History of Western Maryland. J. Thomas Scharf
Tuesday afternoon, June 16th, a small force of! Confederate infantry crossed the Potomac at Williamsport for the purpose of guarding the passage until the return of the cavalry expedition.
On the 17th, Jenkins, having already gathered a large number of horses and cattle from the Pennsylvania farmers, evacuated Chambersburg and retired' to the vicinity of Hagerstown, there to await the arrival of the main army.
In his official report Gen. Rodes says, —
"As soon as possible after arriving at Williamsport a strong guard was placed over it, and the necessary instructions were given to Gen. Jenkins about obtaining supplies of cattle and horses. In obedience to orders the command remained at Williamsport during the 16th, 17th, and 18th (of June), in which time, with the aid of Gen. Jenkins' cavalry, the commissaries and quartermasters obtained in a proper manner large supplies in their respective departments. The pioneers, under Capt. Chichester, were busy during our rest here trying to destroy the aqueduct over the Conococheague. Some five thousand pounds of leather were bought by Maj. Paxton at Williamsport and sent to the rear. At Hagerstown and Williamsport thirty-five kegs of powder were purchased and sent back. I may as well mention here that at Williamsport, Hagerstown, Chambersburg, etc., large quantities of such articles as were suitable for government use were obtained by purchase or certificate and sent back by Quartermasters Paxton, Rogers, and Harman. During the march into Pennsylvania some two or three thousand head of cattle were taken, and either appropriated for the command or sent to the rear for the other divisions. Some twelve or fifteen hundred were thus sent back. The horses were almost all seized by the cavalry of Gen. Jenkins, and were rarely accounted for. My best efforts were made to suppress all irregularities, and being very generally and cheerfully seconded by officers and men, they succeeded satisfactorily. Some few cases of fraud and some (at Greencastle) of violence to property — the latter traceable to the cavalry — were heard of. A few instances of forced purchases were reported, but never established. I believe that one quartermaster seized such articles as velvet, etc., but I could not find him out. In all cases of purchase that came before me the parties were fully paid and satisfied."
Upon the invasion of the State the citizens of Western Maryland were thrown into the greatest excitement. In Frederick hundreds of the citizens left the city, while many more made preparations to do so. The free negroes were thrown into the greatest perturbation, fearing that they would be carried South and sold as slaves by the Confederates. They crowded the freight-trains to Baltimore, and in a short time there was a general flight of them towards the Pennsylvania line and other directions. The government on the 15th of June removed its surplus commissary and quartermaster stores from Frederick, and cleared the hospitals of all patients who could be moved.
On the 16th of June it was reported that the Confederates were rapidly approaching Cumberland in force, whereupon a number of citizens retired hastily towards Pennsylvania. Early the next morning a small squad of men on the brow of the hill east of the city, on the Williams road, were discovered; several of Milroy's escaped cavalry advanced to ascertain who they were, and were saluted by the discharge of two small field-pieces, the shells dropping in the vicinity of McKaig's foundry, and putting the Federal scouts to flight. In a short time two Confederate soldiers rode into the town with a flag of truce, and after consultation with acting Mayor V. A. Buckoy and a deputation of citizens, obtained the formal surrender of the place. About three hundred and fifty of Imboden's cavalry with two pieces of artillery soon appeared, and after securing such horses as they could find, induced some of the merchants to open their stores, paying for their purchases with Confederate money. No damage was done to either public or private property, beyond the partial destruction of the telegraph-lines. The invading force soon departed, doing no violence to anyone except in the case of Griffin Twigg, Sr., living near Murley's Branch. The particulars are involved in some doubt, but the old man was killed, after having killed two of his assailants and wounded another. Gen. Kelley and staff had arrived in Cumberland from Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, and left for New Creek about the time of the arrival of Imboden's men next morning. Discovering a portion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad torn up a short distance from the city the train returned, and proceeded over the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad to Piedmont, and thence to New Creek. On the following day a force of Federal cavalry from New Creek arrived in Cumberland and captured several of Imboden's command who had remained with friends in town.
