The brigade was now commanded by Col. O. R. Funsten, of the 11th, Col. Dulaney having been severely wounded in the stampede on the 9th, and there was great interest taken in the question as to who was to be Brigadier, many of the men expressing their preference for Col. White, but, as before stated, he was not enough of a disciplinarian for Gen. Lee.
The following letter of recommendation to President Davis, in his favor, shows that his merit was appreciated by the great men of Virginia:
“To his Excellency Jefferson Davis:
“We take great pleasure in recommending Colonel Elijah V. White as a most fit successor to the gallant Gen. Thomas L. Rosser to the command of the ’Laurel Brigade.’
“We are well aware that but little weight is generally attached to a recommendation, by mere civilians, of military men for promotion; yet we are so strongly impressed with the conviction of Col. White’s peculiar fitness for the command of this distinguished brigade that we cannot forbear to place our estimate of his qualifications on record.
“The chivalric courage and dashing gallantry of this battle-scarred hero, combined, as we are persuaded, with quickness of apprehension and coolness in action, inspiring perfect and enthusiastic confidence in the troops under his command, seem to point him out as a worthy successor of the noble Rosser.
“Respectfully submitted,
- “John Letcher,
- “John W. Brockenborough.”
The battalion arrived in camp, eight miles above New Market, on the 19th, and the next day marched down the pike with the brigade to meet the enemy, who had advanced in force as far as Rood’s Hill, but only staid long enough for a slight skirmish with the Confederates, and retired to Strasburg, after which White’s “people” were ordered on picket, and remained at this duty until the 24th, when they returned to camp only to prepare for a raid into the mountains.
On the morning of the 26th of November Gen. Rosser marched with two brigades, his own and Gen. Paine’s, towards West Virginia, passing through Brock’s Gap, and camping at Matthias’, on Lost river, a place well-remembered as being the first night’s bivouac of every expedition to that country, and the next morning the march was continued all day and night, when about 9 o’clock A. M. of the 28th the column advanced upon the forts at New Creek Station on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road.