The Maryland Line in the Confederate States Army.

by W. W. Goldsborough

CHAPTER VII.

For the next few days the battalion was engaged in skirmishing about Hanover Court House, the enemy occupying them there whilst his columns were crossing at Dabney’s Ferry, and pressing on towards Richmond.

On the 1st of June, the enemy moved on the South Anna bridges, Johnson’s small command of one hundred and fifty sabres and Griffith’s battery contesting every foot of ground, in a fight from daylight until two o’clock in the afternoon, when they were driven back by a brigade of the enemy’s cavalry.

It now becomes my painful duty to record the death of one of the best and purest of men, Lieutenant Colonel Ridgely Brown, who in the day’s fight was struck in the head by a stray ball and instantly killed. The death of this good and generous man was a sad blow to his little command, by whom he was almost idolized, and Johnson lost an officer who had been invaluable to him, for to his sound judgment and advice he was much indebted for his success in the affair with Kilpatrick.

In a General Order issued on the 6th of June, Colonel Johnson thus speaks of his death:

Headquarters Maryland Line, }

June 6, 1864. }

General Order No. 26.

Lieutenant Colonel Ridgely Brown, commanding First Maryland cavalry, fell in battle on the 1st instant, near the South Anna. He died, as a soldier prefers to die, leading his men in a victorious charge. As an officer, kind and careful; as a soldier, brave and true; as a gentleman, chivalrous; as a Christian, gentle and modest; no one in the Confederate army surpassed him in the hold he had on the hearts of his men, and the place in the esteem of his superiors. Of the rich blood that Maryland has lavished on every battle field, none is more precious than this, and that of our other brave comrades in arms who fell during the four days previous on the hill sides of Hanover. His command has lost a friend most steadfast, but his commanding officer is deprived of an assistant invaluable. To the first he was ever as careful as a father; to the latter as true as a brother.

In token of respect to his memory, the colors of the different regiments of this command will be draped, and the officers wear the usual badge of military mourning for thirty days.

By order of      Colonel Bradley T. Johnson.

GEO. W. BOOTH, A. A. G.

A correspondent in the Richmond Sentinel, who signs himself “A Virginian,” pays the following handsome tribute to his memory:

Of the many brave and noble men who have fought the invaders of Southern soil, and have died in defence of Southern homes and Southern rights, none deserve a higher tribute of praise, or a larger measure of thanks from the Southern people than Colonel Brown. A native of Montgomery county, Maryland, and a citizen of that State, at the commencement of the present war, it would have been but natural for him to have taken the passive attitude which was assumed by his State, where he would now in all probability be gladdening by his presence a large circle of relatives and friends, instead of throwing dark shadows around their hearts from his lowly grave in Virginia. But like many other noble sons of Maryland, he left his quiet and secure home to give his services to the Southern Confederacy, threatened with subjugation, and even extermination. He labored day and night in its service, and has poured out his life’s blood upon its altar.

He came to Virginia on the first day of June, 1861, and was mortally wounded on the first day of June, 1864, just three years after. He entered the army in the capacity of a private. In less than a year he was raised to the position of a lieutenant; he soon reached the rank of captain, and was then promoted to a lieutenant colonelcy. To each of those positions he was lifted by merit alone, and would probably have soon reached much higher rank, had not envious death closed his career.

Never was there an officer more beloved by his command, and never was there one who more deserved it. As brave as a lion in time of danger, he was as careful of his men as a mother of her children. His men say that when thrown upon his own responsibility he never led them into a position of peril without first examining it himself; nor ordered them to go where he was not ready to lead; and they felt perfectly secure under his leadership. After his promotion to the command of a regiment of cavalry, it was remarked that he was much more silent than before. A friend asked him the reason. He replied that so many lives committed to his charge involved a responsibility which pressed heavily upon him.

He was a Christian man, and death has been his gain. The loss is all to those who remain behind—to his parents, who have lost a devoted son; to his acquaintances, who have lost one of friendship’s greatest treasures; to the Confederacy, which has lost one of its most valuable defenders. But more than this—morality has lost one of its best examplars, and chivalry one of her noblest sons. His influence for good in his command, who can supply?

Many soldiers and many citizens will mingle their tears on his grave, to water the flowers which friendship and affection will plant there; and when flowers shall wither, his memory will continue to bloom in many hearts.

A VIRGINIAN.

Hampton having been assigned to the command of the cavalry, in the place of Stuart, he on the 12th of June, with four thousand five hundred sabres, met Sheridan at Trevillian’s Station with thirteen thousand. The First Maryland was posted on Hampton’s extreme left to support General Rosser. The first charge of the enemy was made by the dashing Custer, at the head of his brigade, and he went through Hampton’s centre, creating terrible confusion among the led horses and ordnance wagons; but the daring and intrepid Rosser was in his way, and charging him in turn with his brigade and the First Maryland, he cut him in two, and pursued him to his very wagon train, capturing his private papers, and effectually breaking up his brigade. This charge of Rosser’s is pronounced one of the most brilliant of the many made during the war.

