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Leaving my small party, I passed the Virginia regiment and saw a long column of
Federal cavalry approaching by the turnpike, and about half a mile away. I urged Colonel
Davis to meet their charge by a counter-charge, and under no circumstances to attempt to
check them by remaining in position. He did not give any orders at all, and as it was
apparent the enemy were going to charge I took a look at his regiment and saw that
indescribable tremor run through it. which convinced me they would not, under the circum-
stances, withstand the charge.

I hastened back to my little command and resolved to wheel about by fours, turn down
the first side street, the length of my column, then wheel to the front again, and when the
Virginians were driven by me to dash out between them and the Federals and endeavor to
check them and save the wagons. The wheel-about by fours was made, but before we
reached a side street Davis' command swarmed around us, fleeing in the wildest panic.
Every soldier knows the contagion of such a rout, but to the honor of our glorious old
State each and every one of these gallant forty-six men moved as a machine, and the column
was as solid as a rock. The enemy was immediately on the heels of the fleeing Confederates,
and as soon as our rear (soon to become the front) was uncovered the order was : " Fours
Right-about ! Charge ! " It was a tremendous struggle for the sections of fours to force
their way around, crowded and pressed as they were by largely superior numbers, and the
sections farthest from the enemy were much longer making the wheel than those who were
first released from the pressure, and as each man dashed at full speed at the enemy the
moment that he could face them the charge was made nearly in single file. Immediately
that the enemy perceived that they had a force in their front that meant to stay, for awhile at
least, they checked their pursuit and halted in a confused mass in the street, except one or
two whose horses carried them into our midst, and they were promptly shot down. Sergeant
Hammond Dorsey was the first man who dashed into the enemy's lines, and began to hew
right and left. George Lechlider followed him closely, and almost immediately the enemy
broke and ran, and was hotly pursued to their main body by the entire company. Five men
fell under Sergeant Dorsey's sabre, the last one of them being a bugler. As the fellow in
full flight leaned over his horse's neck his brass bugle protected his head, and it required
repeated blows to disable him. The enemy made no counter-charge, and the wagon train
was saved. General Ewell was an eye-witness to the whole affair, and he afterward declared
it to be the neatest thing of the kind he had ever seen, and had undoubtedly saved his
wagon train.*

Flushed with victory, we retired to our side of the town, where we were soon joined
by reinforcements, and two pieces of artillery were added to my command. The enemy
dismounted his sharpshooters and skirmished on the left of the town, but, dismounting a
few men, we drove them back. In doing this Soper Childs and his brother Buck displayed
conspicuous courage.

* In this fight the Federal advance was commanded by Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, who lost a leg by a
shot from the pistol of Captain Bond, and was killed the following year in a bold attempt to liberate the
prisoners on Belle Isle, assassinate President Davis and his Cabinet. and burn Richmond.