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

by Frank M. Myers

“Commanding Valley District:

“General—I have received Major E. V. White’s report, dated Dec. 24th, 1862, of his scout to Poolsville, Maryland, and have forwarded it to the Adjutant and Inspector-General at Richmond, calling the attention of the War Department to the gallant conduct of Major White and his command.

“I am much gratified at the manner in which Major White conducted his scout, and the substantial results accomplished, with such slight loss on his part.

“I have the honor to be, General, very respectfully,

“Your obedient servant.

“R. E. Lee, General.”

General Jones was on the eve of marching to Western Virginia at the time White reached him, and leaving the Major in command of the Valley District, with his battalion and such portions of other regiments as could not move with him, that enterprising officer went on his raid. Here the battalion learned for the first time that its independence was gone and it was a portion of Gen. Jones’ brigade permanently, and that the men were regular troops.

Insubordination, and almost open mutiny, was the result, especially in the two Companies A and B. The members of the old company claimed that theirs was an independent command, organized to serve on the border, and that they joined it under the assurance that they never would be attached to any regiment or brigade, but be always on the border, and report to the nearest commanding General, and according to the terms of their enlistment they were never to forfeit, without their consent, the independent character of their command. This was the second time the same issue had arisen in its history, the first being the time when the company was thrown under command of Lieut.-Col. Munford, in March, 1862, and the men watched jealously any movement which threw them, for ever so short a time, with any other command.

Company B claimed, that as Marylanders, they owed no allegiance to the Confederacy. They had come over voluntarily, because their sympathies were with the South, but being foreigners they had the right to select for themselves the manner in which they would serve her, and in accordance with their privilege had united with the command of Major White, under the assurance and belief that his was an independent organization, and that now, the contract having been broken on the part of the Government, they were no longer bound to remain in the battalion.

There can be no doubt as to the justice of the claims advanced by both companies, but soldiers must submit to the powers that be, and as soldiers they had no right to question the validity of the orders which removed from one branch of service and assigned them to another. A Napoleon or a Jackson would have had somebody shot for such conduct, and in so doing would have totally destroyed the efficiency of the battalion, for after the first military execution, double their number could not have kept three companies in service a day longer. Their homes were in the enemy’s lines, and among the mountains, and wild as they were, they would have remained untamed for the war, under such discipline as this.