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

[639] and Milroy called a council of war. It was determined to spike the guns, destroy the artillery ammunition, leave everything on wheels behind, and cut a way through the enemy's lines to Martinsburg or Harper's Ferry. The disaster of that day is too well known to require a recital of it here.

Major Boyd fought the advancing enemy at Martinsburg, while our wagon train, which had gone from Berryville to that place, got well under way, and then he followed it to Williamsport, Maryland. The enemy followed closely, and Boyd was compelled to fight and fall back, and then fight again, in order to save the train, which he succeeded in doing, and conducted it in safety to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Then he began a system of partisan warfare, dashing upon the enemy in front and on both flanks, causing them to think there was a large force in their front, and preventing them from doing much mischief that they otherwise would have done, and helped to save the State capital from the invaders. From the 15th of June, when they left Winchester, to the 15th of July, this company was never out of sight of the enemy, and seldom a day passed without their having a fight. They captured many prisoners, and a vast amount of property, beside saving untold thousands to the people of the Cumberland Valley. At Greencastle, Pennsylvania, the company attacked Jenkins' rebel brigade, and here they lost William H. Rihl, who was the first soldier killed in Pennsylvania during the war.

For his services in this, the Gettysburg campaign, Governor Curtin rewarded Major Boyd with the Colonelcy of the Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, and commissioned his able lieutenant, 0. B. Knowles, a major in the same regiment. Lieutenant William H. Boyd and Sergeant E. Knowles were also transferred to the Twenty-first--the first as captain and the other as adjutant of the regiment. Captain Stevenson then took command of his company, and under him it won fresh laurels in the Shenandoah Valley after Gettysburg. It was with General Sigel in the battle of New Market, and was the last to leave the field. It led the advance, under General Hunter, upon Lynchburg, and greatly distinguished itself in the battle of Piedmont, and in the subsequent fighting during Hunter's retreat from Lynchburg over the Alleghenies into the Kanawha Valley. Again at Snicker's gap, Ashby's gap, and Winchester, under General Crook, this company played a conspicuous and noble part. And at Moorfield, under General Averill, it formed part of the gallant two hundred of the First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry, commanded by Captain Jones, that defeated McCausland's whole brigade, returning