The National tribune., 1903-03-19
EARLY'S MARCH TO WASHINGTON.
Battle of Port Stevens. where President Lin
coin Was Under Fire.
ny THOMAS M'cuRDY VINCENT,

L
Brigddier- General BY Brerct, U. s. Armu
After the battle of New Market, May
Is, 1864, Maj.-Gen. Hunter assumed COM
mand of the Department of West Vir-
ginia. at Cedar Greek, May 81; and the
Lynchburg expedition. through the Army
of the Shenandoah. assumed prominence.
Hunter started with about $500 men of
all arms, and after uniting with Crook
and AverilI his force was about 1S,00D.
During the advance of the Army of the
Shenandoah it was successful in several
actions, and on June IA, 1864. Secretary
Stanton telegraphed to Gen. Hunter:
This Department has received, with
great satisfaction. your special dispatch
June 3 announcing the recent brilliant
victory won by your army, and their oc-
cupation June 81 of the city of Staunton
These brilliant achievements wipe out the
antecedent disasters to our army in form
err campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley.
and induce strong hope that, led oa by
the courage and guided by the experienced
skill OF its commander. the Army of the
Shenandoah will rival other gallant ar
mics in the successful blows against the
rebels. For yourself and the brave OIL
GERS and soldiers of your command the
thanks of the President and of this De
partment are rendered.
Unfortunately, the great satisfaction,
rs thus announced, was followed by the
heavy gloom connected with subsequent
important operations.
EARLY BEGINS Ills RAID.
Lieut-Gen. Jubal A. Eariy's forces of
the Confederate Army of Northern VIZ
ginia NOV ed from Guines's Mill to Lynch
Lurg. to defend that place from Hunters
Il t,rl-. tr.It- ~ n
in the rear, if possible. to destroy it;
then to move down the Shenandoah Val
ley, and to cross the Potomac at Lees
burg. or at, or above, Harpers Ferry, as
might be found most practicable. Early
has said: Gen. Lee did not expect me to
be able to enter Washington. His orders
were merely to threaten the city; and,
when l suggested to him the idea of cap.
turing it he said it would be impossible"
AS to this movement Gen. Early, in a
telegram dated June is. 1864, sent to Gen..
Breckenridge at Lynchburg. said: My
first object is to destroy Hunter, and the
next it is not prudent to trust to tele-
graph Hold on and you will be amply
supported" Hunter failed in his attempt
on Lynchburg, and, owing to want OF
ammunition, retired from before the place
and fell back into West Virginia. lie
was pursued by Early's force for three
days-about 60 miles-until Hunter
reached the mountains, en- route by way
of Salem and Lewisburg. He left Charles
ton. Kanawha, July 3, ana reached Park
ersburg July 4, by water. June % the
pursuit ceased, as Early did not deem it
proper to continue it. Sheridan, during
his Treyilian Station cavalry raid, was
to have united, by way of Charlottes-
vile, with Hunter at Lynchburg, and
their combined forces were to have de-
stroyed Lees communications and depots,
and then to have Joined Grant before
Richmond After the severe battle at
Treyiiian Station, Sheridan learned. from
prisoners, that Hunter, instead of COM
ing to Charlottesville, was near LeXlng-
ton, moving upon Lynchburg; that Early's
Corps was on its way to Lynchburg; and
that Breckenridge was at GOrdonsville.
Army of the Potomac. Hunters move
ments had rendered it impracticable for
Sheridan to execute his orders in the pres
ence of the cavalry forces of Hampton
and FitZ Lee. In communicating with
one of Hunters subordinates as to this
movement, Stanton said: Gen. Sheri-
dan, Who was sent by Gen. Grant to open
communication with Gen. Hunter by way
=. of Charlottesville, has just returned to
York River without effecting his object.
1t is therefore very probable that Gen.
Hunter will be compelled TO fall back into
West Virginia"
Early, after his pursuit of Hunter had
ceased. became subject to the orders of
Gen. Lee directing him. latter disposing
of Hunter" to return to Lees army, or to
carry out the original plan of an expe-
dition across the Potomac.
EARLY DETERMINED TO TAKE THE
RESPONSIBILITY
of the latter. He marched to Buchanan,
June %, reached Staunton in advance OF
his troops on the 26th, his troops arriv-
ing on the 9th, and on the 18th resumed
the march. after detaching portions OF his
corps to destroy the railroad bridge over
the south branch of the Potomac, and all
the bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad between the south branch and
Martinsburg. On July he was in VIM
chester, and there received orders ito de-
stroy the Baltimore and Ohio Road and
the Chesapeake and OHIO Canal as far
as possible" On July 3 the Union forces
evacuated Martinsburg, skirmished with
and fought the enemy en- route, and dur
ing the night retreated across the Poto-
mas, at Shepherdstown, to Maryland
flights. During the night Of July 4 the
Union forces evacuated Harpers Ferry,
burning the Potomac Railroad pOntOOn
bridges. 1t was not until the 9th that
Gen. Grant was positive that Early was
not in front of Richmond!
On July 5 and 6, Early's troops crossed
the Potomac at Shepherdstown, a de-
tachment advancing towards Maryland
Nights, when the Union forces there
took position in the works. Early has
said: My desire had been to manuver
the enemy out of Maryland flights, so
as to move directly to Washington; but
he had taken refuge in his strongly
fortified works, and l therefore deter
mined TO move through the gaps of South
Mountain, north of the Hights.' At an
early hour on the morning of July 8, the
entire force moved, part through Cramp-
toms Gap, another through Fox's Gap,
and third through BoOnsboro Gap with
the trains and rear-guard which had start
ed the night before from Harper's Ferry,
after burning the trestie railroad works.
Early had been informed by Gen. Lee that
an effort would be made to
RELEASE THE PRISONERS OF WAR
at Point Lookout; and he was directed
to take steps to unite them with his COM
mand Early has said: fOn
the 9th, Johnson with his brigade OF
cavalry and horse artillery, moved to the
north of Frederick, with orders to strike
the railroads from Baltimore to Harris
burg and Philadelphia, burn the bridges
over the Gunpowder, also 70 cut the rail-
road between Washington and Baltimore,
and threaten the latter place; and then, If
we should succeed in getting into Wash
= ington. to move towards Point Lookout
for the purpose of releasing the prison