On the 24th, Gen. Ewell, with Rodes' and Johnson's divisions, had reached Chambersburg, and Early was at Greenwood. On this day Hill and Longstreet crossed the Potomac at Shepherdstown and Williamsport, and moved towards Hagerstown. The Confederate scouts penetrated as far as the line of the Susquehanna, which was defended by militia hastily summoned from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Strong foraging parties were sent out, and Ewell's corps occupied Carlisle, York, and the intervening country. A force under Gen. Gordon, sent by Gen. Early from York, captured Wrightsville, on the Susquehanna, where a sharp skirmish for the possession of the bridge at that point occurred. Some Pennsylvania militia, with Capt. McGovern's company of Maryland infantry, were driven across the river, but succeeded in burning the bridge. On the 22nd of June the Union army lay stretched from Leesburg, through Centerville and Gainesville, to Thoroughfare Gap and Bristoe Station.
Lee's movements had been conducted with so much skill that Gen. Hooker was kept for some time in doubt as to his real designs. Having at length learned that Lee's whole force had crossed into Maryland, on the morning of June 25th he sent over Stahl's cavalry, followed by Gen. Reynolds with the First, Third, and Eleventh Corps, at Edwards' Ferry. On the next day he crossed over with the Twelfth, Fifth, Second, and Sixth Corps, the cavalry bringing up the rear. The main army was concentrated near Frederick, while the Twelfth Corps was advanced towards the passes in the South Mountain leading to Hagerstown, and Stahl's cavalry thrown forward to scour the country in the neighborhood of Gettysburg. On the 28th, Gen. Hooker, at his request, was relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac at Frederick, and Gen. George H. Meade was appointed in his stead. On the same day Lee. with the corps of Longstreet and Hill, reached Chambersburg.
In the meantime, on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail! road all trains ceased to be run farther than Harper's Ferry. A vast quantity of freight and locomotives were sent to Baltimore, the bridges over Patterson's Creek, Evett's Creek, North Branch, South Potomac country road. Great and Little Cacapon, and Opequan were all destroyed, and the railroad between Harper's Ferry and Cumberland was very much damaged. On June 29th telegraphic communication with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ceased beyond Marriottsville at an early hour, the Confederate cavalry doing much damage along the line in that vicinity. At this point, which is only thirty-one miles from Baltimore, the telegraph wires were cut, the rails torn up, bridges burned, and other damage done. The Confederates also spread themselves over Montgomery County, but for the most part abstained from plunder, except seizing all the horses they could find. A large body of cavalry also carried on their operations undisturbed at Rockville, and a small body also appeared at Colesville, a few miles from Beltsville, on the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. At Westminster, Carroll Co., a body of about one hundred of the First Delaware Regiment of Federal cavalry, being surrounded by the Confederates under Maj. Harry Gilmor, were nearly all captured, and others were chased by the Confederates beyond Pikesville,; eight miles from Baltimore. A newspaper correspondent, speaking of the occupation of Westminster, says, —
" During ten days previous to July 9, 1863, this usually quiet town was the scene of the wildest excitement and unanticipated events, the people having had the opportunity of witnessing warlike measures in a manner quite new to them, experiencing some of its horrors in their own streets that before they had only read of elsewhere.
" On Sunday morning, June 28th, the citizens and the congregations at the different churches were considerably startled by a squad of cavalry suddenly dashing into town, and as a Confederate raid had for some time been anticipated, many readily supposed it to be their advance. They, however, proved to be a portion of the First Delaware Cavalry, about one hundred and fifteen strong, under command of Maj. N. B. Knight, who had been detailed for special duty at this place. Late on Sunday evening some of the pickets who had been stationed on the different roads leading into town came hurrying in, reporting the advance of a heavy Confederate force from the direction of Littlestown, and soon all