Combat

Dawn was just beginning to turn the black of night to the gray of early morn when the movement commenced [toward the Baptist Meeting House in Waterford], and on Capt. Randolph’s party getting near enough to see, they discovered Means’ whole force [the Loudoun Independent Rangers] standing in the yard listening to the report of their scouting party, which had just come in, and though they looked wonderingly at the infantry advance of White’s army, not one of them said a word; but in spite of his orders, which could have been executed with perfect safety, Randolph ordered his men to fire as soon as they reached the corner of the palings around the yard, which caused the Yankees to break and rush into the house in great confusion, having their commander, Lieut. Slater, badly wounded; and now, instead of following them, as his orders required, Randolph retired to Virts’ house, just opposite; but the gallant Gallaher, with Jack Dove and a few others, tried to execute the order, and while Gallaher, springing into one window, fired his revolver bullets among the demoralized “boys in blue,” the others poured their buckshot in at the other windows.

As soon as the firing commenced White brought his cavalry down the road at a gallop, and halting long enough to fire a round or two at the side windows of the meeting-house, discovered quite a number of Means’ men leaping from the windows and making the fastest kind of time across the lots below the house, so calling on his boys to follow the Captain made a dash down into town, but only succeeded in capturing two of the fugitives. From here some of the men galloped down to Means’ house in the hope of getting that gentleman, but he was by that time “over the hills and far away,” according to his custom when rebel bullets were on the wing.

Returning to the meeting-house, in broad daylight, White found his infantry laying close siege to it, and standing in the vestibule was the daring Webster, who had assumed command of the Yankees, and who, seeing White’s mounted men riding up, supposed them to be a reinforcement for himself, and began firing upon Randolph’s men at Virt’s house, calling, as he did so, for his own men to come out and fight. A few pistol balls near him showed him his mistake, when he deliberately turned on the cavalry and emptied his revolver at them, after which he stepped back into the house and commenced to barricade the doors. White’s whole force now dismounted and opened a brisk fire at the windows, which was returned by Webster, Cox, and a few others, whom Webster succeeded in bringing from under the benches long enough to take a shot; but pretty soon it was discovered that ammunition was running short in White’s ranks, and knowing the impossibility of taking the place by assault now, the Captain prepared to withdraw his people, but on reaching the horses of the dismounted men he resolved upon shooting the horses of the Yankees, which had been tied in the yard during the fight, and presented to the gaze of the now baffled Confederates a prize well worth fighting for, composed as they were of the very best horses of Loudoun, a land always noted for fine ones, and equipped in the most superb style of the U. S. A. Previous to this, however, an attempt had been made to negotiate a surrender by sending Mrs. Virts, under a truce, to make the proposition, but on her second mission the enemy informed her that if she came again they would shoot her; and now nothing remained but to get away in safety, which could only be done by depriving the Yankees of the means of following; and collecting the remaining cartridges a detail was sent to kill the horses; but while this party was getting in position around Virts’ house it appears that the enemy were so badly frightened they were trying to force their commander to make terms, and a few shots from Ben. Conrad and Ross Douglass at some Yankees they saw by a window, precipitated matters and brought Webster out with a flag of truce. He demanded the usual terms in such cases, viz: his men to be released on parole, their private property respected, and officers to retain their side arms; which White immediately granted, and the affair was concluded as soon as possible, the victors getting fifty-six horses, saddles and bridles, about one hundred fine revolvers and as many carbines, with a vast quantity of plunder which they were unable to carry off; and paroling twenty-eight prisoners, which, with the two previously captured, made thirty in all.

White lost Brook Hays, killed, and Corporal Peter J. Kabrich, mortally wounded; both gallant soldiers as ever drew a sabre. A few others were slightly injured. The enemy lost about seven or eight in killed and wounded.

The scene at the surrender, when Means’ men, after being formed in line, laid down their arms, was a curious one. Many of them were old friends, and had been schoolboys with some of White’s men; and in one instance, brothers met: one, Wm. Snoots, being a Sergeant in White’s company, and the other, Charles, a member of Means’ command. Rebel and Yankee had swallowed up the feeling of brotherhood, or rather, that feeling had intensified the bitterness and hatred with which enemies in the hour of conflict regard each other; and the rebel would have certainly shot his Yankee brother, even after the surrender, but for the interference of one of the officers.

