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618 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
Not long after the battle of Cold H>rbor the Maryland battalion was
transferred to Walker's brigade, and from thence was assigned to General
James J. Archer's brigade of Heth's division.
While Lee was defending his lines at Cold Harbor, Hunter was ravaging
the Valley of Virginia, and moving on Lynchburg for the purpose of destroying the stores, manufactories, and the railroad bridges at that place. General
Early, who had received orders on the 12th of June, at Cold Harbor, to move
with two battalions of artillery and the infantry of Ewell's corps, numbering
altogether about nine thousand men, to destroy or disperse Hunter's force,
arrived with his advance at Lynchburg on the 18th. In the meantime, General Breckenridge, who had been sent from Cold Harbor to Waynesboro' with
a small command, by a forced march had arrived at the same place. Hunter
with his force arrived before Lynchburg on the 18th, and made a slight
attack on Early's lines which was repulsed. Fearing that he would be cut
off from his base, Hunter rapidly retreated during the night, closely pursued
in the morning by Early and Breckenridge. He continued retreating across
the mountains towards Charleston, Kanawha, leaving Washington exposed.
Lee, seeing the opportunity to make an attempt on the capital, believing that
such a demonstration might lead to the raising of the siege of Petersburg,
telegraphed to Early whether in his judgment the condition of his troops
would permit such a movement across the Potomac. General Early determined to make the attempt, and immediately set about to carry out his
plans. With a force of about twelve thousand half-fed men, in rags, and
many shoeless, he moved down the valley on the 28th of June from Staunton.
In spite of the intense heat he marched over dusty roads about twenty-five miles
a day. He reached Winchester on the 2d of July, and on the 3d, dividing
his force into two columns he sent one under Breckenridge to drive Sigel out
of Martinsburg, and the other he marched to drive Mulligan out of Leetown.
Both columns were successful. Sigel retreated across the Potomac at
Shepherdstown. Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, who had been promoted to
brigadier-general of cavalry and assigned to the cavalry brigade of W. E.
Jones, who was killed at New Hope,1 led the advance of Early's command,
encountered Mulligan's advance, and after a severe fight, drove them out of
Leetown with loss. General Weber, in command at Harper's Ferry, evacuated
the town, and after destroying the bridges over the Potomac, retired to Maryland Heights. Early destroyed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and boats along his lines from Shepherdstown to
Harper's Ferry. On the 5th of July, General Johnson, with his cavalry,
crossed the Potomac at Sharpsburg, part going to Hagerstown and part to
1 Attached to Johnson's cavalry brigade was They were reinforced by Lieutenant Colonel
his old command of the 1st Maryland cavalry Harry Gilmor's 2d Maryland battalion of cav-
and the Baltimore lig-ht artillery. They were airy, and the two cavalry battalions were tem-
the very pick of the army, an honor to their porarily consolidated, during the Maryland
State, and relied on as the surest and most campaign, under his command,
determined troops in the Confederate service.
| 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 | 00000653 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 618 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. Not long after the battle of Cold H>rbor the Maryland battalion was transferred to Walker's brigade, and from thence was assigned to General James J. Archer's brigade of Heth's division. While Lee was defending his lines at Cold Harbor, Hunter was ravaging the Valley of Virginia, and moving on Lynchburg for the purpose of destroying the stores, manufactories, and the railroad bridges at that place. General Early, who had received orders on the 12th of June, at Cold Harbor, to move with two battalions of artillery and the infantry of Ewell's corps, numbering altogether about nine thousand men, to destroy or disperse Hunter's force, arrived with his advance at Lynchburg on the 18th. In the meantime, General Breckenridge, who had been sent from Cold Harbor to Waynesboro' with a small command, by a forced march had arrived at the same place. Hunter with his force arrived before Lynchburg on the 18th, and made a slight attack on Early's lines which was repulsed. Fearing that he would be cut off from his base, Hunter rapidly retreated during the night, closely pursued in the morning by Early and Breckenridge. He continued retreating across the mountains towards Charleston, Kanawha, leaving Washington exposed. Lee, seeing the opportunity to make an attempt on the capital, believing that such a demonstration might lead to the raising of the siege of Petersburg, telegraphed to Early whether in his judgment the condition of his troops would permit such a movement across the Potomac. General Early determined to make the attempt, and immediately set about to carry out his plans. With a force of about twelve thousand half-fed men, in rags, and many shoeless, he moved down the valley on the 28th of June from Staunton. In spite of the intense heat he marched over dusty roads about twenty-five miles a day. He reached Winchester on the 2d of July, and on the 3d, dividing his force into two columns he sent one under Breckenridge to drive Sigel out of Martinsburg, and the other he marched to drive Mulligan out of Leetown. Both columns were successful. Sigel retreated across the Potomac at Shepherdstown. Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, who had been promoted to brigadier-general of cavalry and assigned to the cavalry brigade of W. E. Jones, who was killed at New Hope,1 led the advance of Early's command, encountered Mulligan's advance, and after a severe fight, drove them out of Leetown with loss. General Weber, in command at Harper's Ferry, evacuated the town, and after destroying the bridges over the Potomac, retired to Maryland Heights. Early destroyed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and boats along his lines from Shepherdstown to Harper's Ferry. On the 5th of July, General Johnson, with his cavalry, crossed the Potomac at Sharpsburg, part going to Hagerstown and part to 1 Attached to Johnson's cavalry brigade was They were reinforced by Lieutenant Colonel his old command of the 1st Maryland cavalry Harry Gilmor's 2d Maryland battalion of cav- and the Baltimore lig-ht artillery. They were airy, and the two cavalry battalions were tem- the very pick of the army, an honor to their porarily consolidated, during the Maryland State, and relied on as the surest and most campaign, under his command, determined troops in the Confederate service. |
