Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/208

200 organizations, who, on this occasion, had their first encounter with the enemy. The forces of the latter were about five hundred picked men, of five regiments of Gregg's cavalry, with two pieces of artillery. The artillery was not brought into action.

The Tredegar Battalion, Maj., was the first to come into collision with the enemy. As the battalion was ascending the hill which descends from Benjamin Green's house, the Yankees, who were coming over it, suddenly appeared close at hand. The meeting was unexpected, and found our men unprepared for it, many of our guns being unloaded. The enemy deployed under the shelter of a piece of wood, and our men got into such line as they could in the open field. Volleys were exchanged, from which the Yankees suffered most, and were made to give ground. They subsequently made a charge under which the battalion recoiled and made a rapid and broken retreat, and took no further part in the operations. The enemy pressed vigorously, making an attempt to cut off the men, but with indifferent success. Some were captured, but afterwards released, as the enemy could not afford to be encumbered with prisoners. Five horses and two dead soldiers left on the field show that the fire of our men was not without effect. On our side Lieutenant John Sweeney and private Blunt were killed. Much allowance is to be made for the circumstances under which the battalion went into action. As it was, the enemy were the greatest sufferers.

The enemy's column now came forward with celerity, expecting to find no further obstacle to their progress. The departmental and quartermaster's battalions, who were following the march of the Armory Battalion, suddenly beheld the approach of the enemy. Capt. John McAnerny, of company B, Departmental Battalion, who was in command of the whole as ranking officer present, swiftly deployed his lines to the right and left of the road, and had barely time to order out his skirmishers before the cavalry charged him. They charged down on both sides of the road. They came yelling, and rattling their sabres and firing their carbines, their officers vociferating to them to "charge the rebels! Cut them down! They are nothing but melish!" It was already quite dark, and growing more so,