The Washington herald., 1914-08-04

posted his men to attempt to prevent
| plundertng. Before the ransom could b.
raised Averell attacked the Confederates
| They withdrew. but not before scenes
had been enacted that the Maryland
troops In the column would well have
liked to forget. According to Gen. John.
stons report. "a soldier of an advanc,
guard robbed Of his watch the Catholic
| clergyman of Hancock on his way from
church. Another OF a rear guard Drained
a private Of Company B, First Mary.
land Cavalry. for trying to prevent his
sacking a woman's trunk and stealing
her clothes and jewelry. A lieutenant A
| Hancock exacted and received 1900 IL
greenbacks from a citizen; a soldier
packed up a woman's and a chIId's cloth.
ing. which he had stolen in the presencs
OF the highest officials unrebuked.'
Turned Back at Cumberland.
The pertinacity with which Ayerers
column had followed the raiders appar
entity saved Hancock from the torch. II
also prevented the raiders from cross,
: ing the Potomac there into West Vir.
ginia, for Averell's guns covered tbs
ford
Proceeding westward by the national
| turnpike. the Confederates headed fol-
| Cumberland. This place was the head.
B. F. Kelley, commanding there, had q
sufticient force 10 repel the raiders
which he did in a skirmish lasting all
the afternoon OF August L The Confed.
crates, In Withdrawing, left thirty dead
| and wounded on the field.
It was now time for Gen. McCausIand
! to think Of rejoIning Gen. Early in the
shenandoah Valley. To do this he must
cross the Potomac and the Aneghanies
Marching by night through an obscure
road from near Cumberland. the column
headed for oIdtown, where the south
Branch enters the Potomac. They found
the ford guarded by a small force Of
Ohio recruits, or To-day men," who.
after withdrawing across the river 70
blockhouse at Spring Run station, on
the railroad, fought for a time. and sur
rendered, on the threat that II taken
they would be slaughtered.
Having cleared the way across the
river, Gen. McCausland marched into
the mountains of West Virginia, pro-
ceeding to Springfield. Beyond thaT
town the column, on August 3. crossed a
wire bridge over the South Branch CT
the Potomac and then destroyed IT,
Defense of New Creek bridge.
from which point an expedition was sent
westward to seize the railroad bridge
across New Creek, near the Potomac.
The bridge was protected by a block
house.
The Confederates appeared before the
blockhouse at p. m. They had marched
by two routes. one eighteen miles lonC,
the other twenty-five. and were fatigued
They found the hills near the blockhous7
so steep that their artillery, could not
be draw up them. The Federals were
protected by a palisade and abatis around
the blockhouse, and had six cannon,
which they used with good effect
The defenders Of the bridge numbered
only a few hundred men. under Col
Robert Stevenson OF the 154th Ohio
National Guard They fought well. and
when at dark the Confederates with
drew they left twenty-five dead men on
the hillsides. The Federals lost seven men
killed and twenty-nine wounded.
This fight was the last made by the
raiders on the Potomac. They now
headed for Mooreheld, in the valley OF
the South Branch, with intention Of
grazing their horses and resting the
command before moving over to the
Valley of Shenandoah.
As soon a. the direction of their march
wRs determined. Gen. Averell, who had
halted at Hancock. began to move in the
direction of Moorehead. near which, on
August Z. he struck and dispersed the
raiding column.
tCopynght. islAl