Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[548] killed, wounded, and prisoners, and having taken near two thousand prisoners. Of the enemy's loss in killed and wounded we have no means of making an estimate. During the pursuit our troops never made over twelve miles a day. The results of the campaign are important. We took a large number of prisoners and horses, ascertained Meade's army to consist of not more than fifty thousand infantry, destroyed the railroad from Manassas to Rappahannock Station, and removed Meade's headquarters from the Rapidan to the Rappahannock.

During the campaign our cavalry did splendid service. They performed all the successful fighting, and took nine tenths of the prisoners.

As belonging rather to the period of our retreat than of Meade's, we have made no mention of the cavalry victory gained by Stuart over Kilpatrick on the nineteenth instant.

The late campaign is interesting from a cavalry point of view. We had the Yankees on what is called “a big drive.” Some of the incidents of the campaign may be interesting.

One division of the cavalry corps, under General Fitz Lee, was left on the Rapidan, to watch the enemy below, while General Stuart advanced with Hampton's division to protect the flank of the army, then moving toward Madison Court-House, from observation. This division consisted of the brigades of Gordon, Young, and Jones; Colonel Funsten commanding the latter.

At Thoroughfare Mountain, General Gordon, whose brigade led the advance, encountered a regiment of infantry, and attacked with his habitual gallantry and skill. A brisk action ensued between the opposing sharp-shooters, the enemy giving way from the first. Just as they were breaking, Young's brigade, which General Stuart had taken round to the left, came down in a thundering charge on the flank of the Federals, and dispersed, killed, or captured nearly the entire party of about four hundred infantry and three hundred cavalry. The two brigades then pushed on, drove the enemy from the little town of James City, and our artillery opened on the Yankee batteries and cavalry, keeping up a brisk cannonade. The sharp-shooters were also hotly engaged, the enemy's whole force of cavalry, with French's division of infantry, remaining in our front, drawn up in heavy line of battle on a rising ground. It was no part of our plan to bring on an engagement, as General Stuart's design was to keep the enemy's cavalry off our flank; and no advance was made. On the following morning, the Federals had fallen back, and we pursued them, coming up with their cavalry below Griffinsburg. Here we thanked an infantry regiment, which double-quicked to escape, and received, in so doing, the full benefit of our sharp-shooters' fire. At the same moment, Lieutenant Baylor, with a single company of cavalry, charged and broke them. A deep ditch alone prevented the cavalry from dashing in and sabring them. They were not thirty yards off; and, with one more volley into the cavalry, (which, strange to say, did not hurt man or horse,) took to their heels and escaped; for the most part in the woods. This was the second time, in two days, that the cavalry had charged and broken infantry.

Passing the large, abandoned camps, where the enemy had evidently intended to go into winter quarters, to judge from the elaborate board cabins and every arrangement for permanent comfort, we pushed on to Culpeper Court-House after the flying enemy. They posted a battery at Mr. George's, below the town, but a flank movement to the left made them quickly withdraw it; and then sauve qui peut was the order of the day with them. General Stuart pushed after them, riding ahead of his command; and was heard to say: “Oh! If Fitz Lee was only up!” Almost as he spoke the boom of artillery was heard from the direction of Stevensburgh, and Fitz Lee, who has a faculty of always “turning up” at the right moment, attacked the retreating enemy's flank. He had driven Buford's command from the neighborhood of Rapidan Station, on the Rapidan, on, on, before him; and now came up, flushed with victory, just in time to report to General Stuart, and make the rout of the enemy complete. A hard and desperate fight ensued--one of the most fiercely contested combats of the war. The enemy had two brigades of infantry to back their heavy force of cavalry; but our infantry was far away, making the flank movement to intercept Meade. The confederate cavalry, therefore, had every thing their own way, and they finished “the big drive” all by themselves. At nightfall the Federals were driven with heavy loss back to and then beyond the river, and our weary but triumphant boys desisted from the long pursuit.

On the next day--Monday--General Stuart flanked up to Jeffersonton, where the enemy made a brief but hot fight, taking refuge in the church and stone houses. They were speedily driven out, however, and our troops pushed on to Warrenton Springs. Here another fight occurred — cavalry and infantry, sharp-shooters of our army attacking. A gallant charge was made toward the bridge by the cavalry, but finding that some of the planks were torn up, they wheeled and dashed through the ford, driving the enemy before them. This little affair was witnessed by the infantry, and I hear that they were enthusiastic about the cavalry. The fact is, however, not that the cavalry did any harder fighting here than on a thousand other occasions, but that the infantry happened to see them at it. It is fortunate for the service, nevertheless, that this little affair was witnessed. It has tended to remove the groundless and absurd prejudice of the infantry against the cavalry arm of the service.

That night, General Stuart pushed on to Warrenton. He had guarded the flank of the army, driven off the enemy's forces everywhere, and performed invaluable service. On the next day the army pushed on, the cavalry now in advance.