History of Western Maryland. J. Thomas Scharf
Union sentiment seemed to increase in volume and intensity as you approached the border. It was in some measure doubtless owing to the spirit inspired by the Virginia Union refugees that the loyalty of this southern border of Maryland was of a flavor that the word bitter would but feebly characterize.
As the Confederates had lost all hopes of making these people their friends, there was no special motive for forbearance, and hence repeated raids and invasions had stamped desolation upon the face of the country, and upon the minds of the inhabitants many recollections of personal wrongs and losses.
After the withdrawal of McClellan's army from the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, Cole's cavalry remained in that neighborhood, scouting, picketing, and meeting the enemy in several minor conflicts. On the 20th of December, 1862, a detachment of sixty men from Companies A and C, under command of Capt. Vernon, left the Ferry on a reconnaissance. After proceeding about three miles up the left bank of the Shenandoah, it was learned that Capt. Baylor's guerrillas, one hundred and twenty strong, were at Charlestown, but it was subsequently understood they had gone to Halltown. Moving rapidly to that point, Capt. Vernon succeeded in capturing the guerrilla chief, who was visiting a farm-house nearby. On its return the detachment encountered a Confederate force drawn up in line on the crest of a hill. Receiving the enemy's fire, Vernon's command immediately charged upon him, breaking his ranks and putting him to flight. A running fight ensued, in which Lieut. W. W. Wilson, of the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, a private, and five riderless horses were captured. One of Vernon's men received a slight wound.
Shortly after the arrival of the Maryland Brigade at Maryland Heights, Companies A and B of the First Regiment were posted at Duffield Station, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, while Company K, with Companies F and H of the Seventh, were sent to garrison the " Stone Fort" and signal-station on the crest of the mountain. This fort was located on the ground upon which had occurred the fight preceding the surrender of Col. Miles. It was still in an unfinished condition. Heretofore the brigade had enjoyed little opportunity for target practice, from the fact that its operations had been mainly confined to picketing in the immediate presence of the enemy. At Maryland Heights this essential part of a soldier's practical education was systematically attended to, not only in the brigade, but throughout the entire command of all arms of the service. On some days there was noise enough for a regular battle.
The " naval battery" of Dahlgren guns threw " flour-barrel" shell with a noise like that of a locomotive and a long train of cars going through midair at the rate of several hundred miles an hour. Alexander's field battery and others in the vicinity were also busily engaged in practice, and musketry firing from all the regiments at the post added to the general din.
With the opening of spring some changes were made in the location of the regiments of the Maryland Brigade. On the 14th of March the camp of the Eighth on Maryland Heights was broken up, and the regiment crossed the river and pitched tents on Bolivar Heights, a fine plateau on the Virginia side above Harper's Ferry, stretching away from a steep bluff overlooking the Potomac. The Seventh followed on the 4th of April, and the First on the 9th of the same month.
