The Comanches: A History of White's Battalion, Virginia Cavalry

by Frank M. Myers

Capt. Trayhern immediately resolved on an extended scout to find the enemy, and for this purpose ordered all the available force of the battalion then in camp to mount and form for the expedition. The whole force thus called out was about one hundred and thirty, in two squadrons; the first, commanded by Lieut. Myers, was composed of portions of the old company and of Chiswell’s and Grubb’s men, the Marylanders led by Sergt. Henry Sellman, and Grubb’s boys by Sam. Grubb. The second squadron was commanded by Capt. Grabill, and composed of his own company, that of Trayhern under Lieut. Anderson, and part of the Albemarle company.

Capt. Dick Grubb acted as Adjutant; and thus organized, the battalion marched out of the mountain, assured by its commander that “he intended to go wherever he heard of Yankees across the Potomac.” On the 20th, the command halted on the river hills opposite Berlin, and looked at the long line of bluejackets on drill on the Maryland side of the line, but none had yet been discovered or heard of south of it. About sunset Capt. Trayhern retired to the old Rehoboth Church and disbanded his command, in order that the men could get something to eat in the neighborhood for themselves and horses, but gave instructions for all to report at the Church by nine o’clock, which they did, and the pickets were duly posted by Lieut. Myers, who was detailed as officer of the guard for the night; and all, except the guards, unsaddled and went into the church to sleep. About an hour before daylight, Myers started out for his last visit to the outposts that night, and on reaching the post at Bolington was surprised to find all the pickets missing; and a further examination convinced him that the Yankees had certainly been down and carried off the whole business—guards, reserve and all. Returning to the command, he informed Trayhern of the affair, and rode on to the other pickets, whom he found all right, not having heard or seen anything more alarming than cattle during the night. Taking his pickets with him, the Lieutenant went back to the battalion, and after a consultation, it was resolved by Trayhern to follow the enemy, who, according to the testimony of some persons at Bolington, had not been gone long, and endeavor to recapture the prisoners; and sending Sam. Grubb with a squad in advance, the command pushed forward rapidly; but soon met Sam. coming back with the information, that Lovettsville was full of Yankees, and that an infantry force was posted in a piece of woods on the grade, a short distance from town. And here Capt. Trayhern committed the fatal error of attempting to drive this force from their position, which was all the enemy wished, hoping to keep him occupied until the flanking party from Harper’s Ferry could gain the rear of the Confederates. After a short skirmish, Trayhern decided to go back, and on his way, halted for a short time at Morrisonville, and then moved on towards Hillsborough.

Pretty soon he met some of the men from the latter place, who informed him that Hillsborough also was occupied by a strong force; and counter-marching, the little battalion took the road to Wheatland; but on arriving at Smith’s, about a mile from that place, firing was heard in front, and soon the advance returned at a gallop, closely pursued by a body of Yankee cavalry.

Capt. Grubb now gave the order “by fours right about,” and the Confederates retreated rapidly to Maj. Geo. L. Moore’s gate, where Grubb turned the column into the field. All this time the Yankees were firing rapidly, and the halt made here in passing the gate enabled them to come up with the battalion, and here a party, with Lieut. Marlow and Sam. Grubb, left the command and struck for the mountain. Reaching the barn-yard gate at Moore’s the Yankees were in thirty yards, and Lieut. Myers, who in the “right about” on the grade had been thrown in rear of the command, found it a difficult matter to get the gate shut and chained again after the command had passed, for the “blue jackets” fired fast at him, but he finally succeeded, and on the hill in the field joined Capt. Trayhern, who, with Captains Grabill and Grubb assisting him bravely, was endeavoring to rally the men and make a stand until an opening for escape could he made in the post and rail fence, but only twenty men could be got in line. In a few minutes the Yankees came through the gate, and about two hundred of them charged the little force on the hill, but received a volley which checked and caused them for a moment to retire; but now, notwithstanding the efforts of Capt. Trayhern, who displayed great gallantry, and of other officers, the men broke and crowded down into the corner of the field, and the Yankees coming on again captured twenty-two of them and about thirty horses. They could just as easily have gotten the whole party, but on charging with drawn sabres to about ten yards of the crowd in the corner, and receiving a fire from a few men with pistols, they halted and commenced firing in return. The fence was now broken open, and the Confederates began leaping their horses over. Here one man was killed and one wounded, but by good horsemanship the others all got clear. The pursuit was continued as far as the mill of Mr. Caldwell, on the Waterford road, and during it a Yankee Lieutenant, in the attempt to capture Lieut. Myers, who was poorly mounted, was mortally wounded.

On arriving at camp and counting up the losses, it was found that twenty-three were captured; Lycurgus W. Bussard, a gallant soldier of the old company, was killed, and Jacob H. Robertson, also of the old company, badly wounded. The squad that with Marlow and Sam. Grubb escaped to the mountain, came down in the Yankee rear at Hillsboro, capturing six prisoners, whom they brought out; which with the eight killed and wounded in the chase, made the enemy’s loss fourteen.

Their whole force consisted of two regiments of cavalry, three of infantry, and a battery of artillery, in all about four thousand; while Trayhern’s command, when he met the Yankees, did not number more than seventy-five.

Gen. Geary, who commanded the Yankees, felt himself the hero of a most wonderful exploit, and on his return to Harper’s Ferry arrested and carried with him the Rev. S. S. Rozzle, but the parson so cut the General’s feathers in his conversation with him, that he was glad to permit him to go home, not even requiring his parole, although if he had asked it Mr. Rozzle was not the man to give it to such a bombastic bag of gas as Geary, who could not look him in the face after talking with him half an hour.

Captains Trayhern and Grabill both lost their horses, and only saved themselves by taking refuge in the top of a cabin which stood near the field, and where they lay until dark undiscovered by the Yankees, although many of them were in and around the house for some time.

When Capt. Trayhern returned to camp, he found his company highly exasperated against him for having, as they said, gotten them into such a trap; and under the excitement of the moment, that high-spirited officer resigned his commission, and left the battalion, never to meet it again until the morning after Gen. Lee surrendered the Array of Northern Virginia.

The command again fell upon Lieut. Myers, and under instructions from Capt. White, he went diligently to work preparing the battalion for organization.