The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-29

ltiy;ty. Hence, no sooner had the expedi-
zion 10 IyovettsNille returned TO LeesDurg,
than another was set on foot. TN the lou
OF August the left section, under Leuten =.
ant Edward :. Mccarthy, was ordered 10
ioin a company Of Mississippi rifles, under
Captain Duff, and Captain William Bal,
troop of cavalry, the latter 10 command lhe
whole. The object Of this expedition was
10 drive. IL possible, the enemy rom mr.
position on the Maryland shore opposi.e.
Whites Ferry. Upon their urgent request
about a dozen volunteers from the ho"i.-
prs were allowed 20 act as mounted scVu'e
with Captain Ball. -,
late ON Friday evening, sd Of August
the column moved as secretly as possipi.
10 the place appointed. Having the nlgn ,..
before made proper recOnnoisances eaa 49,
next morning vigorous canncnaoe, W. VI
opened upon the astonished enemy. III.
his was going on. Balls dismounted troop
sand fie Uowitzer volunteers were engag'
inc the enemy's rifiemen along the shores
of The river. The fighting was Kept up an
dav saturday and sunday. During TINS III,
fair. BalIs cavalry lost several wounded
and one man killed. one OF tie volunteer
Uowitzers, j. W. Barr, was wounded py tn'
enemv's sharp shooters. The enemy los
in the two days fighting was reported " oe
about forty. -,
The left section being withdrawn from
| Whites Ferry was detained at "lhe bll
Snringv on the road to Point OF ROCKS,
about two miles from Leesburg.
on the Saturday following the rlght sec
ton, under Lieutenant Palmer, was VI,
dered 10 report for active duty. Uenera
Evans had organized another eNpe9ltlV!,"
under Captain j. {. Shields, OF the Howl
Of ~ Colonel
infantry. under Captain Berkeley, Win
small body of the Madison cavalry. Inc 90
| iect was to scOur the country towards lh'
| village of Iovettesville, the rendezvous
of Unionsts and their spies, annoy IN,
enemy's trains on the opposite Oahh VI
the Potomac. and make rec0nnOlsances y
the region about the Point of Rocks th'
| hone being that some sudden blow might ~
struck against the positions of the enemy
ITDon a careful inspection, 1t was lOun'
that he had at that place a large force ol III
fantry and a full battery OF rlne guns, sup
ported by bodies Of sharpsho0ters, Wh'
commanded the bridge over the river an an,
the neighboring hills. On wednesday, 29li
of August, the expedition returned 10 Lees
burg.
THE BATTERY INCREASED
The battery having now been increase
! TO six pieces, another commissioned ONCE
| became necessary. Accordingly, hOper
] VI. Anderson was elected Junior Secoh'
| Lieutenant. Soon after the expedition re
| Cerred 10 above, Captain Shields health be
came so bad that he was obliged TO retire OF
hrlough. and DIR. John Mayo, surgeon e
the company, resigned his position. Nom
ING of moment occurred during the montl
of September. General Evans anticipating
the advance Of the enemy, thought II prOpe
TO fortify the roads leading to the dineren
ferries on the Potomac river. WORK
had already been constructed across IN
road 10 Edwards Ferry, and on an elevated
spot to the right Of the same road. Earl.
| in October, by order, the camp was removed
| TO a point near the works lntersectlhg lh'
road 10 Edwards Ferry. In the meantime
the guns Of the battery were so disposed
As 10 meet the demands of an emergeRc.
| that might occur. some were near un
works on the road, others were on the oil
near bv and others on another road NOR
remote. The encampment jus; referred U
was in dangerous proximity to the enemy
whose pickets already occupied ions
narrow island close TO the Virgins
shore. The IIowitzeTs had been pu
there unsupported by infantry ant
within few hundred yards o
of the enemy. Had the latter exhibited
ordinary enterprise he might have capture'
the men and guns under cover OF nlSh'
without the knowledge Of their comrades
Harrison's island afterwards became Ia
nous as the spot upon which the enelll
concentrated his forces before making III
movement on the Virginia side at the battl
of BALLS Bluff or Leesburc. 1t was NJ
this bluff that his troops might have nov
come, during any night, and captured th
HOwitzers and their guns. Fortunately n
effort was made to effect this.
TO be continued.