Newmarket, 10 A. M.
Headquarters Res. Brigade (Sept. 24?).
We have been in Luray Valley and entirely away from
communications. I send you a little purple Gerardia, picked for you by General
Wilson (whom you don't know, but who must have heard Mr. Dana speak of you): he
had just handed it to me, when my unfortunate Adjutant-General was shot right
behind us (not fatal, though we feared so for some time), so it has not very pleasant
associations. We did capture a battle-flag yesterday, so I'm tolerably
satisfied. If you could only look in here for a minute, — it's in the loveliest
mountain scenery you can imagine.1
_______________
1 General Sheridan had sent Torbert, with most of
his cavalry, up the Luray Valley, just before the infantry of General Crook
flanked and dislodged Early's army from the mountains at Fisher's Hill. He thus
expected to cut off the Confederate retreat, and make an end of that army. In
his Life, he expresses great disappointment with Torbert on that occasion, as
he was held in check by Wickham's Cavalry until after Early got off with the
remains of his force.
SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of
Charles Russell Lowell, p. 349, 465
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