The invading force was under the immediate command of the Rebel Gen. Early, comprising infantry (the main portion of the army), cavalry and horse artillery. Among the general officers under him were Breckinridge, Rhodes, Ramseur, Wharton and Gordon. After pursuing Hunter, as he retreated westward, until all hope of inflicting serious damage was found to be vain, a cavalry force was advanced down the Valley, to capture the Union supplies at Staunton, or on their way thither, and ultimately to strike the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The remaining force followed with little delay. While the people were still anxiously looking for definite news of the safety of Hunter, this Rebel expeditionary force was stealthily moving toward the Potomac, and preparing to surprise the often disturbed border with another invasion.

Martinsburg was evacuated on the 2d of July, by the small Union force which occupied it. Sigel fell back from Winchester to Harper's Ferry, on the 3d, the former place being promptly occupied by Early, and the running of trains on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad being suspended. Sigel, with the forces that had retreated to Harper's Ferry, occupied Maryland Heights, on the opposite side of the Potomac, and prepared to hold the place. The tide steadily coming on, and flowing over into Maryland, Hagerstown was evacuated on the 6th.

Gen. Wallace, in command of the Department invaded, having his headquarters at Baltimore, made such preparations as were in his power to stay the progress of the enemy, and to protect the points threatened. He sent out a reconnoitering force beyond Frederick City to Middletown, on the 7th of July, and finding the invaders too strong for the body of troops at his command, he evacuated Frederick on the 8th. Early's Rebels entered the place on the same day, plundering the citizens, as had previously been done at Hagerstown. Wallace took position at Monocacy, on the 9th of July, with such troops as he could collect, mostly new levies, having been also reënforced by the Third Division of the Sixth Corps, under Gen. Ricketts. The scene of this engagement is nearly equidistant (about forty miles) from Baltimore and Washington. The remainder of the Sixth Corps was soon to arrive from

before Petersburg, and the day gained by Wallace's defense at Monocacy, though he was obliged at last to yield, was of great value to the capital, the road to which was immediately taken by Early's main force. He sent out raiding parties of cavalry, however, through Maryland, plundering and destroying. On the 9th, Westminster was entered by Rebel cavalry. On the 10th, the Northern Central railroad was struck at Cockeysville and elsewhere, and depredations were committed at various points in the country. On the 11th, a raiding party reached the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore railroad at Magnolia Station, captured two trains, robbed the passengers, burning the cars, and setting fire to the Gunpowder Bridge.

Early reached Rockville on the 10th, and on the morning of the 11th his main army was in the immediate vicinity of the outer fortifications of Washington on the north side, having established his headquarters at Silver Spring, the residence of Francis P. Blair, sr. The house of Postmaster General Blair, a little distance farther from the city, was burned to the ground. The main demonstration was made in front of Fort Stevens, out the Seventh street road. Forces appeared, however, before the works near Tennallytown on the west, and near Fort Lincoln, eastward from the city. A small portion of the Sixth Corps reached Washington on Sunday evening, the 10th. The main arrival was not until the following day. The garrisons of the various forts, and most of the troops within the city, prior to the evening of the 11th, were either inexperienced "hundred days' men," or new militia from the departments or workshops. By a vigorous assault, with a considerable sacrifice of life, Early might not improbably have entered the capital, had he not lost a day at Monocacy, or even had he not hesitated for a number of hours after his arrival. There was constant skirmishing during Monday and Tuesday, until finally, in the afternoon of the latter day (the 12th), a sally was made by a portion of the Sixth Corps, beyond Fort Stevens, and, after a brief engagement, the Rebels were driven back, leaving a number of killed and wounded on the ground. The President was a witness of this fight, from Fort Stevens. During the following night, Early hastily

retired, passing through Rockville, and hastening his flight. across the Potomac. For want of a sufficient cavalry force, little more was immediately accomplished in the way of pursuit than the capture of stragglers, and a small portion of the rear-guard. A considerable quantity of stock, plundered in Maryland, estimated at five thousand neat cattle, and fifteen hundred horses, was taken safely into Virginia. Early's line of retreat was through Loudoun county, and by Snicker's Gap into the Shenandoah Valley. The Sixth Corps was promptly moved out to follow the retreating army.

During this time, Hunter's forces had not remained inactive, but, having been transferred as rapidly as possible, by rail, after reaching the Baltimore and Ohio road, were already in the lower part of the Valley, while General Couch, with a militia force chiefly, reoccupied Hagerstown. Part of the Rebel plunder was recaptured at Snickers' Gap, where a portion of the enemy was encountered and beaten. Early was again driven back from Winchester, on the 20th, by the forces. under Averill, with serious losses. The Rebels now appearing to have withdrawn once more from the Valley, the Sixth Corps came back to the vicinity of Georgetown, with the apparent purpose of returning to the main army before Petersburg. Averill was now joined by the infantry of Crook, who had been worsted in a fight with Breckinridge's command, at Island Ford, two days before.

