Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05

Memoirs Of the Last Year Of the War
for Independence in the Confederate
States Of America" says that June IL,
1854. while Ewelrs Corps was near
Gaines' mill. in he rear OF Hills line
at Cold Harbor, he received an order
from Gen. Lee to move the corps, with
two battalions Of artillery. to the shen-
andoah valley to strike Hunters force
In the rear. destroy 1t II possible. and
then move down the valley, cross the
Harpers Ferry, whichever he found to
be most practicable. and to threaten
Washington city. In letter which
Gen. Early wrote in 1888 he said that
Gen. Lee did not expect him to be able
to enter Washington, his orders being
merely to threaten the city, and when
I suggested to him the idea of captur-
ing 1t he said 1t would be impossible"
~
Cen. Early says that on receipt of
the order from Gen. Lee he was direct
ed to cooperate with Gen. Breckin-
ridge, who would further cooperate
with me in the attack on Hunter and
the expedition into Maryland" He
says that at that time the I'd Corps
numbered a few more than 5000 mus
kets for duty. 'It had been on ardu-
GUS and active service for forty days
In the field. Divisions were not strong
er than brigades ought to have been
nor brigades than regiments"
Early began his march before dawn
on June IS and on the 18th was at
the Rivanna river near Charlottesville,
having marched eighty miles in four
days. He learned from Breckenridge
that Hunter was in Bedford county.
twenty miles from Lynchburg. At sun
mand entrained for Lynchburg. reach
ing there early in the afternoon. He
engaged Hunter mildly while awaiting
the arrival Of the rest of his troops
on the 18th and Early prepared to at
tack Hunter at daylight of the 18th.
Before dawn Hunter began to retreat,
but Early came upon his rear guard
at Liberty, twenty-five miles from
Lynchburg. Hunter continued his re-
treat. passing through Bufords gap
of the Blue ridge. where he posted
batteries to command the road. In the
pursuit Early's corps had marched over
rough and hilly roads sixty miles in
three days and for two days the men
had very little to eat.
It was at this time that Lee sent
dispatch to Early directing him to re-
turn to his (Lees) army after dispos-
another dispatch leaving it to Early's
judgment whether the condition of his
troops would permit the carrying out
Of the plan of threatening Washing
ton by marching into Maryland. Early
assumed the responsibility and resum-
ed his march on June 20. On the 26th
he was at Staunton. At that point he
says that his force amounted to 10000
muskets, 1000 cavalry and some artil-
lery. Nearly one-half the troops were
barefooted or nearly so, and shoes
were sent for, but without waiting
for them the march was taken up on
June 2s, with five days rations in the
wagons and two days rations in the
:. 0~1r0 TvNoh witt Sny vol ryy
was sent through Brooks gap. on the
south branch Of the Potomac. to de-
destroy the railroad bridges over that
stream on the Baltimore and Ohio from
that point to Martinsburg.
On July Early was at Winchester
There he received a dispatch from Lee
to remain in the lower valley until every
thing was in readiness ocross the Po-
tomac. and to destroy the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad and the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal as far as was possible.
Early says that he had previously de-
termined on those measures. The rea-
son Early gives for not moving through
Loudoun county and crossing the Po-
tomac near Leesburg was that it would
have been necessary to halt to thrash
wheat and have 1t ground, as neither
bread nor flour could be otherwise OBJ
tanned.
On July 3 a Union force under Sigel
evacuated Martinsburg. leaving behind
stores of great usefulness to Early.
There was some fighting and Sigel re-
tired over the Potomac at Shepherds
town. and took up position on Mary
land Heights, at the junction of the
Potomac and the Shenandoah. Most of
Early.s corps crossed at Shepherdstown
and moved eastward through gaps In
South mountain north of Harpers Fer