(pages 98-102)

The first apprehension we had of the- approach of the enemy was an unusual noise, caused by the enemy, ostensibly for the purpose of drawing our men out of the church. The men rushed out in the front yard, where Lieut. Slater hastily formed them in line. A body of men could barely be recognized on the bank in front and on each side of the Virts' house and in the edge of the green corn. Lieut. Slater's clear voice rang out on the early morning air in quick utterance, " Halt! Who comes there?" and in answer received a terrific volley from the carbines of the enemy, which our men gallantly returned, nothwithstanding over half had been wounded.

The rebels now took position behind buildings and in the green corn, and the Rangers fell back into the church. Lieut. Slater, although severely wounded, retained command until compelled by the loss of blood to relinquish that charge to Drillmaster Charles A. Webster, who continued the fight to its final termination, in a way that shed luster on his career as a brave and meritorious officer.

The rebels continued firing through the windows and the porch or vestibule of the church, a lath and plastered partition extending across the entire front. The bullets poured through this barrier as they would through paper. The Rangers returned the fire as vigorously as circumstances would permit. After continuing the firing for about thirty minutes Maj. White sent in a flag of truce (by Mrs. Virts) demanding a surrender, which was refused by Webster in rather emphatic language, that is not often heard in a church. The fight was continued, perhaps one hour longer, when the second flag of truce was sent in, making the same demand and sharing the same fate as the first, notwithstanding that one-half of the little band had been wounded and lay around in the church pews weltering in their blood, making the place look more like a slaughter pen than a house of worship.

Our ammunition was almost exhausted, yet we hoped against hope that possibly assistance might reach us. The cry of the wounded for " Water! Water! Water! " when there was no water to be had, will never be forgotten. The firing was kept up perhaps one hour longer, to about 6.30 or 7 o'clock, when the third flag of truce was sent in, making the same demands as the first and second. At this time our ammunition was entirely exhausted, and as there was no possible way of replenishing that all-important article, Webster consulted Lieut. Slater as to what was best to do under the very precarious and unfortunate circumstances. Lieut. Slater was lying in a pew on the north side of the church, as being very weak from the loss of blood, which was still ebbing away, his underclothes being entirely saturated, and from the wound in his right temple his face was entirely covered with blood. But possessing great physical endurance he was able to dictate a reply to Maj. White’s demand for a capitulation, which was conditional. The conditions as demanded by Slater and Webster were that all should be paroled and released on the spot; the officers to retain their side arms.

These terms were immediately accepted by Maj. White.

It was exceedingly fortunate for the Rangers at this juncture that the enemy made this third demand for a surrender, as it was impossible to have held out any longer; and if he had only known it, he could have marched in and taken all prisoners and marched them off to Richmond. Maj. White asked that Webster meet him in the center of the street, under flag of truce, to arrange preliminaries. Webster drew his sword, and placing a pocket-handkerchief, belonging to John P. Hickman, on the point proceeded to the street to meet his antagonist. After exchanging greetings, White asked that Webster form his men in line in front of the church and surrender their arms, when all should be paroled and released. After all those that formed in line were paroled Maj. White went in the church, where those who were severely wounded were paroled. On approaching Lieut. Slater, he remarked: " I am sorry to see you so dangerously wounded, lieutenant."

Before the capitulation had taken place Maj. White sent a detachment down town, where our new arms and ammunition were stored, and got that which we were so badly in need of at the church. After all had been paroled the enemy took the captured property and two prisoners, J. H. Corbin and Joseph Waters, and immediately left town, going south. Corbin and Waters were captured outside of the church, and not included in the terms of capitulation.

[A list of casualties follows]

Many of White's men and the Rangers had been schoolmates, and in some instances reared around the same fireside; one brother following the Confederate banner with a pitiable and delusive blindness, while the other brother stood firm in his allegiance to the Stars and Stripes.

In this fight brothers met. After the Rangers had been paroled Wm. Snoots, of White's command, wanted to shoot his brother Charles, who belonged to the Rangers, but was fittingly rebuked by his officers for such an unsoldierly and unbrotherly desire. Charles, who had been deprived of his arms, keenly felt the advantage his brother wanted to take, and modestly suggested to brother Bill that if he would unbuckle his arms and lay them aside he, Charles, would wipe up the earth with the cowardly cur in less than two minutes.

(pages 33-39)