Pursuit of the Rebels was resumed, and on the 23d our cavalry was repulsed at Kernstown, four miles beyond Winchester, and fell back upon the main force. On the next day, Early, having been now reënforced, sent his cavalry again to the attack, and drove the Union cavalry in confusion and rout through Winchester down the Valley. Crook had formed in line of battle, having about 10,000 men, consisting of the cavalry under Averill and Duffie, and two divisions of infantry. The retreat of the cavalry left his wings exposed, and he was outflanked, right and left, and driven back from point to point by the superior numbers of the enemy. Such was the character of the fight, lasting from noon until night, along the pike to Bunker Hill, Early's main body rest.

ing five miles north of Winchester, while his cavalry closely pursued our forces as far as Martinsburg. The Union losses were about 1,200 in the aggregate. Among the killed was Colonel Mulligan, in command of the rear brigade covering the retreat. Thus again our forces in that department passed through the "Valley of humiliation."

Some fighting occurred at Martinsburg on the 25th, the Union commander desiring to get off his trains, which he succeeded in doing, and crossed into Maryland on the following day, without interruption by the enemy. Excitement was now again prevalent in Maryland and over the Pennsylvania border, a more formidable invasion than the previous one being dreaded. The Rebels held the right bank of the Potomac, from Shepherdstown to Williamsport, during two or three succeeding days, without clearly developing their plan. On the morning of the 30th, a cavalry force under the Rebel Gen. McCausland, entered Chambersburg, and, after plundering the citizens, burned the town. About two hundred and fifty buildings were destroyed, at an estimated loss exceeding one million of dollars. McCausland had just withdrawn from Chambersburg, about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, when Averill entered the town, passing directly on in pursuit toward the west. It was near night when he overtook the enemy's rear, eight miles beyond McConnellsburgh. McCausland continued his flight on the following day, and withdrew toward Cumberland. The men and the horses of Averill's command being jaded by long marches, in addition to their severe labors during the earlier part of the campaign, he gained no immediate material advantages over the enemy. Early still retained possession of fords across the Potomac, and particularly at Duffield, within six miles of Harper's Ferry, while inferior cavalry squadrons made incursions into Maryland, spreading a general panic. There was no little excitement also in Pennsylvania, and a special session of the State Legislature was called by Gov. Curtin, to meet on the 9th of August, to take such action as the occasion might seem to require. A movement westward toward Pittsburgh was at one time thought imminent, and Gen Couch made dispositions of the militia forces accordingly.

The Sixth Corps was permitted little rest in its camp near Georgetown. They set forward for the Valley once more, on the 26th of July, after receiving news of Crook's disaster, marching by way of Rockville, Monocacy and Frederick, to Halltown, near Harper's Ferry, arriving on the 6th of August. A portion of the Nineteenth Corps, returned from the Department of the Gulf, was advanced to the same vicinity, meeting there, also, the infantry of Hunter's command, under Crook. This was the day before the burning of Chambersburg. The combined force was ordered out to meet a reported advance of Early into Pennsylvania, but the falsity of the rumor was speedily disproved and the movement recalled. The reported occupation of Hagerstown by a Rebel infantry force proved to be unfounded, and our cavalry occupied the place on the 7th. In fact, no Rebel infantry crossed the Potomac on this second "invasion." On the same day, Averill gained a victory over the Rebel cavalry at Moorfield, capturing all the enemy's artillery, five hundred prisoners, and many wagons and small arms, and driving the remainder of his force to the mountains.

A new era in the affairs of the Valley dates from the 7th day of August, when Maj.-Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, pursuant to orders of the War Department (after a conference with Gen. Grant, in Washington, on the 5th), assumed command of the Middle Military Division, comprising the Middle Department, Department of the Susquehanna, and Department of West Virginia, with headquarters, at first, at Harper's Ferry. In addition to the troops already operating in his district, large reenforcements of cavalry (Torbert's division, and later, Wilson's) were brought up from before Petersburg and Richmond. Lowell's brigade of cavalry was also added, from the Department of Washington, and Devin's brigade. The infantry force consisted of the former Army of the Kanawha, under Crook, the Sixth, the Eighth, and part of the Nineteenth Corps.

Before Petersburg, the army remained comparatively quiet, during the period that had now elapsed since the occupation of the Weldon railroad. The heat and dust were patiently endured by the soldiers, and there was no unusual degree of sickness in camp. The hostile lines nearly approached each