The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South
Alexander Kelly McClure, Ed.

[593] William H. Payne, heretofore, as before stated, a private in the command. This gentleman was, at that time, a member of the Warrenton bar, and had been, along with Captain B. H. Shackleford, a Secession candidate for the State Convention which cut the ties which bound the Commonwealth to the Federal body. His genius, gallantry, and recognized devotion to the Southern cause pointed him out for the vacant post. Captain Payne marched his command to the Fauquier Springs, where it was mustered into the Confederate service, and from that point conducted it to Manassas, where, together with a few other companies, it formed the nucleus of the Army of Northern Virginia, with which, through all vicissitudes, it remained until the final day of dissolution at Appomattox Court-House. At the time when a raid was made by Captain Tompkins, of the Federal army, on Fairfax Court-House, where the lamented Captain John Quincey Marr was killed, the Black Horse, at the request of their captain, were ordered to that point, from which they performed much arduous scouting duty, and became well known to the enemy. Upon the advance of General McDowell, the Black Horse rejoined the army at Manassas. On the 4th of July, in an attempt to ambuscade a detachment of the enemy, two members were killed and several wounded by the mistaken fire of a South Carolina regiment of infantry. In the memorable battle of the 21st of July, in which so absolute a victory was won by the Confederate arms, the Black Horse Cavalry distinguished itself in the pursuit of the flying enemy, and the next day were thanked by President Davis in a speech. Soon after the battle of Manassas, the Black Horse Cavalry was selected by General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the army, to be his body-guard. In this capacity it received Prince Napoleon and his suite, consisting of Count Sartiges and others, upon their visit to the Confederate army, escorted them to the general's headquarters, and was, the next day, the escort at a review of the army at Centreville.

In the fall of 1861 the command was incorporated in the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, when Captain William H. Payne was promoted to be major of the regiment, and Lieutenant Robert Randolph succeeded to the captaincy, but was soon after detached to form the body-guard of General Earl Van Dorn, commanding a division at Manassas. When General Earl Van Dorn was assigned to an independent command in the further South, he made an unsuccessful application to be allowed to carry the Black Horse with him. In the spring of 1862 the command accompanied General Johnston to Yorktown, and on the march was employed as scouts in the rear, and as guides