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The Keysville Guards.
The Keysville Brigade, of which I was a member, took part in about twenty-five engagements, the least of which would be reckoned as a battle.
I will proceed to give a few facts connected with our career as a company, and to make a few remarks on our experience during that time which ‘tried men's souls.’
We began our service in
West Virginia, June 15, 1861, under
General Robert Selden Garnett, who was killed at Carricks Ford,
Cheat River, on our retreat from
Laurel Hill.
Later we served under
General H. R. Jackson at Greenbriar River, in
Pocahontas county, thence to the
Valley of Virginia with the great ‘
Stonewall’ as our leader.
Beginning with
Hancock,
Bath and
Romney, we took part in all his strategic moves, and followed him through this entire campaign.
General Banks was our objective point at all times.
He was famous for carrying a good stock of provisions—a fact which we appreciated and enjoyed almost as much as his own men—for it was a joke commented on by the newspapers of the country at the time, both North and South, ‘that
Banks was
Jackson's commissary.’
As well as I can recollect, the last work we did while in the
Valley was when we defeated him and
Milroy at
Cross Keys and took possession of some of their provision wagons, sending them back towards
Winchester wiser for their severe lesson in the art of war, and sadder for the loss of many men and a good part of their commissary train.
For our part, we continued our course to
Port Republic, where
Jackson fell upon
Shields with such force that his army was completely demoralized, and he forced to flee in confusion down the
Valley over the same ground he marched his men so confidently a few days before.
Jackson was now master of the situation in this part of the
State.
After giving us a few days rest at
Weyer's Cave, he brought us by forced marches face to face with
McClellan, who had just begun seriously to threaten
Richmond.
Then followed the fighting around
Richmond, that resulted in our turning
McClellan's right flank and forcing him back upon his gunboats.