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84 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
Captain Burch's artillery and a small detachment near it now opened a cross
fire upon the enemy. General Stansbury's command was three or four hundred yards in the rear of the first position of the Baltimore battery, and
General Winder, who was on the left of the fifth Baltimore regiment, ordered
it to advance and sustain the artillery, which it did with great promptness,
and opened a steady well-directed fire on the enemy, in which it was followed
by Ragan's and Schutz's regiments forming the right and centre of the line.
Some rockets thrown by the enemy which passed very close over the heads of
Ragan's and Schutz's regiments, created a panic in these raw troops in action
for the first time, and they fled in the utmost disorder. Their officers strove
to rally and retain the fugitives, in which they were aided by General Winder,
who displayed great zeal, activity and personal bravery; but their efforts were
ineffectual, and both regiments were broken and dispersed, leaving the fifth
and Burch's artillery with their flanks exposed. Colonel Sterett's fifth regiment, however, kept its place in line firmly, covered the retreat of Ragan's
and Schutz's by a sharp fire, and even drove back the enemy's light troops;
but being in great danger of being surrounded, the enemy having gained both
flanks, the fifth and Burch's artillery were ordered by General Winder to
retreat and form a little in the rear. Instead of retiring in order, the fifth,
seeing that they were nearly surrounded like the other two regiments of
General Stansbury's brigade, in a very few minutes retreated in disorder,
which all the exertions of Colonel Sterett could not prevent.
"Among the circumstances which induced the men to think that matters were taking
a serious turn were these: the shower of rockets among them; the hurried retreat of the
riflemen upon them ; the galling fire from the orchard ; the continued advance of fresh
troops of the enemy, amounting, as they had been informed to eight or ten thousand
veterans ; no knowledge that any reserve troops were in their rear; and the conviction
which every man of common sense among them must have felt, that, under these
circumstances, to continue longer on the field would expose them to the danger of
being cut to pieces. It is difficult to understand the motive for placing or keeping
them in such a position. It was not a position to be defended at all hazards and at
any cost of life, in order to gain time. What was the time wanted for? The troops
in the rear were not advancing, nor does it appear that there was any design that
they should advance. Further continuance in such a position could be only for the
purpose of testing the experiment whether a body of raw militia-men, in an open
field, and in pitched battle, co'uld defeat four or five times their number of regular
and veteran troops." *
The first line having been dispersed, the left of the enemy's force
advanced on the second line which was stationed nearly a mile in the rear
of the first. There had been no communication nor re-enforcement from one
line to the other except upon the appearance of the enemy at Bladensburg,
when Captain Doughty's and Burch's companies of artillery were advanced
from the second to the first line. None of the troops of the first line
after its defeat rallied upon the second line, which was left to encounter
1 John S. Williamr, Ir.vision and Capture of Washington, p, 230.
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000111 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 84 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. Captain Burch's artillery and a small detachment near it now opened a cross fire upon the enemy. General Stansbury's command was three or four hundred yards in the rear of the first position of the Baltimore battery, and General Winder, who was on the left of the fifth Baltimore regiment, ordered it to advance and sustain the artillery, which it did with great promptness, and opened a steady well-directed fire on the enemy, in which it was followed by Ragan's and Schutz's regiments forming the right and centre of the line. Some rockets thrown by the enemy which passed very close over the heads of Ragan's and Schutz's regiments, created a panic in these raw troops in action for the first time, and they fled in the utmost disorder. Their officers strove to rally and retain the fugitives, in which they were aided by General Winder, who displayed great zeal, activity and personal bravery; but their efforts were ineffectual, and both regiments were broken and dispersed, leaving the fifth and Burch's artillery with their flanks exposed. Colonel Sterett's fifth regiment, however, kept its place in line firmly, covered the retreat of Ragan's and Schutz's by a sharp fire, and even drove back the enemy's light troops; but being in great danger of being surrounded, the enemy having gained both flanks, the fifth and Burch's artillery were ordered by General Winder to retreat and form a little in the rear. Instead of retiring in order, the fifth, seeing that they were nearly surrounded like the other two regiments of General Stansbury's brigade, in a very few minutes retreated in disorder, which all the exertions of Colonel Sterett could not prevent. "Among the circumstances which induced the men to think that matters were taking a serious turn were these: the shower of rockets among them; the hurried retreat of the riflemen upon them ; the galling fire from the orchard ; the continued advance of fresh troops of the enemy, amounting, as they had been informed to eight or ten thousand veterans ; no knowledge that any reserve troops were in their rear; and the conviction which every man of common sense among them must have felt, that, under these circumstances, to continue longer on the field would expose them to the danger of being cut to pieces. It is difficult to understand the motive for placing or keeping them in such a position. It was not a position to be defended at all hazards and at any cost of life, in order to gain time. What was the time wanted for? The troops in the rear were not advancing, nor does it appear that there was any design that they should advance. Further continuance in such a position could be only for the purpose of testing the experiment whether a body of raw militia-men, in an open field, and in pitched battle, co'uld defeat four or five times their number of regular and veteran troops." * The first line having been dispersed, the left of the enemy's force advanced on the second line which was stationed nearly a mile in the rear of the first. There had been no communication nor re-enforcement from one line to the other except upon the appearance of the enemy at Bladensburg, when Captain Doughty's and Burch's companies of artillery were advanced from the second to the first line. None of the troops of the first line after its defeat rallied upon the second line, which was left to encounter 1 John S. Williamr, Ir.vision and Capture of Washington, p, 230. |