On the 27th of March, 1863, the Maryland Brigade was officially designated the First Brigade, forming part of the First Division, Eighth Army Corps. The same order transferred the Sixth Regiment and Alexander's battery to Gen. Milroy's command, and they left for Berryville on the 28th of March. On the 27th of April the Fourth and Seventh Regiments, Cols. Bowerman and Webster commanding, were transferred by rail to Oakland, under orders which indicated a campaign in West Virginia, then alarmed by a dashing raid of Confederate cavalry under Imboden and Jones. Upon arriving at Altamont, it was found that the railroad track had been torn up the day before and hastily relaid. Several bridges had been burned and the telegraph wires cut. The fidelity of the engineer was questioned, and Col. Webster, who by reason of seniority commanded the force, took his position upon the leading locomotive, and at all doubtful places an advanced guard marched ahead of the train. Oakland was found in a state of intense excitement, created by the recent presence of the raiders, who had carried off with them a large number of valuable horses belonging to the citizens. The town and its approaches were at once picketed by the Seventh, supported by the Fourth, which came up during the day. The men were under arms all night, during almost the whole of which there was constant telegraphing of reports, rumors, and inquiries in all directions. The result of all this was that early on the morning of the 29th the Seventh left knapsacks behind at Oakland, in charge of the Fourth, and marched westward along the line of the railroad, or parallel with it. The bridge over the Youghiogheny, some two or three miles out, having been destroyed by the raiders a few hours before, some delay occurred before a crossing could be effected, the creek being high and the banks steep and miry. A march of ten miles brought the regiment to Cranberry Summit. This little town had made a spirited defense, but the Confederates were much too strong for the citizens and the few soldiers who were there, and the stores had been plundered and all the horses seized. The regiment left Cranberry about 7 p. m. in a thunder-storm, and made a forced march of thirteen miles farther to " No. 72," a water-station near Rowlesburg. The distance by the railroad between these points, passing through tunnels, was less, but the line of march was over rough country roads, climbing and descending the mountains. Nothing could be worse than the condition of these roads, or more trying than this march. The steep slippery roads were crossed and recrossed by Salt Lick and other creeks, through which the men waded a dozen times, sometimes almost waist-deep, and wound along the brink of precipices, up and down rough mountain-sides, and through the dense darkness of gloomy gorges. After marching all day and nearly all night, twenty-three miles in the rain over the Alleghanies, at two o'clock on the morning of the 30th of April a picket-guard was posted, and while these watched, their weary comrades slept. The memory of this forced march became the standard of comparison for the Seventh Regiment in all its future campaigns. At an early hour of the 30th the regiment resumed its march, following the railroad four miles to Rowlesburg. This place had been defended not only with spirit but success, and after a hot skirmish the enemy's cavalry had been repulsed with loss by a detachment of the Sixth Virginia Volunteers under Maj. Showalter. Singularly enough, these troops evacuated the town soon after the enemy's departure, leaving the important railroad structures unguarded.
Up to this point the orders were to watch and follow, intercept, and, if possible, capture the enemy. The Seventh had followed close upon their heels, but naturally without gaining on them. The companies were now so disposed as best to guard the railroad bridge over Cheat River and the elaborate trestles in the vicinity, and Capt. Bennett with his company (E) was sent on a scout to St. George, twenty miles distant.
On the 1st of May, Gen. Kenly, who had left Harper's Ferry the day before, passed up the road with the First and Eighth Regiments en route for Clarksburg, whither he had been ordered to the support of Gen. Roberts' command, which was hard pressed by the enemy. Large quantities of government stores were collected at Clarksburg, it being the supply depot for all the Federal forces operating in that section of country. Gen. Kenly reached Grafton at 1 p.m., May 1st, and upon receiving information that the bridge near Bridgeport, on the Parkersburg Railroad, had been burned, and that a large force of the enemy was near that town preparing to attack Gen. Roberts, he at once pushed on to the relief of that officer and his command. On arriving at Bridgeport, at 7 p.m., it was ascertained that the Confederates had retired, having doubtless been informed by telegraph from Grafton of the approach of the Federal troops with exaggerated numbers. Gen. Kenly, however, continued his march to Clarksburg, where he arrived at midnight, much to the relief of Gen. Roberts, who no doubt would have been attacked that night but for the opportune arrival of these reinforcements. The command remained at Clarksburg, watching the movements of the enemy, who threatened the Parkersburg Railroad and Wheeling, until the 11th of May, when it marched live miles on the road to Weston, bivouacking for the night near Janelen. On the 13th it proceeded through Weston, and camped near the bridge over Stone Coal Creek, where it remained until the 23rd, guarding the approaches to West Union, on the line of the Parkersburg road. On the last-mentioned date it resumed the march, and passing through Buchanan and Philippi, arrived at Webster on the 26th of May. Here the command took cars and returned to Harper's Ferry, reoccupying the old position on Bolivar Heights. The Seventh Regiment had already returned from Rowlesburg, and on the 2nd of June the Fourth Regiment came back from Oakland. Respecting the services of the Maryland Brigade in this campaign. Gen. Kelley, the division commander, in a