The quartermaster’s department exhibited the same lack of system observable in other places, and it was soon discovered that high attainments in law and literature, and brilliant talents as an orator, did not fit Capt. Kilgour to perform the duties of this important position, and he resigned in favor of John J. White, who had been his Sergeant, and who was vastly better calculated for the office in question than the distinguished gentleman who had preceded him. The business was now managed by Capt. White, aided as he was by active and energetic assistants, such as Wm. H. Luckett, Quartermaster-Sergeant; Thomas Brown and Jack Simpson, Frank Saffer, and last, but by no means least, “Uncle Billy Dove,” as forage and wagon-masters; in a systematic and highly satisfactory manner.
The medical department, under the management of Dr. Ed. Wootten, was almost a farce, from the fact that medicines of all kinds were scarce in the Confederacy, and worth almost their weight in gold, so that the office of Surgeon, except on battle days, when wounded men were to be cared for, was almost a sinecure; but in the absence of medicine, the Doctor, by all the little arts known only to the profession, would work upon the imagination of his patients and bring them out, generally, all right, except in cases of camp itch, which active disease prevailed widely, and positively refused to succumb to the imaginary efficacy of bread pills.
While in winter quarters, the first court-martial in the battalion was convened; composed of Captains Myers, Chiswell and Anderson, and Lieutenants Watts (Co. F,) and Strickler, (Co. E,) and proceeded to the trial of a number of cases of absence without leave, and similar offenses.
After the court got through with its business, the report of their proceedings, showing that they had awarded only such light penalties as extra duty, walking a beat, &c., was handed to the Colonel for his approval, as military law required, when, after examining the report, he came out in a general order at dress parade, denouncing the action of the court as folly, fit only for school-boy nonsense, winding up by setting aside all its judgments and discharging the delinquents unconditionally, which ended the court-martial business for a year.
Gen. Rosser used to tell a story which illustrated[illustrated] Col. White’s attention to the minutiæ of the business of the battalion, and which will not be out of place here.
On one occasion Gen. Lee wrote to Rosser, saying that no reports had been received for a long time of the ordnance department of White’s Battalion, and asking him to look into the matter, to which Rosser replied that he had never been able to get an ordnance report from that command, and if Gen. Lee could do so he would be glad to see it. This brought a staff officer from army headquarters at once, to get a report; and Gen. R. tells the story as he received it from the officer, who, after calling at Rosser’s quarters, rode over to the battalion, and introducing himself to Colonel White, explained his business. “Very well, sir,” said the Colonel, “go ahead.” And by aid of Adjt. Watts, the report was made out pretty well, until the officer, reading from a paper which he held in his hand, said, “I see, Colonel, that 340 guns have been issued to your command; what report do you make of them?” (White’s men never would carry guns.) The Colonel turned to the Adjutant and asked how many guns were on hand, to which he replied, “eighty, sir.” “Well,” said the officer, “how do you account for the 260?” At which, White seemed somewhat perplexed; but Gen. R. says that while he was studying the matter over, one of the young “Comanches,” in a corner of the tent, said: "Why, Colonel, ain’t them the guns that busted in Western Virginia?" “I golly, yaas;” said the Colonel, “they did bust; you sent us a lot of them drotted Richmond carbines, and they like to have killed all the men.” The staff officer put down on his report: “260 guns bursted in Western Virginia,” and took his departure, everything being now accounted for.
CHAPTER X.
On the 21st of April, 1863, Gen. Jones marched his brigade from their camp, now near Harrisonburg, for the memorable expedition through West Virginia, intending to damage the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road, and to threaten the enemy in that country, so as to not only prevent troops from going to the Rappahannock where “fighting Joe” Hooker was confronting the Army of Northern Virginia, but to draw forces from his army to protect the Rail Road and keep Western communication with the capital unbroken; a scheme which originated in the far-reaching mind of General Lee, and one that exerted a telling influence upon Hooker’s operations at Chancellorsville.
Gen. Jones’ brigade was a noble one, consisting of the 6th, 7th, 11th and 12th Regiments of Virginia Cavalry, 1st Maryland Battalion of Cavalry, 35th Battalion of Va. Cavalry, 41st Battalion of Va. Cavalry, (Witcher’s mounted rifles,) Col. Herbert’s Battalion of Maryland Infantry, Captain Chew’s Battery of Horse Artillery, and the Baltimore Battery of Light Artillery; in all, four regiments, commanded by Cols. Flournoy, Dulaney, Lomax and Harman, and four battalions, under Lieut.-Cols. Brown, White, Witcher and Herbert; with two batteries, of four guns each; making a total of about four thousand men.
The brigade marched through Brock’s Gap, in the North Mountain, and passing Howard’s Lick, soon had a view, full and complete, of the famous Moorfield Valley; and great was the gratification and delight of all the men as they looked down from the mountain top upon the lovely scene, lying as it did like a picture of beauty at their feet, girt with its dark mountain frame, and fringed with its evergreen bordering of hemlock and cedar; white snow-caps all around, but everything fresh as springtime in the valley, where the South Branch was foaming and dashing over its rocky bed, sometimes winding along the base of one mountain, then crossing to the other, and sometimes rolling gloriously through the carpet of living green in the centre of the valley.