A Maryland company under Captain George W. Chiswell joined White, and shortly thereafter three more companies were organized. His daring was attracting young men in search of action. On October 28, 1862, Colonel Bradley T. Johnson formally mustered these five companies into the Confederate service; a sixth company was later added. The battalion was quite active during McClellan’s return from Maryland. Striking quickly at loosely guarded wagon trains, White captured about 1000 prisoners and 200 wagons while the Federals were crossing Loudoun. Christmas eve, 1862, saw the battalion ford the Potomac into Maryland and bring off sixty horses and large quantities of supplies from upper Montgomery County. In January, 1863, White was formally assigned to “Grumble” Jones’ Brigade. Open mutiny almost broke out over this order as the men claimed that theirs was an independent command not subject to assignment to any regiment or brigade. The Maryland company claimed they owned no allegiance to the Confederacy and had the right to select their service. White soon quelled this insubordination and the battalion settled down to fighting Yankees again. As in as many similar organizations discipline was a problem. White was not a disciplinarian, believing that his mission was to fight and leave the “house-keeping” to others; however, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February. The battalion continued to serve with Jones’ Brigade in the Valley but made frequent sorties into Loudoun to battle their old border enemies, the Loudoun Rangers and Cole’s Maryland Cavalry. Ordered to join Ewell in Pennsylvania, White led Early’s advance to the Susquehanna. It was the “Comanches” who dashed into Gettysburg on June 26, and scattered the 26th Pennsylvania Militia, thus firing the first shots on that great battlefield. Again back in Virginia they served with Jones until his death, and then with General Rosser as the brigade picked up the famous sobriquet of the “Laurel Brigade.” When Rosser moved on to division command White was the popular choice to succeed him, but the old problem of discipline stood in the way. Governor John Letcher and Judge Brockenborough petitioned President Davis in White’s behalf, but General Lee could not be swayed because of the laxity of the battalion while not engaged in battle; drilling and sabre grinding were termed as a “perfect nuisance” by White. On one occasion General Lee wrote Rosser to say that no reports had been received by the ordnance department from White’s Battalion. Rosser replied that he had never been able to get a report from White, and if General Lee could get it he would be happy to see it.