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

by Frank M. Myers

The panic was soon over and the assault renewed with unabated vigor, but no impression was made upon the intrepid garrison, who all stood to their work bravely, until Thos. E. Tippett, a gallant soldier of Co. A, White battalion, climbed up the stick chimney and placed some burning straw upon the roof of the house, which very soon brought out a flag of truce, and finally an unconditional surrender of the Yankees, but a party of them in a house near by kept up a scattered firing a few minutes longer.

There were only seven of the enemy killed and wounded, and their whole force was less than eighty, but they were all Virginians, from among the mountains, and were fighting in the gate that if opened would let the Confederates right among their homes, and they left no stain upon the honor of Old Virginia in their defence of the pass, for they held out until their fort was wrapped in flames.

The loss of the two battalions was nearly one hundred; but much of it was due to the miserable position they occupied, by which they were constantly firing upon each other.

Just as soon as everything was arranged, and the wounded who were able to move, together with the prisoners, had been sent back, the brigade continued its march without further halt, until daylight, when the almost worn out people were allowed to stop awhile, to rest and refresh themselves and horses. But soon the march was resumed, and followed without any special incident, until it led to Evansville, in Taylor County, where a halt for half a day was made; and here the bushwhackers were discovered in considerable numbers for the first time.

It is true, that in passing what is known as the "Shades of Death"—a dark and gloomy gorge in the Shenandoah Mountain, which is shadowed to twilight gloom even at noonday, by the rocky wall which on either side is covered with the hemlock, the cypress and the towering white pine—the advance guard had skirmished with and captured a few of the “Swamp Dragons,” as they termed themselves, but at Evansville bands of armed men, in hunting shirts, could be seen on all the mountain crags, viewing from a safe distance the army of rebels, lying quietly in their country; but they seldom approached near enough to the main body to get a shot or be shot at. While here, some of the men, who had been engaged in plundering a store on the route, came up, and Gen. Jones finding two of them, one of whom had a hoop skirt and the other an umbrella, compelled the hoop skirt man to wear his plunder around his neck, and the other to hold the umbrella over him during all the afternoon, in full view of the whole command. That night the brigade crossed the R. R., at Independence Station, and pushed rapidly forward to Morgantown, at which place the “home guard” was found drawn up in battle order on the hills; but they fell back as Jones advanced, not firing a gun, and finally disappeared, when the town authorities sent an old citizen out to meet the raiders, and negotiate a surrender of the town. This gentleman approached in great trepidation, making all the Masonic signs he was master of, and on being brought to Gen. Jones, was informed that no damage was intended the town, provided the town people did not attempt to damage the troops, which greatly pleased him, and he returned from his mission highly pleased with Jones and his men.

Here again the General exercised all his authority to prevent plundering, and was so very strict that he compelled Adjt. Watts to leave some calico he had bought and paid for in U. S. money, swearing that his men should not carry any such rubbish; but a few of them managed to smuggle some calico, by folding it in their saddle blankets. His protection, however, did not extend to stock suitable for the army, but on the contrary, it was his policy to drive with him as many such horses and cattle as he could find.

The brigade lay at Morgantown from about 10 A. M. until dark, when the march was resumed, and the whole force pushed forward to Fairmount, where it arrived about the 1st of May, and found about nine hundred “home guards” and militia concentrated for the defense of the town. The raiders reached the vicinity of the place about sunrise, but the morning was dismal and foggy, and as Jones formed his line in front and flank of Fairmount, the enemy formed theirs on the hills above, and appeared resolved to do battle valiantly for their town and the R. R. bridges. They had three pieces of artillery, one an old iron twelve-pounder and the others brass guns, brought upon a platform car from Wheeling, with about twenty soldiers to work them. The General dismounted his men, and taking charge himself of the 7th and 12th regiments and the Maryland battalion, moved to the right, while Col. Lomax, of the 11th, with his own regiment and the 6th, together with White’s battalion, commanded the left, and leaving Capt. Myers with his company, and a number of men from the other regiments, mounted and stationed on the road that leads directly to the wire suspension bridge. Witcher’s riflemen had dismounted long before, and were approaching the place by a march up the railroad to the left.

Col. White, with his battalion and part of the 11th, was ordered by Lomax to advance upon the right of the enemy’s line, which he did, driving them like sheep, and at the same time the mounted men charged into town, and took possession of the bridge, which compelled the Yankees to ford the river above the town, followed closely by White and his men, who, immediately after crossing, turned to the right, and forced the enemy to take refuge in the R. R. bridge, where most of their force was now concentrated, and from which they opened fire with their artillery, but Gen. Jones was moving quietly to their rear, which being discovered, caused the men in charge of the two brass pieces to beat a hasty retreat, a thing very easily done considering the fact that they were still mounted on the car to which a locomotive, under steam, was attached.

A dash was now made upon them, in which the iron gun was captured, and very soon after the whole force, to the number of seven hundred, surrendered, the others having made their escape into the mountains.

The affair was a decided success, not a man being hurt on either side, and now after destroying the Rail Road bridges, and damaging the track and rolling stock of the road very seriously, the raiders passed on towards Clarksburg, in Harrison county, on the N. W. Rail Road, at which point they found a heavy force of infantry in fortifications, and after some skirmishing, Gen. Jones deemed it advisable to let it alone, especially as he learned that the gallant Irishman, Col. Mulligan, of Missouri fame, was in command; consequently he flanked Clarksburg to the left, and marched to Philippi.