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informed that they were moving by General W. E. Jones' orders. I found General Jones and
told him that I had only a handful of men opposed to all of Kilpatrick's cavalry; and I
urged the importance of keeping the road clear, so that when the enemy broke through he
would find nothing on it. The General said that the train must move on, and if I could hold
out a little longer the Sixth Virginia Cavalry would come to my assistance. I returned to
my men and urged them not to yield an inch nor to waste any ammunition (we had but
little at the commencement). The enemy now increased their fire until it seemed as if
nothing could stand before it. Still these men lay there under it coolly, awaiting an oppor-
tunity to strike another blow. The enemy's skirmishers at last walked into my line, and I
was told that one of them actually trod on Private Key, who killed him on the spot. The
enemy was again driven back. My ammunition was entirely exhausted and some of my men
actually fought with rocks : nor did they give back an inch.

The Fourth North Carolina Cavalry now made its appearance at the junction of the two
roads in my rear, and alter General Jones and his staff had exhausted every means to get
them to my assistance, I finally succeeded in getting a Lieutenant and about ten men to
dismount and advance to my line. The Sixth Virginia Cavalry, that I knew so well to be
good fighters, never made its appearance during the night. At about 3 o'clock A. M., rinding
that he had no force of consequence opposed to him, Kilpatrick advanced his cavalry to
within twenty yards of my position and gave the order to charge. A running fight now
ensued amid wagons and ambulances. As we passed out of the mountain we met Captain
Welsh's company of the First Maryland Cavalry at the junction of another road. Here the
enemy was held in check for a moment, but they soon swept us aside, and on they went
until they had captured all the wagons found in the road. The two portions of the train that
I had cut off were not reached by the enemy; and I do not believe that we would have lost
any of the train had it not been started on the road after I had stopped it.

In this fight about half the men I had engaged were captured, and I myself was
wounded. According to the official report of General Kilpatrick, his loss was five killed, ten
wounded and twenty-eight prisoners, in all forty-three men, or more than I had in the fight,
including horse-holders.

General \Yilliam E. Jones says in his official report :

With my staff, I hastened on to rally all the stragglers of the train to the support of
whatever force might be guarding the road. Arriving, I found Captain George M. Emack's
company of the Maryland cavalry, with one gun, opposed to a whole division of Federal
cavalry with a full battery. He had already been driven back within a few hundred yards
of the junction of the roads. Not half of the long train had passed. This brave little band
of heroes was encouraged with the hope of speedy reinforcements, reminded of the impor-
tance of their trust, and exhorted to fight to the bitter end rather than yield. .....

The last charge of grape was expended and the piece sent to the rear. For more than two