our own against succeeding attacks. It is the first time that I have ever seen cavalry very effective in a general engagement. Would that Rosser's Brigade had been with us and on the left ! the day might have been different. It was 5:07 o'clock when I looked at my watch as the Yankees came into Winchester, and we had been fight-