no room for doubt that he was virtu- ing Gen. Hunter to succeed him. ally beaten. The old, fatally vicious system of a concentric advance from opposite points on a common focus was still adhered to. Hunter, somewhat strengthened, at once resumed the offensive; the pressure on Lee by Grant's persistent hammering having constrained Breckinridge's withdrawal, with the better part of his force, to the defenses of Richmond; W. E. Jones, with most of the Rebel forces in the western part of old Virginia, including McCausland's, having been hurried forward to confront the new danger. The two armies met at PIEDMONT, near StauntonHunter's being somewhat more numerous'-and a spirited and wellfought action resulted in the defeat of Jones, who was shot through the head, and fell dead on the field. Among the fruits of this victory were 1,500 prisoners, 3 guns, and 3,000 small arms. It was, in fact, a rout; leaving the Rebel army incapable of further resistance. Gen. Crook, with 11 regiments, numbering some 6,000 men, had made directly for the Virginia and Tennessee railroad at Dublin station; 4 miles from which he was met by a far inferior Rebel force under McCausland, which fought bravely, but was beaten off, with a loss on our part of 126 killed and 585 wounded. The railroad here, and for a short distance eastward, was destroyed. And now the appearance of a considerable Rebel rëenforcement, dispatched from Wytheville by Morgan before he fought Averill, impelled Crook to retreat to Meadow bridge; so that, when Averill reached Dublin, Crook was gone, which left him no choice but to follow. Thus the concentric movement upon Lee's flank and rear resulted, as usual with such combinations, in general failure, if not positive disaster. A force that, if concentrated, could have beaten all the Rebels in Virginia west of the Blue ridge, had been so dispersed and frittered away as to achieve less than nothing. Grant at once relieved Sigel, send-Jones to oppose them-joined" him; * June 5. Hunter advanced to Staunton, where Crook and Averill-no considerable force having been left by beating back repeated charges of our infantry and Col. C. G. Halpine, chief of staff to Hunter, cavalry, under Gens. Sullivan and Stahl-for says of this conflict: "The forces actually engaged were about equal: Gen. Hunter having some 9,000 men actually in action, while the enemy had about the same-strongly posted, however, on a range of hills, horse-shoe shaped and heavily timbered, and further protected by rifle-pits and rail-fence barricades, hastily thrown up the night before. The Rebel morning report of the day previous, found on the dead body of Gen. Jones that afternoon, showed that he had then under him 6,800 regular Confederate soldiers; while we knew that he was joined on the morning of the engagement by Vaughan's brigade from East Tennessee, and also by about 1,500 militia-old men and young boys, not worth the powder required to kill them-hurried forward from Staunton and Lynchburg on news of our advance. "The fight, though not large in numbers, was singularly obstinate and fluctuating: the enemy neither the divisions of Crook nor Averill had ternoon, after a long and sweltering day of bat then joined us; and it was quite late in the afburne's division across the narrow valley, and tle, when the movement of the gallant Col. Thodecided the contest in our favor. Gen. Wm. E. its charge up hill upon the enemy's right flank, Jones, their commander, was killed, as also four Colonels; and we had about 1,800 prisoners, including the worthless reserve militia, seventy regular officers, and 2,800 stand of arms, as the spoils attesting our success. But for the coming on of night, and the broken, heavily-timbered nature of the country, the famous feat of sional orators and enthusiastic editors-might 'bagging' that army-so popular with Congres have been easily accomplished; for a worse whipped or more utterly demoralized crowd of beaten men never fled from any field." 10 June 8. HUNTER MISCARRIES AT LYNCHBURG. 