The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-05-19

up and down the river. with a
line of picketS some sixty miles
in length, was kept pretty busy.
1t was at this time that Ashby's
cavalry acquired it's great renown.
The Federal soldiers dreaded
nothing 50 much as they did these
hated troopers in gray. Go in
what direction they would they
would be sure torn a'oul of some
of AShby'S cavalry, who it seemed
to them possessed the power To
he in several places at the same
time.
"During the time Of the en-,
campment at Flowing Spring"
says the late Edward 4. Pollard,
"Col. A>hby rarely came into
town, which WAS about a mile and
a half distant. Nothing could
Scducc him from his duties: no
admiration. no dinner parties or
collationS, could move him to
leave his camp. He always slept
with his men, No matter what
hour Of the night he was aroused.
he was always waketul, self pos
SeSSed and ready for battle. He
was idolized by his men. whom
he treated as companions. and in
du!@ed without reference to rules
Of military discipline. He had
great contempt for the military
arts. was probably incapable of
drilling regiment and preserved
among his men scarcely anything
more than the rude discipline of
camp hunters But though not
Stickler for military rules, he
would have no coward or eve
soldier in his command. If a
man was dissatisfied he at once
started him off home. He allowed
his men many liberties. A gen
tleman asked him one day here
his men were. WELL said he,
the boys fought very well yes
terdaN, and there are no more
than thirty of them here today"
The engagement at Bolivar
Heights with the Federal General
Geary, III which the latter was
frustrated i'll his attempt to enter
the valley by the way of Harper's
Ferry, clearly demonstrated that
Ashby could handle infantry as
well as cavalry.
During the autumn and early
winter, AShby, under the orders
OF Gen. jackson, was occupied in
destroying the Baltimore and
Ohio connection with Washing
ton and in destroying the locks
Of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
so as to increase the difficulty of
supplying the Union commits
sariat. He also commanded the
cavalry in the celebrated Bath
campaign in January, 1862, when
Gen. jackson made a feint of
crossing into Maryland, his real
object being to gather the rich
supplies i'll Hardy and Hampshire
counties.
After this, while Gen. jackson,
during February, was in Win
chester resting and recruiting, it
was Ashby who watched the
camp fires of the FederalS around
Harper'S Ferry and Frederick
City and Cumberland, keeping
jackson Informed of the exact
state of preparations for the
Federal advance in March. On
the retreat from Winchester,
Ashby was the last man to leave
the historic old town, constitut-
ing the rear guard of JackSon'S
little army. When Gen. Joe
JohnstOn'S orders called Jackson
back to Kernstown to prevent
Banks from reinforcing McClel
Ian, it was Ashby who led the ad.
vance guard i'll person, and i'll the
fierce engagement Of the 23rd of
March, 1862, cO-operated with
Jackson in so crippling Banks as
to hold thousands of troops in the
valley who would have gone
across the Blue Ridge to oppose
Johnston. A ftpr the hattIp of
kernStown, Jackson depended
upon Ashby to cover his retreat.
This he did in the most mastery
manner.
This bit of brilliant service, in
the Judgment of many, constituted
the most brilliant part of Ashby's
military career and secured for