Company D.—Captain, Warner E. Welsh; First Lieutenant, W. H. Dorsey; Second Lieutenant, Stephen D. Laurence; Third Lieutenant, Milton Welsh.
Subsequently the battalion was joined by the following additional companies:
Company E.—Captain, W. I. Raisin; First Lieutenant, John B. Burroughs; Second Lieutenant, Nathaniel Chapman; Third Lieutenant, Joseph K. Roberts.
Company F.—Captain, Augustus F. Schwartz; First Lieutenant, C. Irving Ditty; Second Lieutenant, Fielder C. Slingluff; Third Lieutenant, Sam’l G. Bonn.
Company H.—Captain, Gustavus W. Dorsey; First Lieutenant, N. C. Hobbs; Second Lieutenant, Edward Pugh.
The company of Captain Dorsey joined the battalion in July, 1864, having served with distinction up to that time in the First Virginia regiment, of which Generals J. E. B. Stuart, W. E. Jones, and Fitzhugh Lee had successively been Colonels. It will be seen there is a vacancy, occasioned by the death of Third Lieutenant Rodolphus Cecil, who was killed whilst the company was serving in the First Virginia.
After the formation of the battalion, it was ordered to New Market, to join the infantry and artillery of the Maryland Line there encamped.
The winter was passed at various points in the Valley, with its usual routine of picket duty, and but little to vary the monotony of camp life. During that time an expedition was made to Moorefield, by General Jones, but it was attended with no incident worthy of note.
The author cannot say, though, that it was by any means an unpleasant winter. We did suffer many hardships and privations, it is true, and were compelled more than once to sleep in the snow; but then we had our enjoyments in social intercourse. The cavalry visited the infantry and artillery, and the infantry and artillery visited the cavalry; and especially was this the case when it was known a committee from either had returned from a trip to the “Fort.” And when, on rainy days, we were compelled to seek the shelter of our shebangs, we could listen to Lieutenant Bill Dorsey narrate the particulars of his famous duel. Pshaw! Don Quixote and his windmill were nowhere.
The reader may wonder what is meant by this mysterious “Fort.” In a word, it was a secluded spot in the mountains where persimmon whiskey was distilled, the road to which was known to Tom Griffith’s big stone jug full well.