The dense body of timber through which they had to pass was all on fire, and the dead pine trees were momentarily falling like flaming columns around them, with dark masses of smoke draping the wild scene as if Nature had thrown a funeral pall over the withering tide of desolation which contending armies were sweeping athwart the land, while along the Rail Road to our right, as we marched, we knew the Yankee line of battle was waiting.
As the battalion, with great difficulty, gained the middle of this burning forest, a kind of smothered sound of marching troops was heard, and peering silently through the smoke, we soon discovered a long line of infantry in blue cautiously marching directly towards us from the right, all carrying their muskets at a shoulder arms. They were not more than fifty yards away, and had not yet discovered us; but the distance was rapidly diminishing, and we knew that if we moved they would see us. Pretty soon, however, an infantry soldier, in tattered gray, met Col. White and Maj. McClellan, and gave them the welcome information that himself and twenty of his people had scouted near the enemy’s line, and getting on the flank of the Yankees, had captured about three hundred of them without firing a shot, and were now taking them back to Longstreet’s lines, with all their arms, in fact, just as they found them; and the Yankees were so impressed with the idea that they were now surrounded by hostile rebels, that their whole attention was given to the work of convincing everybody that they were prisoners and didn’t mean fight, when, in fact, they were in a gap a mile long, between the right wing and centre of Gen. Lee’s army, in which there were no troops but this little force of about one hundred cavalry, who were doing their best to get out of their uncomfortably hot position. Passing on about half a mile we came out on the plank road, and after some difficulty in signaling to the grim old veterans of Longstreet’s corps, who held it, that we were all right, they allowed us to come among them.
The next move was to establish vedettes through the Wilderness space we had just passed, and draw the line as near the Rail Road as possible, which was so well done that by dark White’s battalion stood on the track for more than half the distance; the enemy having retired a quarter of a mile from it, and about 10 o’clock the infantry extended their lines over the whole ground, relieving the “Comanches,” who now retired to their same camp at Shady Grove, and the day’s work was done.
It would be useless to proclaim that these men had met the foe unflinchingly, and had braved the iron tempest of this bloody battle day with unbroken front, for this would be at once to pronounce them more than mortal, and like gods, free from all the feelings common to humanity; but we do say, that they had, like men battling for the dearest rights which were given to the race, gone through the fire in the discharge of their duty, and while some had fled in panic from the conflict, the majority had held their ground against a foe that outnumbered them twenty to one, and had only given way when it was absolute suicide to remain longer on that harvest-field of death.
CHAPTER XVI.
General Rosser ordered the “Comanches” to remain at the Po river bridge during the 7th, and guard it from the attacks of the enemy, who, still posted in the woods where the hard fighting was done on the evening of the 5th, showed a disposition to take the bridge. Here the Colonel had some breastworks thrown up, and leaving Capt. Myers with Company A to hold the bridge, he attempted a flank movement to the right with the remainder of his battalion, hoping to capture some horses, but was unsuccessful; and during his absence the Yankees made a demonstration with dismounted cavalry on the little force at the bridge, which, however, held the position, although vigorously shelled for some time. One man was wounded slightly, and on the return of the Colonel, with a piece of artillery, they gave it up, and allowed White’s men to rest quietly.
On Sunday morning, May 8th, the whole brigade moved early and commenced skirmishing near Todd’s Tavern, but the enemy seemed to be shifting, and not quite willing to make a stand anywhere until about 10 o’clock, when we came up with them in force and strongly posted in a heavy body of timber.
Here all the men with long-range guns were dismounted and ordered into the woods, Lieut. Thos. W. White, of Company C, commanding the sharpshooters of the battalion, and pretty soon the firing showed that a sharp fight was going on in the Wilderness.
In a few minutes the mounted men were ordered forward to charge, but the enemy retired beyond the head waters and swamp of the Nye river.
As the battalion moved forward they met some of the sharpshooters bearing to the rear all that was left of their accomplished commander, Lieut. White, who had been shot dead by a rifleman hid in the woods, as he was arranging that part of the line immediately under his supervision. He was a native of Loudoun county, and as Lieut. Colonel of the militia at the breaking out of the war, had done all that lay in his power to aid Virginia in defending her border against the Northman’s ire, but at the time of the evacuation of Manassas and all the lines of defense held in connection with it by the Southern Army, he and Mr. A. M. Vandevanter were engaged in the work of trying to raise a company of volunteer cavalry, and not being posted as to the sudden fall back, was unfortunately left in the hostile lines of Geary before he knew it; but when Capt. Grubb commenced to recruit for his company, Lieut. Col. White was the first to join him, and at the organization was appointed Orderly Sergeant, discharging his duties faithfully until the death of Capt. Grubb and consequent promotion of the other officers caused his election to the office of Second Lieutenant.