Great alarm was now manifested in Baltimore and Washington, which was heightened by the daring and success of numerous raiding parties from Early’s command, who spread themselves in all directions, carrying off horses and cattle, and levying contributions from the inhabitants. Darnestown, in Maryland, was visited by one party, and Brestown, sixteen miles from Baltimore, by another. A third party swept round Baltimore, inflicting damage on the Northern Central railroad, while a fourth reached the Baltimore and Philadelphia railroad, stopped the train, and robbed the passengers, capturing Major-General Franklin, who was a traveller in citizen’s dress. The house of Governor Bradford, of Maryland, within five miles of Washington, was burned by Early’s soldiers.
From Monocacy, General Early, the Confederate chief, marched direct for Washington, his cavalry advance reaching Rockville on the evening of the 10th. General Wright, who had now reached the outer defences of Washington, was placed in command of all the forces that could be made available to operate against the enemy in the field, and made preparations to advance and meet Early, with the design of forcing him to battle, or of pursuing him as far as prudence would warrant.
A reconnoissance was thrown out from Fort Stevens on the 12th of July, and the enemy was soon discovered in force. A short but severe engagement ensued in which only a small portion of the Union forces were engaged; but the enemy were soon put to flight, and Early commenced a retreat, vigorously pursued by the Federal troops. The Union loss in this engagement was about two hundred and eighty in killed and wounded; while the rebel loss was probably somewhat greater. On the 13th a portion of Early’s forces were overtaken at Snicker’s Gap, where a sharp skirmish occurred. On the 20th, another portion of the rebel army was confronted at Winchester, by General Averill’s command, in which the enemy was engaged and defeated, with the loss of several hundred prisoners and four pieces of artillery.
The protracted absence of General Hunter’s corps on his unsuccessful expedition to Lynchburg, encouraged the rebel forces in the valley to attempt another raid into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The enemy moved down the valley, and on the 30th of July, a raiding party burned Chambersburg in Pennsylvania, and then retreated towards Cumberland, pursued by the Federal cavalry. Near that point they were met and defeated by General Kelly, and then, with diminished numbers, they made their escape into the mountains of Western Virginia.
During the whole of these movements in the months of June and July, in the department of Western Virginia, Washington, Susquehannah, and the Middle Department, much confusion arose from the rebel forces invading so many points where they were brought in conflict alternately with different, and independent Federal commanders, who all received their instructions and reported to the General-in-chief, or through General Halleck at Washington. From the time of the first raid the telegraph wires were frequently down between Washington and City Point, making it necessary to transmit messages a part of the way by boat. It took from twenty-four to thirty-six hours to get dispatches through and return answers back; so that often orders would be given, and then information would be received showing a different state of facts from those on which they were based, causing a confusion and apparent contradiction of orders that must have considerably embarrassed those who had to execute them, and rendered operations against the enemy less effective than they otherwise would have been. To remedy this evil, it was recommended by General Grant that one general should be appointed to have supreme command of all the forces actively engaged in the field in those departments. On the 2d of August, General Grant ordered General Sheridan to report in person to Major-General Halleck, chief-of-staff, at Washington, with a view to his assignment to the command of all the forces against Early.
At this time the enemy was concentrated in the neighborhood of Winchester. General Hunter’s forces at that time were posted on the Monocacy, at the crossing of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. Before any definite orders were given in relation to army movements, General Grant paid a visit to General Hunter at his headquarters, and gave definite written instructions for the coming campaign. General Hunter having expressed a willingness to be relieved of command, General Sheridan was telegraphed to join General Grant at Monocacy.
On the 7th of August the middle department and the departments of West Virginia, Washington, and Susquehanna were constituted into the “Middle military division,” and Major-General Sheridan was assigned to command of the same.
Two divisions of cavalry, commanded by Generals Torbert and Wilson, were sent to Sheridan from the Army of the Potomac. The first reached him at Harper’s Ferry about the 11th of August.
General Sheridan was confronted by a rebel force of about twenty thousand men. Although a much larger force than this was at his disposal, yet the numerous points that lay exposed to the incursions of the enemy prevented the Federal commander from concentrating his army for offensive operations, and the movements of the campaign for the first month were of a desultory character.