Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-02-02

doubly guarded by infantry and ar
tillery. After enjoying the hospi.
talities Of the good people OF Emmits-
burg for q short while weagain took
up our line OF march in a trot, head
ing for the Potomac river. On the
road leading to Frederick Southall
was in advance, Pelham by his side.
We were ordered to keep that pace
during the night and to ride over
anything in our way that might op-
pose us. l shall never forget that
night. IL was as dark as pitch and
each piece kept as close to the pre-
ceding piece as possible. Soon after
dark . courier was captured bear
ing dispatches to the scouting party
OF Rushe's Lancers. Learning that
the enemy was still unaware of our
locality, we turned eastward at Rock
Ridge. striking the Woodsboro
road, 2 miles distance.
AT about 9 A. N. we struck a small
party, of the enemy s cavalry, which
evidently belonged TO Pleasanton s
command. This body. of tie enemy
retired towards Mechanicstown.
Everything now depended upon the
rapidity of our march, as Pleasanton
was advised Of our movements, and
had shorter distance to the Ford
than we had. The whole right of
the column was kept in a trot, and
by daylight on the 18th the advance
guard entered Hyattstown, which
is about 33 miles from Emmitsburg.
Within "A hours we had marched,
or at least trotted, 65 miles, being
always up to our file leading piece.
Three or four times during the night
did we change horses, substituting
the captured horses for our old ones.
When we reached the Potomac we
did not have a single horse that we
started with, except a few that was
ridden by the cannoneers. The
change was made SO quickly that
there was not a moment s delay.
The men Of the battery were unus-
'ually intelligent, and they knew
that minutes TO US meant a great
deal. We knew that the sooner we
reached the Potomac and across
would our expedition cease and we
would get o rest, so every body
helped the drivers TO change the
harness on the horses.
At Hyattstown we were still more /
than IL miles from our crossing at
the Potomac. Stoneman with his
cavalry was guarding the lower
fords. Duffy and Pleasanton with
and immense body of cavalry were
closing down on the mouth of the
Monocacy. Danger on all sides,
but still the great Stuart. rode on
unmindful of the dangers, trusting
TO the great God of battles to deliver
him from the hands OF the Yankee
hordes. Genl. Mcclellan said ~
did not think it possible for Stuart
to recross and believed that the
capture of the entire force was a
certainty"
Little did he know the willy Stu
art or the men under his command.
Up to the time when the command
reached Hyattsstown Logan and Har-
baugh had aided in guiding the ad-
vance, but now that all important
duty devolved upon Capt. B. S.
White, whose long residence at
Poolesville had made him familiar
with the country. His courage had
been tested repeatedly. nor was he
wanting on this occasion. From
Hyattstown we proceeded by way of
Barksville, In order 70 deceive the
enemy. AS this was another detour
from Evansville we proceeded boldly
toPoolesville. Stuart took il for gran
TED that the signal station on the
Sugar Loaf mountain would tele-
graph his movements 20 the army,
and when We had marched about 2
miles in the direction of Poolesville
Capt. White led him into a dense
woods, through a road that had not
been used for q long time. This
nonplussed the men on the signal
station, leaving them in ignorance
OF Stuart's movements. Turning
abruptly to the west. to a road lead
ing within a mile 70 the road be-
tween the mouth Of the Monocacy
and Poolesville, and entered that
road about 3 miles from the mouth
OF the stream.
When We reached the last named
road we Immediately turned north.
Meanwhile General PIeasanton had
reached the mouth of the Monocacy
with a portion OF bis command. Il
was now 8 q. m. PleasantoD had 600
cavalry with him and one section of
Pennington's battery Of horse artil-
iery tM End artillery.l He occupied
the ford, thinking 10 capture Stuart,
who he was certain would attempt
70 cross the ford at that point.