[for the Richmond Dispatch.]
the last day of Gen. Ashby.
It was a busy one.
Scarcely had he ordered his to proceed before the enemy opened fire upon his camp.
With but two companies of his old cavalry he prepared to meet them; seeing this they immediately withdrew.
The command was then moved slowly through Harrisonburg, and drawn up three hundred yards from the opposite end.--Soon a regiment of 'blue coats' came charging through town, around the bend, in full sight of Ashby's men, who stood upon their trained chargers as it fixed to the ground.--When within a very short distance, they commenced to slacken their speed, only giving us time to tender the saints due them — soon their ranks were broken and in confusion they fled through the streets.
Never before had I heard our noble General shout.
It was not one caused by victory over a brave foe after a hard contested fight, but only seemed designed to shame an ignominious band for running before they were hurt.--We had begun to entertain a high opinion of this body of cavalry.
Upon one instance it flanked and charged upon a battery, which was left without a support — a doet during fest for them.
[Here Gen. Ashby stood by the guns, fired every load from his three pistols, and brought everything away safely.] Soon we were moving along the road to Port Republic, the enemy pressing closely.
Ashby's eagle eye was upon them, as if watching for an excuse to give them battle.
An excuse, and even the necessity for tonight, soon became evident.
The road was very bad, the train moved slowly, and the main body of the enemy's cavalry was only a mile from its rear.
They gave us no time to prepare to meet them.
Ashby had but begun to form his men, before three regiments, with colors flying and music rate, emerged from a woods three-fourths of a mile distant.
to our right, they charged, presenting a beautiful sight.
Ashby could contain himself no longer.
Gently drawing his sabre, and waving it around his head, his clear, sounding voice rang out his only command--"Follow me." The dash was simultaneous.
Fences were cleared, which at any other time would have been thought impossible.
The enemy came to a halt.
It was but for a moment.
As they heard the strange whiz of the sabre around their heads they broke and ran. The work of slaughter had commenced.
At every step Ashby followed closely by his men, cut them down, or sent them to the rear.
For two miles and a half the shots continued, and the scene became more bloody.
Never before General or his men use their sabres to such an extent.
None but those who have witnessed a similar can imagine the spectacle.
Enraged by deeds too horrible to mention, led by a General whose presence exerted a mystic over every heart, the bravery of the man know to limit, and seldom was a to surrender heard.--The scattered fragments of the three regiments hid themselves behind their column of infantry three miles beyond the point of attack; and the pursuit ended not until this infantry opened fire Ashby drew up his men, and remained beneath their flee and waited for reinforcements from Jackson.
In this fight Major Green, of the Virginia cavalry, was slightly wounded.
Also another, . We took forty-four prisoners--among them the Colonel commanding the brigade of cavalry.
The infantry having arrived, Capt. Ashby, Ewell and Steward, (of Maryland) led them to the fight.
Here Ashby's gallantry could not have been expelled.
Having led the first Maryland regiment in a charge, which still between the two fires, he ordered the charge.
His horse fell dead; he rose, beckoned to the men, and whilst in the very act a ball entered low in his left side, came up near the right and shattered his right wrist.
He fell Not even a groan or was uttered by the dying here.
He was brave whilst living, but braver in dying.
The men were not discouraged, but pressed on, and soon the victory was ours.
Night occurred the fighting.
The noble Ashby fell between six and seven in the evening. The news went like a flash through our lines.--Every heart was wounded.
The aged, the young and the hard-hearted, wept.
made deeper the ground and soon the darkness of the night made still darks, the regions of the mind.
He now sleeps in the University Burying Grounds, near Charlottesville. Chainschot.
