562 Norto Caronina Troops, 1861-65.

directed toward Aldie, W. H. F. Lee’s Brigade was put at
“The Plains,” about eight miles south of Middleburg, and
Robertson’s Brigade, the Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third North
Carolina Regiments, at Rectortown, about eight miles south-
west from Middleburg. These three brigades, with Brea-
thed’s Battery, constituted Stuart’s entire force. Pleasanton
had his entire corps of cavalry and artillery with him and
two brigades of infantry. Vol. 45, pp. 178 and 246. Gen-
eral Stuart went with Fitz Lee’s Brigade to Middleburg and
there stopped to keep in easy communication with W. H. F.
Lee and Robertson. Fitz Lee’s Brigade opened the ball at
Aldie late in the afternoon. General Stuart says that it was
“One of the most sanguinary cavalry battles of the war.”
While this fight was going on Stuart heard that a large force
of the enemy’s cavalry was advancing on Middleburg from
towards Hopewell, near and to the right of Thoroughfare
Gap, in Bull Run mountains. He at once ordered up to Mid-
dleburg Robertson’s Brigade from Rectortown and Chambliss
with W. H. F. Lee’s Brigade, from “The Plains.” This last
force of Federal cavalry got to Middleburg about 4 p. in.,
ahead of Robertson and Chambliss. It had a sharp fight
with some of Fitz Lee’s forces while we were coming up and
drove them off. Vol. 44, p. 688. It marched through the
town and barricaded it and held it till about 7 p. m. Vol.
43, p. 963. In.the meantime, Robertson and Chambliss
were coming and coming fast. The Sixty-third rode at a
gallop the last few miles. This Federal force now at Mid-
dleburg was, in part the First Rhode Island Cavalry, com-
manded by Colonel Duffie in person. . He soon heard of what
was coming. He threw out pickets, manned his barricades
and dismounted his regiment about a half mile from Middle-
burg toward Hopewell, in a wood and behind stone walls on
the Hopewell road preparatory to what the Sixty-third North
Carolina was about to do. The head of Robertson’s Brigade
reached Middleburg “just at dark.” Under Stuart’s own or-
ders the Sixty-third North Carolina immediately charged
through the main street of Middleburg and a short distance
beyond up the road towards Aldie and having easily driven
the pickets and the force on that road out of sight, it hastily

 

Stxty-Tuoirp ReGiment. 563

came back and took the Hopewell road after Colonel Duffie’s
main force. Colonel Duffie says of our action: “They sur-
rounded the town and stormed the barricades.” And when
the Sixty-third charged down upon that stone wall with a ter-
rific yell, there was blaze after blaze of fire, out on the dark-
ness and into those charging Carolinians. They recoiled
and rallied. Three times they charged that line of fire and
then went into that wood and around those walls and the
First Rhode Island Cavalry was defeated and destroyed in
dead, wounded and prisoners. We captured their standard
and a large body of prisoners that night and Chambliss’ com-
mand, on to whom we had driven them, captured the rest of
them next morning. Colonel Duffie, from ‘near Centreville,
Va., 18 June, 1863.” reported: “I returned here exhausted
at 1:30 p. m. to-day with the gallant debris of my much loved
regiment—four officers and twenty-seven men.” Vol. 43,
pp. 963--964 and 1056.

General Stuart reports that Robertson ‘drove him hand-
somely out of Middleburg and pursued him miles on the
Hopewell road.” Vol. 44, p. 683.

Major McNeill was badly wounded in this charge on Duf-
fie and among our killed was Winfield Smith and Robert
Flanigan, of Company F, and D. M. Gibson, of Company F,
wounded. Lieutenant Wiley and part of Company F
brought in twenty-six prisoners.

We oceupied Middleburg that night and the Sixty-third
camped near there on the road to Upperville. The country
is rough and rises and falls in alternate ridge and depres-
sion all along the turnpike to Ashby’s Gap, which was hard
on the horses and absolutely crippled the unshod.

Morning of the 18th we took position around Middleburg
with W. H. F. Lee’s Brigade, under Chambliss, and, because
of encroachments on our left, at Union, where Fitz Lee was,
Stuart “deemed it requisite to leave Middleburg out of his
line of battle,” upon which place Colonel J. I. Gregg ad-
vanced with the Third Brigade of the Second Division of
Federal cavalry and with this force we skirmished all day
and they fell back that evening “to a point midway between
Middleburg and Aldie.” And the town was again ours and