First Raid

I've decided to become a partisan ranger and scrub this country clean of Yankees. I started in Snickersville, Virginia. It was an inauspicious beginning, as no one responded to my call for recruits. Pressed for time, I tried again and managed to gather a small band of miscreants. I'm going to start operations in my own home town area of Martinsburg. I'll attempt to penetrate Union lines and tear up the rail lines from Hedgesville to Harper's Ferry.

I lead my little band to Shanghan and begin to probe Park's Gap. We are in luck--the Yanks have no garrison there. Unfortunately, there is a garrison in Hedgesville, and I don't feel strong enough to ambush them yet. I backed out of the area and cross the mountains to Smithfield. From there, we probe into Leetown, where I find a sutler's wagon, which I promptly seized. I then probe into Kearneystown, but the dratted Union troops are there, too. I rode over to Charlestown and found the city devoid of Yanks. This is good, because I'm going to tear up the rail lines there.

Ha! These lax Yankees have left Halltown unguarded, too, but Duffield's Depot is garrisoned. Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to sneak into Harper's Ferry and burn the bridge over the Shenandoah. If I don't get chased, I'll then work my way back to Halltown and tear up the rails there and in Charlestown. That should get my notoriety up and attract more recruits for the next raid. Here goes...

I sneak my band of thugs into Harper's Ferry and so far am unnoticed. We set fire to the bridge, and it collapses soon thereafter. The rising smoke does not seem to be a concern to that garrison in Duffield's Depot, but a picket in Harper's Ferry pokes his head up and starts scrambling. We shut him up quick with a bullet between the eyes. Then we chased a sutler's wagon that was heading toward Antietam and snatched it.

Not sure I should have chased that wagon, though, because now I'm north of the rail line and have to make my way back to friendly territory. The still-smoking bridge has alerted the Yankees that something is up, so sneaking through their lines might be tricky. I decide to head back into Harper's Ferry. I intercepted a courier and relieved him of his mail and horse. Whew! Got through the town and back to Halltown.

My guys get to work tearing up the rail lines. Ha! Still no reaction from the large force at Harper's Ferry. From there we move to Charlestown and destroy the rail line there. Unfortunately, that got me some attention. The garrison at Duffield's Depot finally wakes up, and we hear bugles blowing and horses galloping. The noise stirs up interest in Harper's Ferry, and now a second squadron of cavalry are after me.

We spur our horses and high-tail it south, paralleling the Valley Pike past Winchester. We reach the Double Toll-Gate south of Salem Church. I get word that the Duffield's Depot garrison gave it up and didn't chase us. But the larger force from Harper's Ferry raced southward on our trail. They are at Pleasant Valley Mill. I don't want to fight these guys, so we ride through Front Royal to Chester's Gap. The Yanks keep coming, reaching Niniveh. We turn and ride northeast to Salem. The enemy loses our trail and heads west to Newtown. After galloping about for a few days, they give it up and stay put at Milltown.

I'd like to continue operations, but all the excitement has the Union troops alerted, so I reluctantly decide to disband and prepare for the next raid.