Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 31.djvu/73

afterward my brigade ordnance wagons in charge of Lieutenants Cabaniss and Partridge. * * * On Main street I met the troops coming through in much confusion. The Yankee cavalry had charged again and captured most of Wharton's Division, and the overwhelming numbers of their infantry, after our left was thus broken, had forced the remainder of the line to retire. The troops, however, were formed beyond the town, and the retreat continued in good order. After bidding some friends good-bye, I rode over to Market street again, when Major Henry Kyd Douglas and others just before me were shot at near the corner beyond. I then retired up Market street, stopping near the Methodist Church and witnessing the Yankees coming in near the Union Hotel, flags flying, drums beating and men shouting. I have retired through Winchester many a time before, but never did I witness the Yankees come in in that manner, though I have often seen them in the same predicament that we were in. Douglas was a square nearer the Yankees and I called to him to come on, but he amused himself bowing to them while they were shooting at us. After viewing them long enough on Market street, I rode over to Main street and looked at them a while there. A dozen or so of our men were on Main street, and the enemy fired several shots at us. I rode out of town and stopped at our skirmish line until after the Yankee skirmishers appeared on this side (south) of the town, and then came on to the division, which stopped a while in the woods beyond Kernstown, then moved about a mile this side of Newtown and camped for the night in line of battle. * * * If we had only had some good cavalry to resist that of the enemy our infantry could have maintained its position, but our cavalry did not behave well, even if there were superior numbers against them. If Wharton's Division had been up early in the morning when we repulsed the first attack, we might have followed it up, but its withdrawal from below let in the whole Yankee cavalry upon us, for McCausland's and Imboden's Brigades could not resist them, even when reinforced by Wickham's and Payne's Brigades. I have just issued this morning the last of the arms, accoutrements and ammunition that I had, and the division still lacks arms and accoutrements, though it is pretty well supplied with ammunition, for it has lost, I suppose, about 1,000 men all together. General Ramseur has been assigned to the command of the division. * * * We sent a large ordnance train to Staunton this morning for stores. May we have more success with them than with those expended day before yesterday, though up to 3 o'clock