mming their horses, and towing across the
infantrymen, who clung to the animals' tails!

A striking case of personal daring in this Valley campaign, is worthy of
record here. During Banks' retreat from Winchester, on the twenty-fourth
of May, four companies of the Fifth New York Cavalry, under command of
Captain Wheeler, were moving on the left flank of our retreating
columns, to protect them from any attacks by the Rebel cavalry, which
infested the wooded hills that lay along our route. Emerging from a
thick wood, Captain John Hammond, who had the advance with eight or ten
men, suddenly came upon a squad of mounted Rebels, and immediately
called on them to surrender. However, they fled, firing as they went,
but were closely pursued. Captain Hammond was riding a powerful horse,
which he had taken from his home, and as his blood was up, he determined
to capture one of the party at least, at all hazard. He soon came up to
the hindmost, a strong man, with whom he exchanged several shots at
close quarters, but without effect on either side, owing to their
fearful gait through the timber and down a hill. Hammond's pistol became
fouled by a cap, and the cylinder would not revolve. The Rebel had two
charges left. Quick work was now necessary. Another spurring of his
horse brought him within arm's length of the flying Rebel, whereupon he
seized his coat collar with both his hands, and dragged him backward
from his saddle. Holding firmly his grasp, both horses went from under
them, and they fell pell-mell to the ground. Luckily Hammond was
uppermost, with one hand at the enemy's throat and the other holding the
band of the pistol with which the Rebel was trying to shoot him. As the
two men were powerful, a fearful struggle ensued for the mastery of the
pistol. Meantime up rode one of Hammond's boys, who, by his order, fired
at the upturned face of the obstinate foe, the ball grazing his scalp
and causing him to relinquish his hold of the revolver, when he was
forced to surrender. Thus ended one of the roughest yet amusing contests
of the war.

The prisoner proved to be one of Ashby's scouts, and the remainder of
the party were all captured. But notwithstanding the personal bravery of
our men, disaster and defeat had attended our operations in the Valley.
Nor was this the only field of disastrous changes. On the Peninsula
sieges had been laid and raised, terrible battles fought, won, and lost,
and thousands of our brave comrades