Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-03-24

that his lace was llgnleu up Oy one oi
those sad smiles which had occasionally
Frightened il since the death of his broth
eT.
The writer is Indebted for the parlicu'
lars Of HE death of Col Ashby. to Col.
Bradley +. Johnson, the brave Maryland
ofiic r whose command was cons plcuOUs
in the affair which cost Ashby his life,
and earned all immortal honor 10 reveng-
ing his death He takes the liberty OF
extracting from letter of this officer an
account of the engagement
"On the morning of Friday, the 9Th Of
June" writes Col. Johnson, ave lett
y Hagrisonburg, moi having seen tie ene-
my for two days. TO our surprise, IN
The afternoon his cavalry made Dash
iuto our rear-guard, and was whipped
most effec,uaIIy. their Colonel, Sir Per
cy Wyndham, being taken prisoner. My
regimen, vas supporting battery short
distance behind ibis cavalry fight. In
naf an hour we were ordered forward
that is, toward The enemy reraclng the
march just made. Infantry consisted on
ly of Br gadier general George II. Stew
arts brigade, the Ssh Virginia, 44ih
Virginia, two other Virginia regiments,
and the Maryland Linc-ol the latter, on
Ily the lst Mar> land was taken back; the
artillery and al the cavalry were left be-
hind us. The SSH Virginia was fist,
my regiment (the lsI Maryland) nex',
then came he 44ih and the rest.
"a couple of miles east Of HARRISON
burg ne left Ihe road and filed 10 the
right, through the fields, soon changing
direction again 50 as TO move parallel 10
The road. General Ewell soor sent for
Two Of ny companies as skrmlshers'
Moving cautiously through the darken-
ing shade of the tangled w0o5 just as the
evening twilight vas Frightening the
trees in front Of US in an opening, spot,
spot, spot, began droPpin: FIRE from the
skIrmi> hers, snd Instantly the 5Sth Vr-
ginia poured iD vol!ey. Another vol
ley as fred, The leaves began TO fall.
and lhe bullets hit the trees around. Gen.
EwelI cane up in Ral!oP. 'Chsrge,
coIouel, charge TO the left J And !
charged, got to ,he edge of The wood, and
found heavy body Of Infantry and cav
airy supporting a battery oh a hill SIX
hundred, yards in from, Of me. But the
Yankee balls came fast and thick. 'The
5s,h are frng into US The leading cap,
tain said. General Ewell and myself,
the only mounted officers, plunged after
them, and fouad ii was no. their fire. !
90, back. Up, men and take that bill
pointing 10 my right. They went in
with cheer. In less diam FIVE seconds
the first rank Of the second company went
down. The color sergeant, Doyle, fell.
The corporal who csugh, them from him
| fell. The next who took them fell, when
Corporal Shanks, a six-footer, seized
hem, raising them over his head at arms
length. Capt. Robertson lay dead; Lieut..
Snowden sho, 10 death; myself on the
ground, my horse shot in three places.
But still We went forward, and drove the
Bucklails from the fence where they had
been concealed. "
1, was as the brave Mary lsnders were
pressing on in this charge that Ashby,
who was on the right of The ssh Virgin
la exborting them, fell by an intelligent
bullet of ,he enemy. His death was
quickly avenged. As our troops reached
the fence from which the sho! had been
fred, the line OF Yankees melled away
| like mist before hurricane.
The accoun, have given you
writes Col. Johnson, "of the manner of
Ashby's death. is collated from the state.
ment Of many eye.witnesses of my skir-
nishing companions, who were all around
him when he fell. old not see it,though
not thirty yards from him, but was busy
with my own men; and | am specific in
stating The source Of his death, as there is
loose impression that he was killed by
shot from The 5slh Virginia. am per-
suaded this is no, so. from the statements
of two very cool Office 8, Captain Nicho.
las and Lieutenant Booth, who were talk
ing 10 him the minute before he fell"
"A,hby was my frs, revolutionary ac'
quainiance in Virginia. / was with him
when the first blow was struck for the
cause we both had so much at heart, and
was with him in his last fight, always
knowing him TO be beyond all modern
men in chivslry, as he was equal to any
one in courage. He combined the vir-
tues of Sir Philip Sydney with the dash
of Mutat. contribute my mite 10 his
fame, which will live in the Valley OF
Virginia, outside of books, as long as It's
hills and mountains shall endpre.'
No word escaped from Ashby's lips as
he fell. Ii was not necessary. No dy-
ing legend, spoken in deaths embrace,