March 22 — Early this morning we renewed our march and moved down the Page Valley toward Front Royal. The road we traveled over to-day was very muddy, sticky, and tough. We marched all day and camped this evening about five miles above Front Royal. The cloud’s broke away this morning and we had a bright, warm, and pleasant spring day.
Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery — George Michael Neese.
March 21 — Remained in camp. Drizzling and rainy all day. Dark and misty clouds are hanging low on the mountains around us. Such gloomy weather as we had to-day is enough to give even the jolliest outing party the blues before breakfast.
March 20 — Snowed very fast nearly all day, with a chilly north wind. Remained in camp.
March 19 — This morning we renewed our march up the Valley. At New Market we turned off on the Sperryville pike and moved toward Luray, crossing the Massanutten Mountain and fording the Shenandoah River. Camped quarter of a mile west of Luray.
Snowed all afternoon, which makes it very disagreeable for outdoor sport and renders the bosom of Mother Earth a little unfavorable for sleeping purposes.
March 18 — This morning at sunrise we received orders for a general camp move. We leisurely packed up all our household chattels, and in about two hours after we received the order were on the move. The general order for the brigade move was countermanded for the day just as we left camp, but through some mistake or negligence it failed to reach us in time, and we moved up the pike about five miles, and camped between Hawkinstown and Mount Jackson. All the rest of the brigade remained in their old camp.
March 10 — Snowed all day, but melted as fast as it fell.
March 5 — To-day a little before noon the Yankees advanced with two regiments of infantry, cavalry, and two pieces of artillery. They drove in our pickets at Fisher’s Hill in a business-like manner and tried to make a big splutter, as though they intended to make a dashing advance and capture the Valley in one fell swoop. We were ordered out immediately and moved rapidly down the pike, but before we got to Woodstock we halted for further orders and tidings from the front. The Yankees’ advance was like an old woman’s dance,— powerful at first, but soon over. They fell back again toward Winchester this afternoon. We went back again to our old camp.
March 1 — Last night we cooked three days’ rations, and were ordered to be ready to march by daylight this morning. At daybreak we had everything packed and on our wagons ready for the word forward. Little after daylight we moved down to Narrow Passage Hill with the battery and awaited the approach of the enemy. We remained there until noon, then returned to our old camp again. The enemy that was expected to do some tall advancing to-day fell back to Winchester.
February 28 — This evening the Yankees drove our pickets in again and advanced with a considerable force. We were ordered out immediately to resist the advancing enemy, and moved down the Valley pike with the Seventh, Eleventh, and Twelfth Regiments of Virginia Cavalry and Witcher’s Battalion of Kentuckians. We went as far as Woodstock, and there we learned that the Yanks did not advance any farther than Fisher’s Hill, ten miles below Woodstock. It was then about dark, and we returned to camp.
February 26 — The Yankees drove in our outer pickets this evening.
