50

and the remainder were driven in great confusion more than two miles back upon
their infantry. But, alas! it was a dearly bought victory, as will be seen.

Whilst in pursuit of the fleeing enemy Ashby observed off to the right,
isolated from any support, what appeared to be a regiment of infantry. He
conceived the idea of capturing or destroying this force, and upon his return
from the pursuit of the cavalrymen he reported what he had seen to General
Ewell, and urged that General to give him infantry enough to accomplish that
object. After much hesitation General Ewell reluctantly granted General Ashby's
request, and placed the Second Virginia Brigade at his disposal. It was a very
small brigade, under command of General George H. Steuart, and to this brigade
the First Maryland had been temporarily attached.

Placing himself at their head, General Ashby moved up the road some
distance in the direction of Harrisonburg and then struck off through the woods
on his right. At this point, feeling that he should soon be in the presence of
the enemy, General Ashby called upon Colonel Johnson for two companies of the
First Maryland, which he wished to thrown out as skirmishers. Companies D
and G, under the command respectively of Captains James R. Herbert and Wilson
C. Nicholas, were given him, and with these he continued his advance, closely
followed by the Fifty-eighth Virginia. It was not long before the enemy was
encountered. The Fifty-eighth was then ordered to the support of the two
Maryland companies, so desperately battling with overwhelming odds, and for a
few minutes the fighting was very severe, and the little Fifty-eighth was evidently
getting the worst of it. In those few minutes the noble Ashby had rendered up
his life, after having had his horse killed under him. In the meantime the reserve
companies of the First Maryland, under Colonel Johnson, had changed its
position from the right to the left, and the men were lying on the ground with
the right flank of the regiment toward the enemy. At this critical moment
General Ewell rode up to Colonel Johnson and exclaimed : "Charge with the
First Maryland, Colonel Johnson, and end this miserable affair!"

Calling his command to "Attention!" Colonel Johnson filed it to the right
and faced it to the left, so as to bring it directly opposite the enemy, and then
charged through the woods. Gallantly the Maryland boys dashed forward with
a shout, and as they reached a slight elevation in the ground they received a
galling fire from the enemy, who were posted behind a fence that separated the
woods from a large open field. Some of the best and bravest of them fell at this
fire, and Colonel Johnson was down, struggling to free himself from his horse,
which had been killed, shot through the head. He was up in a minute in front of
his line, and tinder a heavy fire this handful of brave men never faltered for a
moment, and the next instant the crack of their deadly Mississippi rifles told that
they were face to face with the enemy. The battle was of short duration, and