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reader's　time；　that　the　Cavalry　Corps　led　the　advance　of　the　Army　of

the　Potomac　into　the　Wilderness　in　the　memorable　campaign　of　1864；

that　on　the　expedition　by　way　of　Richmond　to　Haxall's　it　marked　out

the　army's　line　of　march　to　the　North　Anna；　that　it　again　led　the

advance　to　the　Tolopotomy；　and　also　to　Cold　Harbor；　holding　that

important　strategic　point　at　great　hazard；　and　that　by　the　Trevillian

expedition　it　drew　away　the　enemy's　cavalry　from　the　south　side　of

the　Chickahominy；　and　thereby　assisted　General　Grant　materially　in

successfully　marching　to　the　James　River　and　Petersburg。

Subsequently；　Wilson　made　his　march　to　Staunton　bridge；　destroying

railroads　and　supplies　of　inestimable　value；　and　though　this　was

neutralized　by　his　disaster　near　Ream's　Station；　the　temporary　set…

back　there　to　one　division　was　soon　redeemed　by　victory　over　the

Confederate　infantry　at　the　battle　of　Darbytown。



In　the　campaign　we　were　almost　always　on　the　march；　night　and　day；

often　unable　to　care　properly　for　our　wounded；　and　obliged　to　bury

our　dead　where　they　fell；　and　innumerable　combats　attest　the　part　the

cavalry　played　in　Grant's　march　from　the　Rapidan　to　Petersburg。　　In

nearly　all　of　these　our　casualties　were　heavy；　particularly　so　when；

as　was　often　the　case；　we　had　to　engage　the　Confederate　infantry；　but

the　enemy　returned　such　a　full　equivalent　in　dead　and　wounded　in

every　instance；　that　finally　his　mounted　power；　which　from　the

beginning　of　the　war　had　been　nurtured　with　a　wise　appreciation　of

its　value；　was　utterly　broken。









CHAPTER　XXIII。



GENERAL　HUNTER'S　SUCCESSFUL　MARCH　AND　SUBSEQUENT　RETREATGENERAL

JUBAL　A。　EARLY　THREATENS　WASHINGTONCHAMBERSBURG；　PA。；　BURNED

SELECTED　TO　OPERATE　AGAINST　GENERAL　EARLYTHE　SHENANDOAH　VALLEY

THE　CONFEDERATE　ARMY。



When　the　attempt　to　take　Petersburg　in　conjunction　with　the　mine

explosion　resulted　in　such　a　dismal　failure；　all　the　operations

contemplated　in　connection　with　that　project　came　to　a　standstill；

and　there　was　every　prospect　that　the　intensely　hot　and　sultry

weather　would　prevent　further　activity　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac

till　a　more　propitious　season。　　Just　now；　however；　the　conditions

existing　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley　and　along　the　upper　Potomac

