CHAPTER V.
The battalion reached Hanover Junction the last of November, when Colonel Johnson established his picket lines, and prepared to go into winter quarters.
The winter was spent most delightfully, and nothing occurred to disturb its pleasures save an attempted raid made by Butler to Bottom’s bridge, whereupon the cavalry and artillery were promptly moved upon his flank to Tunstall’s station, when he retired.
About the first of March, 1864, Colonel Johnson received a telegram from General Lee, saying that a large body of cavalry had passed his flank, and was moving in the direction of the Junction. That officer immediately sent out his scouts to the north and west, and soon discovered that it was a heavy column, indeed, and moving southwest. It crossed the Virginia Central railroad at Frederick’s Hall, on Johnson’s left, and took the road which led direct to Richmond.
Of course he at once saw that the object of the enemy was an attack upon that city, believing that there were but few troops to oppose him. Colonel Johnson immediately ordered his pickets to destroy the boats on the Pamunky, to cut off his retreat in that direction, and with sixty men of the First Maryland cavalry, and two guns from the Baltimore Light Artillery—the only disposable force he had left after sending out his scouts to watch the enemy’s movements—he followed in pursuit. Just outside of Taylorsville, the enemy’s pickets were encountered and driven in, and pursued to Ashland. Here a large force was met on its way to destroy the railroad and buildings there, and, after a sharp encounter, the enemy retired.
Moving as rapidly as possible along the Telegraph road, Colonel Johnson threw himself upon the enemy’s flank at Yellow Tavern, and posting his men, commenced to capture small parties that came along. Among his captures was a sergeant, with five men, who proved to be a bearer of dispatches from Colonel Dahlgren to General Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick’s guns were then thundering away at the outer defences of Richmond, and Dahlgren’s dispatch informed him that he would attack at dusk that evening on his road, and he looked for Kilpatrick to attack with vigor on his (Kilpatrick’s) side of the city.
Seeing at once that he had destroyed the communication between the co-operating forces, Colonel Johnson prepared to attack and harrass Kilpatrick’s rear. Taking care not to expose the number of his force, he attacked a picket in the rear of the centre of the line of battle drawn up in front of Richmond, and drove it in. This bold act conveyed the impression to Kilpatrick that he was cut off, and seriously in danger in his rear. Hastily mounting his troops, he moved at the trot down the Peninsula towards the Pamunky, and crossing the Chickahominy, before dark, at Meadow bridge, he went into camp. Colonel Johnson encamped on the opposite side. During the night, Hampton came upon the enemy, with the First and Second North Carolina, and broke up his camp, capturing several hundred prisoners and horses.
At daylight in the morning, Colonel Johnson crossed his small force over the river, and came up with Kilpatrick’s rear guard, near Old Church, which was immediately attacked, and several prisoners captured. Still taking every precaution not to expose to the enemy the smallness of his force, he continued to harrass him, and drove his rear guard through Old Church in confusion. Here, thinking himself seriously menaced, Kilpatrick formed line of battle. It seemed really ridiculous—three thousand men and four pieces of artillery in battle array to fight sixty men. Moving a regiment to the rear, he compelled Colonel Johnson to fall back half a mile, but as soon as this returned to the main body, he again renewed his attacks upon the unhappy rear guard.
In this way they moved down the Peninsula some distance, when a scout informed Colonel Johnson that a column of the enemy was moving down the road, immediately in his rear. He was thus between two forces. Dismounting his men as rapidly as possible, and deploying them in the woods, on each side of the road, he awaited their approach. Upon perceiving him, they made a charge, and went through his line, not, however, without losing forty-five men and horses.
This proved to be a remnant of Dahlgren’s marauders, four hundred strong, ladened with plunder. Among the many articles of value recaptured from them was a silver dish cover, belonging to Mrs. Morson, of Goochland.
From their statement, it appeared that Dahlgren, not receiving an answer to the dispatch sent to Kilpatrick, and which was fortunately intercepted by Colonel Johnson, as already seen, started with a hundred men to find him, but failed to get across the Pamunky at Dabney’s ferry, owing to the destruction of the boats, as has been stated, and in his endeavors to escape through King and Queen county, was ambuscaded in the night, and he himself killed by a mere boy, and his whole command captured by the home guard.
Kilpatrick finding the expedition a failure, and believing himself pressed by a superior force, although but sixty sabres were at his heels, made for the lower ferries of the Pamunky, but failed to cross, for the same reason Dahlgren had, and finally reached Tunstall’s Station, and joined the forces under Butler, having been followed the whole way by the Maryland Battalion.
For this gallant exploit, General Elzey, in command of the defences of Richmond, issued a general order complimenting the command, and General Wade Hampton, in his report to General Lee, distinctly gave the credit of saving Richmond to the little battalion; for, by destroying the combination between Dahlgren and Kilpatrick, they prevented the joint attack on the city, and by the vigorous and incessant harrassing of the latter’s rear, conveyed the impression that he was attacked in force, at once changing his movements into a retreat, (deserting his subordinate Dahlgren,) and converting the attacks of Johnson into a pursuit.
Thus the devilish scheme originated by the wretched Dahlgren to get possession of the Confederate Capital, was frustrated. I say devilish, for upon his inanimate body was found papers that will cover his name forever with infamy. Although not the senior officer, he had command of the expedition, and these papers prove that it was his purpose to murder President Davis and the members of his cabinet, destroy the city, and give its women up to the lusts of his brutal soldiers. But, to thwart his hellish designs, God interposed a little band of brave men, and the city was not only saved, but the hirelings of Yankeedom scattered to the four winds, and its leader’s career brought to an ignominious end, by a bullet from the gun of a mere boy. It is indeed hard to conceive how a heart so young should have been so steeped in wickedness; but his own history, written by his own hand just before the wrath of an offended God overtook him, cannot be denied.
It is a little singular that this man should have lost his leg, in the streets of Hagerstown, at the hands of one of the officers of the very command that baulked him in his wholesale attempt at murder, arson and outrage.
For the services rendered upon this occasion Colonel Johnson won his rank as Brigadier General, which had been so long denied him by the Confederate Congress, although urged upon them months before by General Jackson, who had kept a vacancy in the Third Brigade open for him, and had refused to assign the command to any one else. This body of wise men contended that Maryland had its share of general officers, and could have no more, no matter how great the merit or ability the applicant might present for their august consideration. No, these important positions must be parcelled out as a fisherwoman does her stock in trade, and old and superannuated political hulks who aspired to a command were to be served first. So it was with the gallant Colonel Edwin Willis, of Georgia, who was killed at Cold Harbor. This young man, with a thorough military education, and one of the most brilliant and comprehensive minds in the South, and whose promotion had been more than once urged, was compelled to act in a subordinate capacity because Toombs and Cobb and other useless political generals stood in his way.