The battle of Trevillian’s lasted two days, and was the hardest cavalry fight of the war, and although Hampton fought great odds, Sheridan suffered a terrible defeat. During these two days, the Maryland battalion was in the thickest of the fight, and fought as though to avenge their comrades who had fallen at Pollard’s Farm. And they were avenged, for in that bloody struggle many a Federal soldier felt the weight of their sabres or fell at the crack of their unerring revolvers, and two hundred prisoners and horses fell into their hands.

During the winter of ’63–4, Colonel Johnson originated a plan for capturing President Lincoln, which he suggested to General Hampton, who, after several conversations with Johnson upon the subject, gave it his approval, and entered heartily into the undertaking.

The Confederate spies in Washington had kept General Lee thoroughly posted as to the disposition and force of every command of the enemy in and around his capital. To carry out this daring enterprise then, Colonel Johnson was to take the Maryland battalion, numbering two hundred and fifty sabres, and cross the Potomac above Georgetown, make a dash at a battalion of cavalry known to be stationed there, and push on to the Soldier’s Home, where it was well known Lincoln lived, and after capturing him send him across the river in charge of a body of picked men, whilst the main body was to cut the wires and roads between Washington and Baltimore, and then move back through Western Maryland to the Valley of Virginia; or if that means of retreat was cut off, Johnson was to go up into Pennsylvania, and on west to West Virginia beyond Grafton. It seemed, indeed, a most desperate undertaking, but everything promised its successful accomplishment. Indeed, so sanguine was Hampton that the plan of Johnson would succeed, that he wanted to undertake it himself at the head of four thousand horse, and was only prevented by Sheridan’s advance upon the Confederate capital.

After the fight at Trevillian’s, then, he gave Johnson orders to prepare for the trip. The best horses in the cavalry command were selected, and the best men in the battalion picked out, but whilst shoeing his horses and recruiting his men in Goochland county, he was prevented from carrying out his much cherished plans by an order from General Early to join him at once with his battalion in the Valley, and cover his rear whilst that General went after Hunter, who had marched upon Lynchburg.

In a week Early returned to Staunton, and it was then that Colonel Johnson received his long delayed commission as Brigadier General of cavalry, and was at once assigned to the command of the brigade formerly commanded by W. E. Jones, who had been killed at the battle fought near New Hope.

Much to his gratification he was given permission, on the 3d day of July, to attach the First Maryland to his brigade, and then ordered to take the advance of Early’s army, moving on Martinsburg. At Leetown the brigade encountered Mulligan’s advance, and after a severe fight the enemy was driven back with loss. In this affair the First Maryland fought with its accustomed vim.

On the 5th of July General Johnson crossed the Potomac at Sharpsburg, where he met a small force of the enemy’s cavalry, which Lieutenant George M. E. Shearer, with a detachment of the First Maryland, pursued into Hagerstown, where coming suddenly upon a superior force he was compelled to retreat upon the main body.

In the pursuit which ensued Shearer was taken prisoner, along with several of his men.

General Johnson now shaped his course in the direction of Frederick, in the vicinity of which he awaited the arrival of Early, who overtook him on the 8th.

On the 9th, General Early dispatched General Johnson on a secret service by special order from General Lee. In this order he was directed to destroy communication between Baltimore and the North, threaten Baltimore, and break the railroad and cut the telegraph wires between Baltimore and Washington, and thence move on Point Lookout so as to attack on the morning of the 12th, when an attack was also to be made on the sea side. After releasing the prisoners, some fifteen thousand, he was to take command of them and rejoin Early at Bladensburg, whilst that General was in the meantime to attack Washington and carry it by assault.

Johnson moved his whole force to Cockeysville, and after destroying the bridges there he detached the First Maryland and Gilmor’s battalion, the two having been temporarily consolidated, and all under Colonel Gilmor’s command, and directed that officer to burn the railroad bridges over the Bush and Gunpowder rivers, which he did. Johnson then moved rapidly around Baltimore, and at Beltsville found a force of about one thousand of the enemy’s cavalry, which he charged and drove into Bladensburg, after which he started for Point Lookout, but had not gone many miles when he received an order from General Early to join him at once.

At Cockeysville Johnson had learned that the 19th corps of the enemy was landing at Locust Point, of which fact he at once advised Early, and it was this information which compelled the Confederate General to forego the intended raid on Point Lookout, and which had reached him just as he was about to assault Washington with his whole army.

In obedience to this order, General Johnson retraced his steps, and joined Early next morning at Blair’s house.

Early now turned his back on the Yankee capital, and directed his steps towards the Potomac, and crossed near Poolsville. In the retreat from Maryland, General Johnson was ordered to protect his rear. At Rockville he charged the enemy’s cavalry, and beat him, capturing eighty prisoners and horses. At Poolsville he was vigorously attacked in force, but drove his assailants back, and kept them in check until the whole army had recrossed the river.

It will thus be seen that General Johnson’s brigade constituted the advance guard in the invasion of Maryland, and the rear guard in the retreat. The Maryland troops were placed at the head of the column in the first and the rear in the latter; thus, from the 5th of July, the day of crossing, to the 14th, the day of recrossing the Potomac, they were almost constantly engaged, and always closest to the enemy.