“Your sickness gives me great concern; but so live that it and all your tribulations may be sanctified to you, remembering that our ’light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!’ I trust you and all I have in the hands of a kind Providence, knowing that all things work together for the good of His people.  Yesterday was a lovely Sabbath day.  Although I had not the privilege of hearing the word of life, yet it felt like a holy Sabbath day, beautiful, serene, and lovely.  All it wanted was the church-bell and God’s services in the sanctuary to make it complete.  Our gallant little army is increasing in numbers, and my prayer is that it may be an army of the living God as well as of its country.”

The troops, notwithstanding their defeat at Kernstown, were in high spirits.  The very slackness of the Federal pursuit had made them aware that they had inflicted a heavy blow.  They had been thanked by Congress for their valour.  The newspapers were full of their praises.  Their comrades were returning from hospital and furlough, and recruits were rapidly coming in.* (* Congress, on April 16, passed a Conscription Act, under which all able-bodied whites, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, were compelled to serve.  It was not found necessary, however, except in the case of three religious denominations, to enforce the Act in the Valley; and, in dealing with these sectarians, Jackson found a means of reconciling their scruples with their duty to their State.  He organised them in companies as teamsters, pledging himself to employ them, so far as practicable, in other ways than fighting.  O.R. volume 12 part 3 page 835.) The mounted branch attracted the majority, and Ashby’s regiment soon numbered more than 2000 troopers.  Their commander, however, knew little of discipline.  Besides himself there was but one field-officer for one-and-twenty companies; nor had these companies any regimental organisation.  When Jackson attempted to reduce this curiously constituted force to order, his path was once more crossed by the Secretary of War.  Mr. Benjamin, dazzled by Ashby’s exploits, had given him authority to raise and command a force of independent cavalry.  A reference to this authority and a threat of resignation was Ashby’s reply to Jackson’s orders.  “Knowing Ashby’s ascendency over his men, and finding himself thus deprived of legitimate power, the general was constrained to pause, and the cavalry was left unorganised and undisciplined.  One half was rarely available for duty.  The remainder were roaming over the country, imposing upon the generous hospitalities of the citizens, or lurking in their homes.  The exploits of their famous leader were all performed with a few hundreds, or often scores, of men, who followed him from personal devotion rather than force of discipline."* (* Dabney volume 2 page 49.)