601 and moved thence directly to Lex- | have been misjudged; but Hunter, ington; disappointing Grant, who lacking many things, never lacked had expected him at Gordonsville, courage; and he believed that an atand had sent his cavalry under Sheri- tempt to regain the Shenandoah didan to meet him there. His failure rectly from Lynchburg would have to do so subjected Sheridan to like seriously imperiled his army. But failure in his approach to Gordons- his withdrawal into West Virginia ville, as we have seen. rendered him no longer formidable to the enemy, and involved a circuitous, harassing movement by the Ka-. nawha, the Ohio, Parkersburg, and Grafton, before he could again be of any service. The Rebels, aware of this, promptly Hunter's force was now increased to about 20,000 men; and he hastened, via Lexington, to Lynchburg -the chief city of western (old) Virginia-intent on its speedy reduction. But Lynchburg, the focus of a rich, populous region, and of exten-resolved to make the most of their sive manufactures, lies on the James river and canal, in unbroken railroad communication with Richmond and Petersburg on the one side, and with the farther south on the other. Leewho might as well have lost Richmond-dispatched a very considerable force to its relief; part of which arrived the day before Hunter at tacked" the city from the south, and still more during the following night, wherein several trains arrived from the east filled with men. opportunity. Early, who had headed the corps sent from Richmond to the relief of Lynchburg, collecting all the forces he could muster, moved rapidly northward, and very soon appeared" on the Potomac: Sigel, commanding at Martinsburg, retreating precipitately by Harper's Ferry, with a heavy loss of stores, and taking post on Maryland Heights, where the enemy did not see fit to assail him, but once more destroyed the Baltimore and Ohio railroad for a considerable distance, levied a contribution of $20,000 on Hagerstown, burned some buildings at Williamsport, and, raiding up into the border of Penn Hunter found his ammunition running low, a strong city before him, and the whole Confederacy virtually rallying to overwhelm him. He had no choice but to retreat, sharply pur-sylvania, scoured the country far and sued; following the railroad westward to Salem-where the pursuit ended-and thence striking, via Newcastle," for Meadow bluff," in West Virginia; his provisions long since exhausted, and very little to be gleaned in midsummer from that poor, thinly-peopled, war-exhausted region. No rations were obtained till the 27th; and the sufferings of men and loss of horses were deplorable. The direction of his retreat may wide for horses, cattle, provisions, and money. The movement was so well masked by cavalry that the strength of the invading force-probably never so much as 20,000-was enormously exaggerated, spreading general panic, and causing the Government to call urgently on Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, for militia to meet the emergency. Gen. Couch was commanding in Pennsylvania; Gen. Lew. Wallace Early in the morning," Wallace's dispositions for battle were completed. His right, under Gen. Tyler, cover the Baltimore pike; his left, under Gen. Ricketts, held the high road to Washington. Each had three guns. The bridges were held; skirmishers being thrown out beyond them. Col. Clendenin's cavalry watched the lower fords. Only part of Ricketts's division was on hand; but the residue was expected by railroad at 1 P. M. At 8 A. M., the enemy advanced in force from Frederick, in Maryland: the demonstrations | Finding the enemy in his front rapidly against the former were only intend-growing formidable, and threatening ed to distract attention from a blow to turn his left, Wallace now withaimed at the latter. Wallace, soon drew by night" from Frederick across satisfied of this, drew out his scanty the Monocacy, and took up the posiforces for the East had, ere this, been tion on its left bank, already held swept nearly bare of troops to fill the by Gen. Ricketts, which he resolved chasms made by constant fighting in to hold so long as he could-since, if the armies operating against Rich- the Rebels were in strong force, and mond-and resolved to confront the intent on a dash at Washington, it invaders on the MONOCACY, which af- was important at least to check them, forded a tolerable defensive position. by compelling them to concentrate Yet, when his forces were concen- and fight; thus gaining time for the trated at Frederick," they numbered arrival of help from Grant. barely 3,000; and these mainly Home Guards and 100-day volunteers, who had never been in action. Col. Clendenin, with his cavalry-ed some 400 in all-was sent out to Middletown to find the enemy; but was soon driven back" by Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, with 1,000 Rebel horsemen. Clendenin retreated on Frederick, and was there supported by Lt. Col. Griffin's infantry, raising his force to 1,000; and a