uspecting
pickets. Then, with a shout and a volley, they dashed upon the line
and over it, capturing nearly all, made their way to the rear, and
there captured lieutenant Colonel Maffett and many of his reserves.

Commotion struck our camp. Drums beat, men called to arms, line of
battle formed, and an advance at double-quick was made through the old
field, in the direction of our unfortunate friends. But all too late.
The surprise had been complete and the captured prisoners had been
hurried to the rear. Colonel Maffett's horse, which was grazing near
the scene of the skirmish, galloped through the enemy's disorganized
lines, some trying to head him off, others to capture him, but he
galloped defiantly on to camp. The enemy amused themselves by throwing
a few shells into our lines.

The horse of Colonel Maffett was carried home by his faithful body
servant, Harry, where both lived to a ripe old age. Not so with the
unfortunate master. Reared in the lap of luxury, being an only son
of a wealthy father and accustomed to all the ease and comforts that
wealth and affluence could give, he could not endure the rigor and
hardships of a Northern prison, his genial spirits gave way,
his constitution and health fouled him, and after many months of
incarceration he died of brain fever. But through it all he bore
himself like a true son of the South. He never complained, nor was his
proud spirit broken by imprisonment, but it chafed under confinement
and forced obedience to prison rule and discipline. The Confederacy
lost no more patriotic, more self-sacrificing soldier than Lieutenant
Colonel Robert Clayton Maffett.

On the 27th we marched to Princeton, and remained until the 31st,
picketing on the Opequan River, then returned to Charlestown. On
the day before, the Third Regiment went out on the Opequan, being in
hearing of the church bells and in sight of the spires of Washington.
What an anomaly! The Federals besieging the Confederate capital, and
the Confederates in sight of Washington.

From Charlestown we were moved back to Winchester and went into camp
for a few days. So far Early's demonstration had been a failure.
Either to capture Washington or weaken Grant, for day in and day
out, he kept pegging away at Petersburg and the approaches to it
and Richmond. These seemed to be the objective points, and which
eventually caused the downfall of the two places. The enemy in our
front had moved up to Berryville, a small hamle