Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/343

Rh When we reach Cedarville, Jackson, with his old division and Taylor's Brigade, take the road to the left. The remainder of the troops, under Ewell's command, keep the direct road to Winchester, Company B, of Maryland, belonging to our regiment, who were mustered into service for one year, having served their time, leave us at this point, and the twenty-first Virginia Regiment have only nine companies after this date.

The force under Jackson's march to Midleton on the Valley pike. When we get in sight of the pike, we find it filled with the enemy, as far as the eye can see, on their way to Winchester, and we have surprised them on their march. We attack them at once, and cut their marching column in two, one part keeping on towards Winchester, the other turning back towards Strasburg. These the second brigade are ordered to pursue. We continue after them until getting in sight of a bridge over Cedar Creek, when we are recalled and join in the general move towards Winchester. In marching through Middleton, we find long lines of knapsacks of the enemy's behind the stone walls along the pike, it looked as if whole regiments and brigades had unslung them in order to make a stand and as soon as we made the attack, they left in such a hurry that it seemed none were taken. At the junction of the Cedarville and Valley roads, the road was literally blocked with dead horses.

On reaching Newtown we come to a long wagon train of the enemy's standing on the side of the road. Some of the wagons had been fired by them. As we pass them a very singular thing struck the writer, about the contents of those wagons; in every one that had articles in sight, you could see portions of women's clothing; in one wagon you would see a bonnet, in another a shawl, a dress in the next and in some all of a woman's outfit. I never saw the yankee soldiers wearing this kind of uniform and why they carried it, it was beyond my knowledge. Some of our men suggested that it had been "confiscated." from citizens of the Valley. Marching a little further we are halted, as the enemy have some artillery on the opposite hill and are shelling our road. Our advance runs out some guns, and those with our advance skirmishers soon have them retreating again. It is dark now and we soon come to another