Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-08-02
Yours respectfully,
MILTON J. BILLMYER,
Captain Company F, lst Va. Cav.
LYNCHBURG, VA,
January %, 1900.

ter of the Goth was a real pleasure to
me, because it recalled associations
which only kindred spirits can appre-
ciate. 1t carried me back to the long
ago when you and I were younger and
stronger men and full Of spirit, and de-
termined to give the Yanks an eternal
tussle before we submitted to their
overpowering numbers. Alas, that
day came and you and men Of your
spirit have the proud satisfaction Of
having performed your whole duty in
defending a cause we knew was Just
and right, and for which so many Of
our noblest comrades gave their lives
and split their blood. 1t may have
turned out all right, in the hands Of
Providence, for we cannot see His in
scrutable ways, but if thought it was
done by the Yanks would never feel
satisfied that it could last. have
concluded that the negro slavery was
at the bottom Of all of our troubles
and it had become too big problem
for man to solve. | owned many, but
am glad they are free. The way it was
done was the grossest injustice both to
master and slave. We have this salts
faction, we clung to the constitution of
our fathers. eve did not dot an i nor
cross a t" but held to it as it was, un-
til forced by Yankee bayonets to ac-
cept it as they had without law Cut
from old Virginia's side, the land that
Washington loved, and Jefferson and
Berkeley counties, like the Sabine
rape, was ruthlessly stolen from us.
But though you may live in foreign
State, every drop of blood that runs
in your veins will ever be dear to the
soldiers Of the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, and especially to the old brigade
which your noble company did so
much to add to its luster and fame.
Your old company was noble one,
and while it was robbed of its fame by
the fact that Rosser suppressed my re-
port of Early's valley campaign, the
old soldiers know who did the work in
that campaign.
You remember Winchester and
Front Royal and Milford, where the
old brigade held back two divisions Of
the enemy's cavalry and kept them
from running over Early's defeated in
fantry. Wickham was commanding
the division and Fitz Lee all the cav
airy, but when we got back to Luray
and Wier's Cave, Wickham fickered
out under fire and resigned, the tug
was on US, but Meetings. company of
your regiment gave me a guide and
we slipped around the enemys picket,
captured it and surprised them TOR
bert's troops, who were at Waynes-
boro to destroy the iron bridge on the
Shenandoah river &c. 80. R.R), that
we drove them off and saved it, and
that all was well with us until Rosser
made the Toms Brook fight, which l
urged him not to make, but to retire.
He went in bull-headed, got terrible
whipping and lost all that we had and
utterly demoralized the cavalry. He
was always ready to fight, but lacked
judgment, and was always ready to
saddle someone else with his own mis-
takes. He never forgave me for my
report of the Toms Brook disaster. l
told the story as I knew it and Major
Brethed endorsed my report, but Ros-
ser suppressed it and it was never
made public until after the war when
I published it in the Philadelphia
Times, and he answered it by sending
me a challenge to meet him, saying
that he could give me satisfaction. Of
course I treated that with contempt,
but Major Jed Hotchkiss has pub
lished his diary showing what he did
every day, and in it he says: 81 rode
with Rosser to Munford's camp to get
Munford's reports of the actions and
fights in the valley campaign of his
brigade. We got them" But that
was the last Of them. | am glad IN
deed to get your report'of Rosser' s
raid to Beverly. 1 Will hope to pub
lish it some day.
Thanking you most sincerely and as
suriDg you that l viii ever remember
you and your old company with love
and affection and be glad to hear from
you always. Your friend and old
comrade,
THOMAS 7. MUYFoRD.