That night the whole force moved across the river on the Winchester road, passing, as they did so, the ground where the Southern cavalry fought so well, and where so many gallant men found bloody deaths in charging the Yankee infantry, among them Capt. George Baxter, of the Loudoun Cavalry, 6th Virginia regiment, Capt. George F. Sheetz, who was said by many to be a better officer than Ashby himself, and Capt. Fletcher, the gallant commander of Ashby’s old company. General Ewell, who had been an old cavalry officer, and knew how to appreciate the splendid display of valor, skill and devotion made by Ashby’s troops at this point, worthy as it was of the “sons of the sires,” whom Light Horse Harry had led in days as dark and stormy, long ago, and here on the field of Front Royal added another leaf to the Laurel Crown, which Fame, in “Auld Lang Syne,” had woven for the honor of the cavaliers of the “Old Dominion,” spoke of this charge as one of the most gallant affairs he had ever witnessed, and no higher praise could be given than to say they fought under the eye of General Richard S. Ewell, and won his warmest admiration, for, like Jackson, he never bestowed it unmerited, and he meant everything he said.
In the bivouac that night the General had his escort near his headquarters, and as his staff did not join him for a long time after, he called upon Lieut. Barrett to act as A. A. General for him, and kept the Lieutenant busily engaged until a late hour in writing dispatches and reports for him, and the next morning he started the company on a scouting expedition, in which it was engaged all day, rejoining the General about dark, who was then marching towards Winchester with all his force. The weather was raw and chilly, but the night was spent in making reconnoisances and marching for short distances, but no fires were kindled or noises made which might apprise General Banks of the proximity of the rebels until about 3 o’clock, when the enemy’s pickets were found by Sergt. C. B. Barrett, who, with a squad, had been on detail at headquarters, and upon receipt of this information Gen. Ewell took a company of infantry and stirred up the Yankee picket lines by firing on their posts and driving them in. About an hour before daylight one of the couriers brought to Gen. Ewell a dispatch from “Stonewall,” which the writer saw as Gen, E. opened it, and it was simply a sheet of paper upon which was delineated the roads, streams, woods, &c., around Winchester, and showing the disposition of the enemy’s forces in Ewell’s front, as well as Jackson’s position on the Valley pike, and beneath the plan the words “attack at daylight” were written. No other instructions were needed, and with the dawning of that bright and beautiful Sabbath morning in May the regiments moved forward to the battle. For sometime everything went smoothly, and the enemy broke at every point, but by-and-by a large body of them were rallied and placed behind a stone fence, where they lay quietly and entirely unperceived by the 21st North Carolina infantry, which was moving over that part of the field, and when within twenty or thirty yards the Yankees raised up and poured a tremendous volley into their ranks, killing and wounding nearly one-third of the regiment, but the men were promptly rallied by their gallant Colonel, who instantly ordered a bayonet charge, which was executed in splendid style, and the enemy retreated in great confusion before the brave North Carolinians, but their victory was dearly bought, for Col. Strickland fell dead at the fence, and his men lay thick around him.