Both officers were captured before they could reach the company, and nine of their men were made prisoners at the same time, but the others, with great difficulty, made their escape. There is no doubt that if Lieut. Crown had had a picket out, and had notice of the enemy’s approach, he would have whipped them, for he had about fifty of the best fighting men in the army, and Crown and Dorsey never counted odds in any kind of a fight. So it is self-evident that situated as they were there, they would have whipped Cole’s four hundred easily, for the latter had not the best troops in the world, in fact they were morally opposed to the usual dangers of the battle-field.
Col. Cole treated Lieut. Crown just as cowards always do those in their power, and even went so far as to threaten him with hanging for being a Confederate soldier so unfortunate as to be a prisoner to Cole.
Of course this disaster wound up the projected horse capture in Maryland, and Col. White returned to camp with his spirits considerably below zero, but he was never heard to charge the damage to the misconduct of any one, and only seemed to look upon it as one of the natural misfortunes of war.
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NOTE.—Since writing the above, a letter from Lieut. Chiswell has been received, which makes some correction necessary.
Lieut. C. says, that at the time of the attack, himself and Lieut. Dorsey, with several of their men, were in Leesburg, and as soon as they heard of it, Lieut. Dorsey, with one man, (a member of the 8th Va. Infantry,) started to the scene of action at Gray’s, but at a turn in the road they came suddenly upon the enemy’s column and were captured, the man with Dorsey having his thigh broken, and the Lieutenant himself being severely handled in the conflict.
Lieut. Chiswell and his party were hard pressed, and with the greatest difficulty effected their escape.
At one time Chiswell’s horse fell with him, and rolling over lay prone upon his leg, but he managed to withdraw it, leaving his boot in the stirrup, and having gotten his horse up, the lieutenant took the boot in his hand, and though the Yankees were close upon him, he got clear. He says, “boots were boots” in those days, and he couldn’t think of losing his.