Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/19

 Address of Captain John L. 7

well as in the delicate task of screening- the last flank movement, of Jackson, effective work was done, of which few reports were made. Following these fights, carne the battles of Kelly's Ford, March 13, 1863, and " Fleetwood Hill" of June 9th, 1863. These deserve a fuller notice than can be given. At the last fight, one of the se- verest cavalry engagements of modern times, Munford commanded the ist, 2nd and 3rd regiments. He was at Oak Shade, seven miles from Fleetwood when the action begun, and owing to conflicting orders received, was delayed in his march. He arrived in time to render valuable assistance, and his sharp-shooters repulsed the enemy on the left of our lines. He has been blamed for the delay. I marched with him, heard the orders he received, and commanded his sharp shooters, losing three men killed, and eighteen wounded in a very few minutes after getting into the fight. I have not been able to find his official report but the statement made from mem- ory is very nearly corroborated by McClellan in his life of Stuart.

In this fight known as "Fleetwood" about 10,000 cavalrymen on each side, were engaged all day. The Confederate loss was over 500, and the Federal over goo killed, wounded and missing.

I wish that some of these infantry soldiers could have stood on the hill at the Barbour house and been lookers on. It was a "glor- ious sight to see, for him who had no friend, no brother there."

The fights at Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville were spirited af- fairs. Colonel Munford commanded the 2nd and 3rd regiments. He reports the capture of 138 prisoners, while his own loss was 1 19. We find few reports from Federal officers in these battles. In the three engagements, Stuart reports a loss of 65 killed, 279 wounded, and 1 66 missing.

McClellan in his life of Stuart gives the Federal loss at 827. On the 1 2th of June General Stuart began the hazardous movement of crossing the Potomac and marching around the Federal army. He selected Hampton's, Fitz Lee's and W. H. F. Lee's brigades, leav- ing those of Robertson and W. E. Jones to accompany the army into Pennsylvania. These, with Jenkins' brigade, must have numbered 4,ooos abres, and yet we have often heard, and most men think, that Lee's army was left without cavalry. Verily, it will take an hundred years to correct the errors of our history. Do you ask who will be enquiring about it at the end of the 2oth century? All students of military tactics, the descendants of these sons of vete- rans who will be tracing their history back to the men who rode with Stuart and Hampton, and marched under Lee and Jackson.