Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/347

Rh it seemed that joy had overcome fear. Such a scene I never witnessed.

The Second Brigade followed the enemy about five miles below Winchester, when they were halted and went into camp. Other troops followed the enemy, some following them into Maryland and were only stopped by Jackson, on receiving information of an attempt by the enemy to march other forces in his rear.

The enemy on this occasion were commanded by General Banks. Jackson captured off him vast stores, several hundred beef, cattle, several hundred wagons with their teams, eleven thousand muskets in boxes that had never been opened, large amount of ammunition and over three thousand prisoners. Jackson's loss was very small, but he had marched us for three weeks as hard as men could be marched. In an order to his troops next day, he said he thanked us for our conduct and would refer us to the results of the campaign for marching us so hard. Every man was satisfied with his apology. To accomplish so much with so little loss, would march six months. The reception at Winchester was worth serving a whole lifetime.

F Company, 21st Va. Regt., Jackson's Command.

To a gentleman who showed him the foregoing, Mr. E. J. .Hamilton wrote:

"Tell Mr. Jno. H. Worsham that you showed his article on Front Royal and Winchester to a man then twenty-two years old and Ordinance Sergeant of Company G, Eighth Louisiana Regiment, Taylor's Brigade, who participated in the events so accurately described. No one but an eye-witness, one actually on the spot, could have written the details of that campaign so perfectly. Though nearly forty-three years have intervened, the attack at Front Royal, the march to Winchester, through Middletown and Newtown, along the pike strewn with burning wagons, and other stuff abandoned by the fleeing and demoralized enemy, stand out prominently on the tablet of memory."