This, and the affair at Barbour’s Cross Roads, was acknowledged by Gen. Lee, in the following letter to Gen. Stuart:
“HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY N. V., } “Sept. 9th, 1863. }
“Major-Gen. J. E. B. STUART, “_Commanding Cavalry_:
“GENERAL—Your letter, enclosing reports of Lieut.-Colonel E. V. White, of the operations of his battalion at Poole’s farm, on August 27th, and his previous attack on Kilpatrick’s Cavalry, have been received, and forwarded to the Department as an evidence of the great boldness and skill of that officer.
“The activity and energy of his command, and the gallantry of his officers and men, especially in the attack on Poole’s farm, reflect great credit upon the service. I hope his operations will always be attended with the same success.
“I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant.
Soon after this, an order was received through General Lee, from the Secretary of War, and the execution of which has caused great blame to be attached to Col. White, by those citizens of Loudoun county, who, denying the ground-work upon which the Federal Constitution was built, claimed that the rights of the States were not merely delegated but irrevocably transferred to the General Government, the testimony of common justice, common sense, and of the fathers and framers of the Constitution to the contrary notwithstanding, held their allegiance to the Northern government; and while the praise or blame of traitors to their State, in matters connected with the war, is of small importance, yet to show that the Colonel was blameless in this case, I make the explanation.
Two citizens of Loudoun, who, among many others, had, at the tinkling of the “little bell,” been dragged to a Federal prison, and although no crimes were charged against them, were held in durance on the ground that they refused to take an oath of allegiance to the United States, a government to whom they owed none, and which was incapable of protecting them in it if they did. These were Henry Ball and Campbell Belt, and their friends, after appealing time and again to the United States authorities for their release, without success, and the health of both being so delicate as to excite grave fears that confinement would speedily end in death, sought by retaliation to effect their discharge from prison, and procured of the Secretary of War an order for the arrest and confinement of William Williams and Asa M. Bond—two prominent Union citizens—until Messrs. Ball and Belt should be released, and simply for the reason that Col. White was in a situation to execute the order it was sent to him; but owing to the inefficiency of the men detailed to make the arrest, Mr. Bond escaped, and they substituted R. I. Hollingsworth in his stead, who, with Mr. Williams, was sent to Richmond, and now their friends used their influence with the United States authorities, which soon brought about the release of both parties.