Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery — George Michael Neese.

December 26 — We renewed our march up the Valley. Camped to-night at Woodstock.

December 25 — This is Merry Christmas. This morning we resumed our march early and moved down the Valley nearly to Kernstown, where we encountered the Yankees and gave them a Christmas greeting in the shape of a few shell. We took the same position we held at the battle of Kernstown last spring. About sixty sharpshooters advanced on our position and attempted to drive us away. We opened fire on them with two guns and fired three rounds, which thoroughly settled the sharpshooting business for this Christmas. Their line fell back in a rather stirred-up mixture, and that was the last I saw of the sharpshooters. We remained in battery till sunset, to see whether the Yanks intended to advance on us in force. Their infantry camp was not far away, for I heard their drummers beating the long roll immediately after we opened fire on their sharpshooters. After dark this evening our cavalry kindled camp-fires all around the place we held to-day, to make the Yanks believe that we were many, and still holding the position. We fell back to Middletown and camped.

December 24— I got a twenty-four hour leave of absence yesterday and went home. This morning as I was leaving home for camp a member of the battery came after me to go on a scout down the Valley. The battery started from camp immediately after I arrived there. We marched all day. Camped this evening at Tom’s Brook, six miles below Woodstock.

December 22 — This morning we crossed the Massanutten. A little beyond the foot of the mountain on the Page side we met the brigade wagons that were sent around by Front Royal. They were bound for New Market. We halted about two hours where we met them, then recrossed the mountain and camped one mile east of New Market.

December 21 — Renewed our march this morning. We passed through Mount Jackson and moved up the pike to New Market, where we turned off on the Sperryville pike and moved out two miles east of New Market, to the foot of the Massanutten mountain, and camped.

December 20 — Very cold last night and to-day. At ten o’clock we renewed our march up the Valley. We passed through Woodstock and Edenburg. So far we have heard nothing; neither have we seen anything of any Yankees coming to the Valley from West Virginia. Camped at Jumping Run, four miles above Edenburg.

December 19 — This afternoon it was reported that the Yankees are advancing from West Virginia, with the seeming intention of striking the Valley pike at Edenburg, which is about fifteen miles to our rear. On the strength of the report we packed our wagons and they were started around by Front Royal. We drew five days’ rations, and this evening just before sunset we started up the Valley pike on a scout. We marched until two hours after dark. Camped half mile below Woodstock.

December 18 — I was on Round Hill to-day, which is situated about four miles west by south from Strasburg. The hill is on the cone order, and very prominent in this part of the Valley landscape, and its summit affords a comprehensive view both up and down the Valley. On top of the hill is a rude observatory constructed of unhewn pine logs. It is about eighteen feet high and was built by General Banks’ men last spring and used by his signal corps.

December 14 — Renewed our march this morning toward Strasburg. We crossed Passage Creek, a small mountain stream running through Powell’s Fort Valley. The creek was frozen over and we had some difficulty in fording on account of the ice. Two or three of our horses fell down in the stream. We passed Waterlick, a station on the Manassas Gap Railroad three miles below Strasburg and forded the Little Shenandoah River one mile below Strasburg. We struck the Valley pike at Strasburg, came through town, and are camped this evening at Locust Grove schoolhouse on the Manasses Gap Railroad, half mile northwest of Fisher’s Hill.