Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/313

 The Imboden Raid and Its Effects. 305

extreme head of the South Branch of the Potomac River, the other the extreme head of Jackson's River, the longest branch of the James. At this point is the junction of the public roads leading up and down the South branch and the Jackson Rivers.

The morning was an ideal spring morning, and the writer had often thought the most inspiring sight ever brought before him he saw there that moring. The soldiers were still bewildered as to their movements, but when the command began to move west over the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike you could see joy in their faces. First came General John Imboden, at the head of his brigade, composed of the Sixty-second Virginia Infantry, the Eighteenth Virginia Calvary, some independent companies and one good battery of four pieces of artillery. The Sixty-second Regiment, a large regiment then, was immediatly behind Gen- eral Imboden's staff, and with fife and drum they moved out. Next came Colonel Patton, as true a knight as ever put lance to rest, at the head of the Twenty-second Regiment. Next came Col- onel William L. Jackson, whose face was beaming with joy, at the head of the Ninteenth Regiment of Cavalry. Next Colo- nel Dunn, at the head of his batalion; next Colonel John Hig- ginbothan, at the head of the Twenty-fifth Virginia Infantry and what a soldier this man was ! Next came that war-worn veteran, Colonel John S. Huffman, at the head of "the old Thirty-first," as the members of that regiment delighted to call it. The scene was too much for my young rebel heart, and for the sake of Billie, I am glad that no one saw me just then.

I was visibly affected. There were the first Confederate sol- diers that I had seen marching with colors flying and to the step of martial music, since General Lee had fallen back from Valley Mountain in September, 1861. A great many men who were refugees from Northwest Virginia had found out the secret of the raid and accompanied the raiders. General Imboden, when he got into Randolph county, had fully five thousand fight- ing men. I marched the first day with the Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Regiments, for the reason I wanted to see my cous- ins and acquaintances that I had not now seen for two years. The ranks of these two regiments had been fearfully depleted at that time ; and what a change had come over the living. Their faces had grown old and careworn and while they looked strong