demanded　the　special　attention　of　General　Grant；　for；　notwithstanding

the　successful　march　that　Major…General　David　Hunter　had　made　toward

Lynchburg　early　in　the　summer；　what　he　had　first　gained　was

subsequently　lost　by　strategical　mistakes；　that　culminated　in

disaster　during　the　retreat　he　was　obliged　to　make　from　the　vicinity

of　Lynchburg　to　the　Kanawha　Valley。　　This　route　of　march　uncovered

the　lower　portion　of　the　Valley　of　the　Shenandoah；　and　with　the

exception　of　a　small　force　of　Union　troops　under　General　Franz　Sigel

posted　aft　Martinsburg　for　the　purpose　of　covering　the　Baltimore　and

Ohio　railroad；　there　was　nothing　at　hand　to　defend　the　lower　valley。



The　different　bodies　of　Confederates　which　compelled　Hunter's　retreat

were　under　command　of　General　Jubal　A。　Early；　who　had　been　sent　to

Lynchburg　with　Ewell's　corps　after　the　defeat　of　the　Confederate

General　W。　C。　Jones　near　Staunton　on　the　5th　of　June；　to　take　command

of　the　Valley　District。　　When　Early　had　forced　Hunter　into　the

Kanawha　region　far　enough　to　feel　assured　that　Lynchburg　could　not

again　be　threatened　from　that　direction；　he　united　to　his　own　corps

General　John　C。　Breckenridge's　infantry　division　and　the　cavalry　of

Generals　J。　H。　Vaughn；　John　McCausland。　　B。　T。　Johnson；　and　J。　D。

Imboden；　which　heretofore　had　been　operating　in　southwest　and　western

Virginia　under　General　Robert　Ransom；　Jr。；　and　with　the　column　thus

formed；　was　ready　to　turn　his　attention　to　the　lower　Shenandoah

Valley。　　At　Early's　suggestion　General　Lee　authorized　him　to　move

north　at　an　opportune　moment；　cross　the　upper　Potomac　into　Maryland

and　threaten　Washington。　　Indeed；　General　Lee　had　foreshadowed　such　a

course　when　Early　started　toward　Lynchburg　for　the　purpose　of

relieving　the　pressure　in　front　of　Petersburg；　but　was　in　some　doubt

as　to　the　practicability　of　the　movement　later；　till　persuaded　to　it

by　the　representations　of　Early　after　that　general　had　driven　Hunter

beyond　the　mountains　and　found　little　or　nothing　opposing　except　the

small　force　of　Sigel；　which　he　thought　he　could　readily　overcome　by

celerity　of　movement。



By　rapid　marching　Early　reached　Winchester　on　the　2d　of　July；　and　on

the　4th　occupied　Martinsburg；　driving　General　Sigel　out　of　that　place

the　same　day　that　Hunter's　troops；　after　their　fatiguing　retreat

through　the　mountains；　reached　Charlestown；　West　Virginia。　　Early　was

thus　enabled　to　cross　the　Potomac　without　difficulty；　when；　moving

around　。　　Harper's　Ferry；　through　the　gaps　of　the　South　Mountain；　he

found　his　path　unobstructed　till　he　reached　the　Monocacy；　where

Ricketts's　division　of　the　Sixth　Corps；　and　some　raw　troops　that　had

been　collected　by　General　Lew　Wallace；　met　and　held　the　Confederates

till　the　other　reinforcements　that　had　been　ordered　to　the　capital

from　Petersburg　could　be　brought　up。　　Wallace　contested　the　line　of

the　Monocacy　with　obstinacy；　but　had　to　retire　finally　toward

Baltimore。　　The　road　was　then　open　to　Washington；　and　Early　marched

to　the　outskirts　and　began　against　the　capital　the　demonstrations

which　were　designed　to　divert　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　from　its　main

purpose　in　front　of　Petersburg。



Early's　audacity　in　thus　threatening　Washington　had　caused　some

concern　to　the　officials　in　the　city；　but　as　the　movement　was　looked

upon　by　General　Grant　as　a　mere　foray　which　could　have　no　decisive

issue；　the　Administration　was　not　much　disturbed　till　the

Confederates　came　in　close　proximity。　　Then　was　repeated　the　alarm

and　consternation　of　two　years　before；　fears　for　the　safety　of　the

capital　being　magnified　by　the　confusion　and　discord　existing　among

the　different　generals　in　Washington　and　Baltimore；　and　the　imaginary

dangers　vanished　only　with　the　appearance　of　General　Wright；　who；

with　the　Sixth　Corps　and　one　division　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps；　pushed

out　to　attack　Early　as　soon　as　he　could　get　his　arriving　troops　in

hand；　but　under　circumstances　that　precluded　celerity　of　movement；

and　as　a　consequence　the　Confederates　escaped　with　little　injury；

retiring　across　the　Potomac　to　Leesburg；　unharassed　save　by　some

Union　cavalry　that　had　been　sent　out　into　Loudoun　County　by　Hunter；

who　in　the　meantime　had　arrived　at　Harper's　Ferry　by　the　Baltimore

and　Ohio　railroad。　　From　Leesburg　Early　retired　through　Winchester

toward　Strasburg；　but　when　the　head　of　his　column　reached　this　place

he　found　that　he　was　being　followed　by　General　Crook　with　the

combined　troops　of　Hunter　and　Sigel　only；　Wright　having　returned　to

Washington　under　orders　to　rejoin　Meade　at　Petersburg。　　This

reduction　of　the　pursuing　force　tempting　Early　to　resume　the

offensive；　he　attacked　Crook　at　Kernstown；　and　succeeded　in

administering　such　a　check　as　to　necessitate　this　general's　retreat

to　Martinsburg；　and　finally　to　Harper's　Ferry。　　Crook's　withdrawal

restored　to　Early　the　line　of　the　upper　Potomac；　so；　recrossing　this

stream；　he　advanced　again　into　Maryland；　and　sending　McCausland　on　to

Chambersburg；　Pennsylvania；　laid　that　town　in　ashes；　leaving　three

thousand　non…combatants　without　shelter　or　food。



When　Early　fell　back　from　the　vicinity　of　Washington　toward

Strasburg；　General　Grant　believed　that　he　would　rejoin　Lee；　but　later

manoeuvres　of　the　enemy　indicated　that　Early　had　given　up　this　idea；

if　he　ever；　entertained　it；　and　intended　to　remain　in　the　valley；

since　it　would　furnish　Lee　and　himself　with　subsistence；　and　also

afford　renewed　opportunities　for　threatening　Washington。　　Indeed；　the

possession　of　the　Valley　of　the　Shenandoah　at　this　time　was　of　vast

importance　to　Lee's　army；　and　on　every　hand　there　were　indications

that　the　Confederate　Government　wished　to　hold　it　at　least　until

after　the　crops　could　be　gathered　in　to　their　depots　at　Lynchburg　and

Richmond。　　Its　retention；　besides　being　of　great　advantage　in　the

matter　of　supplies；　would　also　be　a　menace　to　the　North　difficult　for

General　Grant　to　explain；　and　thereby　add　an　element　of　considerable

benefit　to　the　Confederate　cause；　so　when　Early's　troops　again

appeared　at　Martinsburg　it　was　necessary　for　General　Grant　to

confront　them　with　a　force　strong　enough　to　put　an　end　to　incursions

north　of　the　Potomac；　which　hitherto　had　always　led　to　National

discomfiture　at　some　critical　juncture；　by　turning　our　army　in

eastern　Virginia　from　its　chief　purposethe　destruction　of　Lee　and

the　capture　of　the　Confederate　capital。



This　second　irruption　of　Early；　and　his　ruthless　destruction　of

Chambersburg　led　to　many　recommendations　on　the　part　of　General　Grant

looking　to　a　speedy　elimination　of　the　confusion　then　existing　among

the　Union　forces　along　the　upper　Potomac；　but　for　a　time　the

authoritie