On Sunday morning, July 19th, the long lines of the Yankee army were seen marching along to Southward, and when the sun was an hour high, a few cavalry scouts rode up towards the mountain position where White and his men were standing, but showed no disposition either to be captured themselves or to attempt to drive the rebels from the Gap. After waiting and watching a long while for such an advance as they had made at Snicker’s Gap, the Colonel ordered Capt. Myers to “send some men down there to stir up those fellows,” and a party of half a dozen was instructed to ride down and drive away the pickets below Paris. This party went down, and making a dash drove the picket out of sight over the hill, but in an instant was seen coming back at full speed, while along the hills, a blue line of infantry, deployed as skirmishers, sprang up as if by magic and advanced at a quick march towards the Gap, and in the pike beyond, at least a brigade was seen marching in the same direction.
Capt. M. now turned to the Colonel, and asked if he would “have those fellows stirred up any more?” to which he replied that he “thought that would do just now,” and sending Captains Grubb and Myers to the village to check the advance, he prepared to leave the last corner-stone of Loudoun. When the men with Grubb and Myers reached their position at Paris, they dismounted, and as the Federal advance on the turnpike, which was a party of cavalry, came up, they commenced a fire which drove them back; one man, Harper, of Co. A, bringing down the Yankee Major in command, and his horse, at one discharge of buckshot from his musket. The battalion now took the mountain road to Manassa Gap, and on reaching that place saw and captured a Signal Corps, which was operating on the side of the mountain, near Linden.
The Yankees marched through towards Front Royal, but were met and driven back by A. P. Hill’s people.
Col. White now crossed the river again, to wait until the remainder of his battalion could come up, but gave permission to Captains Myers and Grubb to take a party of their men on foot and make a scout along the mountains to capture wagons, if possible.
With eighteen men, they went down among the enemy’s camps near Piedmont, at dark, but found nothing but infantry, and the next day went to Ashby’s Gap, where they discovered a heavy force holding that position, which forced them to cross the river at Berry’s Ferry, and passing down to Shepherd’s mill they again went over, climbing the Blue Ridge near Snicker’s Gap, only to find that pass strongly guarded by both infantry and cavalry, while all the wagons passed along with the army, keeping entirely clear of the mountain, it being pretty evident that Gen. Meade had learned a valuable lesson from the mistakes of Burnside the year before.
Everything was now at a stand-still, and thus they remained for several days, when the Colonel came over with the battalion, and moving down into the lower country begun to trouble the enemy’s scouting parties, and succeeded in capturing a number of horses and prisoners. On the morning of August 7th, he went to Woodgrove, where he learned that a regiment of Michigan Cavalry had come out from Harper’s Ferry to Hillsborough, and moving cautiously to the latter place, found that they had passed on towards Waterford.
The Colonel had about one hundred and twenty men with him and determined to attack them, so passing down the road he halted at a favorable position near Mr. Vandevanter’s, and made his arrangements for an ambuscade, thinking the enemy would return to Harper’s Ferry in the evening, but in this he was mistaken, for after waiting some time, he learned, about sundown, that they were preparing to encamp at Waterford for the night. He now moved his command into the woods on Catocton creek, near Mr. J. E. Walker’s, and waited until about 9 o’clock, when, leaving their horses, he marched his people over toward the camp, as he had discovered it, on a high hill south of the town.
He instructed his men to march quietly up to the enemy’s position without firing, and when he gave the signal, to rush upon them and secure as many horses and prisoners as possible; and to prevent mistakes in the confusion of the attack gave as challenge and reply the words “Bob” and “Joe.”
On getting into the field, the men found a great number of haycocks, which caused them to become somewhat scattered in their march, and as the Colonel advanced in front, holding his pistol ready to fire, he accidentally fell over one of the cocks, in which his pistol was discharged.
This caused a panic, and while some of the men, imagining that they were beset by the enemy, commenced to retreat, the others looked upon it as the signal for attack and rushed forward firing their pistols, although nearly two hundred yards from the enemy. The flying ones were speedily rallied and brought back, but the Yankees were all mounted and ready to retreat, which they did with all haste, after firing one volley at the Confederates, killing a very gallant young soldier of Co. C,—John C. Grubb.