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Updated: June 29, 2025
Later in the evening, in obedience to an order brought by a courier, the Eleventh Cavalry moved at a gallop in the direction of Williamsport, whence the roll of musketry and report of cannon had been heard for some time, and, rejoining the brigade, was engaged in a desperate struggle to prevent the Federal cavalry from destroying the wagons of the whole army, which, the river being unfordable, were halted and parked at this point, their principal defence against the whole cavalry force of the enemy being the teamsters and stragglers that General Imboden had organized.
So cheer up and prove your fortitude and patriotism.... You may think of Fitzhugh and love him as much as you please, but do not grieve over him or grow sad." From Williamsport, to my mother, he thus writes of his son's capture: "I have heard with great grief that Fitzhugh has been captured by the enemy.
"Have you the countersign?" "Yes." "Will you cross by the ferry?" "I hardly think so. Ashby may be watching that and the ford below. There is a place farther up the river that I may try." "That is, after you pass through Williamsport?" "Yes, a mile or two beyond." The light increased. Gold clouds barred the east, the cocks crew, and crows came cawing from the woods to the vast, brown cornfields.
The latter regiment had hardly more than turned in the new direction when the boom of a cannon in front told the story that the battle had begun. General Kilpatrick had been attending to matters in Hagerstown. It was evident that there was considerable force there and that it was constantly augmenting. The opening gun at Williamsport called his attention to a new danger.
The road we were on enters the town at right angles with the pike from Hagerstown to Williamsport, on reaching which we turned to the left, the position being something like the following diagram: North Hagerstown Boonsborough East Williamsport South Lee's reserve wagon trains were at Williamsport under General Imboden. From Hagerstown to Williamsport was about five miles.
The intelligence had been brought in that a body of the rebels had recrossed the river at Williamsport, and the subsequent official dispatches explained that this force was a detachment of Lee's cavalry under Stuart, with a regiment of infantry and some pieces of artillery, whose evident design was a raid upon Hagerstown, where a large quantity of military stores had been received for McClellan's army.
By crossing the Potomac, at Williamsport and Shepherdstown, twenty and ten miles north-west respectively, the Federals would threaten the communications of the garrison with Winchester; in case they were attacked, the Confederates would have to fight with their backs to the Shenandoah, broad, deep, and unbridged; and the ground westward of Harper's Ferry was ill adapted for defence.
I believed General McClellan had been so crippled at Sharpsburg that he could not follow the Confederate army into Virginia immediately; but General Stuart was ordered, after crossing the Potomac, to recross at once at Williamsport, threaten his right flank, and observe his movements.
Don't you recollect how we were hurried from Frederick, and after marching seven miles out of the way, made good time for all to Williamsport how bayonets appeared to glisten upon every road leading into the town; and then our crossing the river, the band all the while playing 'The Star-spangled Banner, and the march we made to Martinsburg, passing over the ground where the battle of Falling Waters had but a few days before been fought?
Marching until nightfall, we reached Williamsport, and encamped very near the spot that had been our resting-place on a former occasion, nearly a year before. Why General Lee and his army were allowed to cross the Potomac unmolested, we do not attempt to explain; nor do we condemn the determination of General Meade not to give battle.
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