The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-02-20

folly" (page 5S.) After consultation
with Major-Generals Breckenridge,
Gordon and Ramseur, he deter
mined to make an assault on the enemy's
works at daylight next morning, unless
some information should be received be-
fore then showing its impracticability
and he so informed these officers. 'Dur-
ing the night dispatch was received
from General Bradley johnson, from
near Baltimore, informing me that he
had received information from reliable
source that two corps had arrived from
General Grants army, and that his
whole army was probably in motion.
This caused me to delay the attack until
I could examine the works again, and as
soon as it was light enough to see, l rode
to the front and found the parapets lined
with troops. / had, therefore, reluct-
antly to give up all hopes of capturing
Washington, after had arrived in sight
of the dome of the Capitol and given the
Federal authorities a terrible fright.
The preservation of Washington from
capture was owing more to the energy
and decision of John Garrett, President
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Com
pany, than any merit of the military
authorities. Mr. CARROTS railroad tele-
graph had kept him thoroughly informed
as to the movements in Western Mary
land. He had perceived as early as the
Thursday OF Friday before, that Early
had crossed the Potomac in force, and
that his real object was Washington. He
had impressed his views personally upon
Mr.. Lincoln, and the Secretary of War,
Stanton, and insisted ON the necessity
of fighting battle at Frederick. in order
to gain time for troops to be got up for
the defense of the city, or, failing in that,
that preparations could be made for its
evacuation. Accordingly, when the bat
tie of Monocacy was fought on Saturday,
and he found Early in full march south
ward, lie Immediately prepared the trans
portation on his road to receive the rein
forcements, which he was informed would
arrive the next day at Locust Point. Du
ring Saturday the fleet of transports
from Fortress Monroe, with the Nine
teenth and Sixth corps, began to arrive,
but the officer in command refused to
land any troops until General Emory
should arrive. After striving in vain to
start the Decentralization, Mr.. Garrett
proceeded to Washington on Especial en- :
gine, and SO impressed the Secretary of
War that he brought back with him an
order to the senior officer of the troops
on the transports to report to him until
Gen. Emory should arrive. During
Sunday night and Monday, Garrett, was
actually in command of two army corps,
pressed the reinforcements on his cars,
and hurried them to Washington. Early
saw their advance filing into the works
on Monday afternoon, and the rest of
them lining the parapets on Tuesday at
daylight.
While these events were taking place L
was pressing in hot haste through How
ard and Montgomery counties. Preached
Triadelphia after nine o'clock that night,
and unsaddled and fed my horses and let
the men get little sleep, By IL o'clock
I received information thatra large force
of Federal cavalry had gone into camp
since MY arrival at Brookville, only a
few miles off. / at once got ready and
started to attack them, but on reaching
that point found that they, too, had in
formation of their unwelcome neighbors
and had left. Thence / moved to Belts
vile, on the railroad between Baltimore,
and Washington. There found about
one thousand cavalry of Wilson's divis
which had been dismounted in recent
raid in lower Virginia and sent North to
recuperate. They were mounted on
green horses and we drove them, after
short affair, down the road toward Bla-
denberg. It was now the morning of
Tuesday the 18th. I was due that night
at Point Lookout, the extreme southeast
point of Maryland, in st. Mary's county.
1t was physically impossible for the men
to make the ridge in the time designated.
/ determined, however, to come as near
it as possible. 1 sent an officer with
detachment to ride at speed through the
country, impressing fresh horses all the
way, and inform the people along the
route that 1 was coming. They were
them to have their horses along the road
side so that could exchange my broken
down animals for ther fresh ones, and
thus borrow them for the occasion. Du-
ring the preceding day had been tax
ing fresh horses by fankers on each side
of my column, and kept supply of
fresh ones at the rear of each regiment.
AS soon as mans horse broke down he
fell out of the ranks, walked until the
rear of his regiment came up, got fresh
horse, left his old one, and resumed his
place. By this means was enabled to
march at trot, which with cavalry
column is impossible for any length of
time without breaking down horses and
broken down horses speedily break down
men. With fresh horses, however, I
hoped to make rapid march, and get to
Point Lookout early on the morning of
of the 18TH
After returning from the pursuit of
Wilson's cavalry turned the head of the
column toward Upper Marlboro, and
had proceeded only short way when
was overtaken by courier from General
Early. He brought me orders to report
at once to head quarters at Silver Spring
on the Seventh road. / moved
down the Washington road to Agricult-
ural College. and thence along the line
of the Federal pickets, marching all
night, occasionally driving in picket,
and expecting at any moment to be fired
upon from the works within range of
which was moving. / reported to Gen
eral Early after midnight and found the
whole army in retreat. I was directed
to close up the rear, with Jackson's cav
airy brigade behind me. We reached
Rockville during the day, where jack
son was pushed by the Second Massachu-
sets Cavalry, who hung on his rear and
rendered things very uncomfortably gen
orally. Finding matters getting disagree
able, put in squadron of the First |
Maryland, under Captain Wilson G.
and Lieutenant Thomas Grew,
i 1