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

by Frank M. Myers

When the battle was over the Colonel reported to Gen. Rosser how he had “unjointed” the Yankees, and the General gave the battalion the name of “Comanches,” which stuck to them during the remainder of the war.

On the night of the 30th, Meade went back to his own side of the river so quietly that it was almost daylight before the movement was discovered, but as soon as Gen. Stuart found they were on the move he ordered all his cavalry forward, and harassed their rear-guard severely.

The battalion, with the exception of Co. A, now returned to their old camp near Hamilton’s Crossing, and found the quartermaster’s department moved for safety towards Richmond, in consequence of which neither rations nor forage was issued for several days, and both men and horses suffered for the necessaries of life.

Company A was detailed to picket on the river at Gold Mine, Ely’s, Germania, Banks’, and United States fords, and this, too, in the country that had been devastated by the great battle of Chancellorsville, so that they suffered more for supplies than the others, but they opened negotiations with the Yankees on the other side of the river, by which much trading of tobacco for coffee and crackers was effected, and the blue and gray pickets would mount their horses and meet in the middle of the river, where they would confer in as friendly a manner as near neighbors generally do.

White’s battalion was very poorly prepared for a winter campaign, or even for winter quarters, and seeing that there was not much prospect for improvement the men became very much dissatisfied.

All their tents had been stored near Mount Crawford, in the Valley, at the time of General Jones’ march to Brandy Station, and in the preparation for the Pennsylvania campaign, General Lee had cut transportation so low that only one wagon for baggage was allowed to the battalion, in consequence of which, a great quantity of it was stored for safety at Flint Hill, and fully expecting to find that as they had left it, the men had come out from their homes with almost nothing except what they wore; but on reaching Flint Hill they found that the people around that country had appropriated everything of value, only leaving for the depositors a few camp kettles, with the bottoms knocked out, and some scraps of leather that had formerly been valises.

As an evidence that citizens had stolen the property, Lieut. Conrad found one of his shirts on the person of an old citizen, who stoutly swore that the shirt was always his, but the Lieutenant proved his claim and made the gentleman “come out of it.”

The men clung to the hope that the brigade would be sent to the Valley, but after the last advance and retreat of Gen. Meade, their camp appeared to be permanently established and their hope died. The Colonel used every means in his power to procure from the government the much needed supply of clothing, but notwithstanding the battalion had never received anything of the kind from that source, nor even drawn the commutation allowed in lieu thereof, under the law, he only succeeded after many trials in getting about one-fourth the necessary quantity, and as a consequence much discomfort, and in many cases actual suffering prevailed during the cold December of 1863.

Under such circumstances as these, the spirit of discontent culminated in the Loudoun companies, and on the night of the 14th, about sixty of A and C took a regular “French leave” and went home, determined to supply themselves with winter clothing, no matter what might be the consequences of their desertion, and we will there leave them for a time, in order to tell of an event that had a brightening effect upon the heart of every man in the Ashby brigade, which was an order for General Rosser to march his command to the Valley.

On the night of the 18th December, the brigade crossed the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg and moved to Stafford C. H., where it encamped until morning, when the march was resumed, and all day long, through a drenching rain, the Valley men travelled on without a halt until about 11 o’clock at night, when they reached a fortified camp of the enemy at Sangster Station, on the Manassas Gap Rail Road, about twenty miles from Alexandria. Capt. Dan. Hatcher, with his squadron, (1st of 7th Regiment,) immediately charged through a stream of water and over the Rail Road bank, gaining the enemy’s rear, but was met by such a heavy force in the breastworks that he was unable to return, and the 11th Regiment dashed forward in a wild, reckless charge, which forced the Yankees to surrender, and released Hatcher and his boys from their perilous position.