After a few minutes’ reflection and study about the matter, Myers gave the order for the wagons to move out on the road, but was induced to do so more because “Uncle” Billy Dove was anxious to move now that everything was ready, than from any apprehension that Yankees would come.
Capt. Kilgour and “Uncle Billy” at once set all the machinery of the quartermaster’s department in motion, and very soon the train begun to move.
We will now go back to the river where we left Barrett and his boys watching the enemy; but their watch was of short duration, for suddenly the whole force of Yankees moved off briskly, and unmindful of the pistol shots fired at them, dashed into the river and came over. The Confederates soon gave way, and the affair turned into a horse-race for camp.
One of the men ran in at Mr. Shepherd’s to notify Major White, and found him lying down, but he soon got out and mounted his horse, reaching the pike just as the Yankees came up. They were now about a mile from camp and all together, pursuers and pursued, rode like "Tam O’Shanter," and all together reached the camp, but here the Yankees made a halt until their reserve came up, before charging in upon the scattered crowd of demoralized men in the camp.
The Major had been wounded in the thigh, and Lieut. Barrett, with about twenty of his men, taken prisoners, and now the question was, “How are the wagons to be saved?”
Major White, notwithstanding his wound, rallied such of his men as were mounted and armed, and from every hill-top in the fields fired upon and checked the enemy, while all the men except the dozen with him, did their best running.
An old citizen of Clarke county, Col. Morgan, whose residence was near, saw the flying fugitives racing across the field; he came out and attempted to rally them, but seeing that they only ran the faster, the old gentleman, with the spirit of his famous ancestor, “the wagoner General of the revolution,” swore he would fight them alone; but when the carbine balls began to clip the blue grass around him, he thought better of it and went home.
The Yankees pressed White and his party very closely as far as Berryville, and captured one wagon, but not the team, the driver having cut his horses loose and made his escape. Capt. Kilgour stuck to his train bravely, and with “Uncle Billy,” directed its movements until the Yankee bullets commenced singing around him, when he gave it up, and made “Toney” show his speed and bottom too.
At Berryville, the 12th Virginia Cavalry, under Lt.-Col. Burke, made its appearance and charged gallantly into the Yankee column, but were soon compelled to retire, when they came on again after White and his boys, one of whom, Mag. Thompson, was badly wounded and taken prisoner, but the enemy was generous enough to parole him and leave him in the care of some ladies at a house near the road.
At the 7th mile post from the river the pursuit ceased, and the Yankees went back to Berryville, just in time to miss the capture of the baggage wagon of Company A, from which the driver had cut the lead horses, only about two hundred yards from where they halted.