brief artillery duel ensued, which resulted in Johnson's falling back. Wallace now reached Frederick-throwing out skirmishers and planthis forces having hitherto been im- ing behind them his guns, which soon mediately directed by Gen. Tyler- opened the battle. Having not less but could gain no reliable account than 16 Napoleons to our 6 smaller of the enemy's strength or purposes pieces, the superiority of his fire was -the wildest and most conflicting very decided. The skirmishing grew reports being in circulation. He gradually warmer and more general, soon learned by telegram from Sigel, and soon there was serious fighting on Maryland Heights, that the ene- at the stone bridge on the Baltimore my lately beleaguering him had left, pike. A considerable body of Rebel marching northward, as if making infantry, moving by their right just for Pennsylvania; while he had as- out of range of our guns, flanked our surances from Washington that a left, forcing a passage of the Monoccorps of veterans were hurrying to his acy at a ford nearly two miles below assistance. General Ricketts, with a the wooden bridge on the Washingbrigade of good soldiers, belonging ton road. And now, at 101 a. M., to the 19th corps, actually came up. the enemy advanced in battle array 16 July 6. 10 July 7. 17 July 8. "July 9. WALLACE DEFEATED AT THE MONOCACY. 603 upon Ricketts, who had changed | took command; Wallace soon arfront to the left, to meet their ad- riving to reiterate the order that it vance on his flank, his right resting must be held at whatever cost until on the river; and, though he had Ricketts should have crossed to the been obliged to form in a single line Baltimore pike and commenced his without reserves, so great was the retreat thereon. Tyler held on, fightdisparity of numbers that his front ing, till 5 P. M.; by which time his was considerably overlapped by theirs. remaining force was nearly enveloped Wallace, perceiving the inequality, by the overwhelming numbers of the sent two of Tyler's guns to Ricketts; enemy; so that he, with his staff, was and soon-burning the wooden bridge compelled to dash into the woods on and the block-house across it, so as to the right, and thus barely escaped preclude an easy advance of the ene- capture. Brown had just retreated my thereby-sent to Ricketts every down the pike; losing some of his man who could be spared. men, but holding the most of them steadily in their ranks. The enemy made no effective pursuit; Bradley T. Johnson's cavalry being absent, marching on Baltimore by the Liberty road. Ricketts's three missing regiments had been halted at Monrovia, 8 miles distant; whence they had ample time to reach the field in time to save the day. They joined Wallace at Newmarket, and thence covered the retreat: which terminated twelve miles from the Monocacy. The enemy's first line charged, and was quickly repelled; his second line next advanced, and was likewise repulsed; but after a fiercer, more protracted struggle. And now Wallace might have retreated with honor, having achieved the main purpose of his stand; but 1 o'clock was at hand, when Ricketts's three absent regiments of veterans were promised; and, with their help, he felt able to hold his ground against the enemy's far superior numbers. But 1 P. M. arrived and no regiments; nor could anything be heard of them-both telegrapher and railroad agent having decamped. He waited an hour longer; but there were no rëenforcements; while the enemy, in two strong lines, again issued from the woods on our left and advanced deliberately to the charge; and he reluctantly ordered Ricketts to prepare for a retreat by the Baltimore pike, which commenced at 4 P. M. The stone bridge on that road was held by Col. Brown; and it was of vital importance that it should still be held firmly. Gen. Tyler had already sent his reserve to Brown; he now galloped thither himself, and Our loss in this action was 98 killed, 579 wounded, 1,282 missing: total, 1,959. Many of the missing probably only straggled in the retreat, as the enemy took but 700 prisoners. They admitted only a total loss of 600; but 400 of their severely wounded were found in hospital at Frederick, when we reoccupied that city two or three days afterward. Johnson's cavalry next day approached Baltimore, when that city was filled with reports that Wallace's little army had been annihilated at the Monocacy. The Baltimore Secessionists, less numerous than in April or July, 1861, were no whit less bitter; and they reasonably hoped, for |