The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-10-05

neither infantry nor cavalry nau tfa-
vcrscd them. The grass waved in the
breeze undctilcd by horses tread or
human tramp: no track Of foragers in
terscctrd it: and even upon the road,
which ran a little to our right, the dust
lav wholly unAisturhe'l. The different
regiments drew up according to their
brigades; the oili:c took their sta
tions, and the word was given to ad-
vance. The following is the order in
which the column moved.
Major Browne, the officer who lead
the advance in the inroad upon Wash
ington, having been severely wounded
and left behind at Bladensburg, Gen
eral Ross saw fit to dissolve the little
corps altogether. Whether this arose
from q feeling that there was not, in
the army, another man capable of
guiding it Alright, | know not All
that | do know is, that in Browne he
reposed the most unbounded confidence
that Browne fully deserved that con-
fdence-and that if he changed his
plan from the apprehension that there
was no fit successor to him, his judg-
ment was not very erroneous. When
| say that this advance was dissolved,
| mean not to affirm that the army be-
gan its march with front entirely un-
covered. Three companies were, as
formerly, pushed forward; but instead
of forming a separate division, placed
permanently under the command of 4
distinct leader. they fell, for the mo-
ment, under the guidance of the officer
who Glanced to be senior in rank among
those attached to them 1t was to that
unfortunate arrangement, without
doubt, that the country owed the early
death of our gallant leader. After the
first days march towards Washington,
General Ross gave himself little or no
concern about the advance guard-he
saw that the individual, to whom he had
intrusted it, understood his business
perfectly; and to him the business was
entirely left. 1t was not so now. lg-
norant of the talents of those on whose
sagacity the welfare of the whole col
umn so much depended, the General
could not keep behind; he would, in
his own person, see that things We're
going on as he wished them to 90 on:
and lie fell in the very first skirmish.
In rear of the three companies, leav-
inc, however, a sufficient interval be-
tween, came the light brigade, now un-
der the command of Major Jones.
Next to that corps moved brigade of
seamen, armed with muskets, and
amounting to nearly a thousand men;
then followed the artillery, of which
| eight pieces-siN guns and two howit-
zers-were in the field; and as a sufti-
cient number of horses to drag them
had been procured, they bid fair to
prove of marked utility in the enter
prise. Immediately upon the artillery
came the second brigade; and imme-
diately upon the second brigade came
the third OF the exact number OF
combatants thus brought together, |
can hardly venture an opinion. We
had lost at Bladensburg about five hun
dred men in all: but of these many
were already so far convalescent as to
take the field again; and our reinforce
mcnts from the fleet were considerable.
Balancing the one against the other,
therefore | should be disposed to say.
that somewhere about five thousand,
moved from the waters edge this morn
ing.
1t fell to the lot of my friend and
myself, on this present occasion, to
form part OF the flank patrol. Having
/ cleared the open fields, we soon found
! ourselves III country emo'ing, in
many respects, that which we had ira
versed in our late operations; tina is to
say, thick woods hemmed us in on
every side, and the spots of cultivated
soil were few and of small compass.
There was, however, one striking diff
! ference to be observed. Little lakes,
or rather large ponds, abounded here;
they were equally plentiful on both
sides Of the way; and being in general
deep enough to hinder us from ford
ing, they, for the most part, occasioned
lis no little trouble. and some fatigue
before we succeeded III passing them.
Small streams, likewise, landing in the
! heads OF creeks, once more interrupted
| our progress. In a word. the country
| presented a thousand dclensible posts
even to a people so little accustomed
as we were to examine country with
the eye Of soldiers; and it surprised us
not 4 little to find, that no attempt was
made to defend it.
We had continued our journey about
an hour, when arriving suddenly at a
space of open ground, three troopers
dressed in dark-green uniforms, were
discovered. They occupied the sum
NIT of a gentle emincnce. and appeared
to be anxiously watching the movement
of the column along the high road
Instantly the word was passed to bc
attentive; and instantly we began tc
steal round the height, keeping just