The Maryland Line in the Confederate States Army.

by W. W. Goldsborough

It was determined, however, to present to them a bold front to conceal as much as possible our own numerical inferiority, and, therefore, the Confederates were advanced until they held possession of Mason’s Hill, but five miles from Alexandria. Munson’s Hill was soon after taken also, after a slight resistance; and the Southern army was thereby placed still nearer to the National Capital.

The infantry, under the command of Colonel J. E. B. Stuart, remained some weeks at Fairfax, when it was ordered to Fairfax Station, on the line of the Orange and Alexandria railroad, there to reunite with the balance of the brigade, now commanded by General Elzey. Here we set ourselves down for a long stay, as everything indicated that hostilities would not be renewed until spring, for both governments seemed to have set to work preparing their respective armies for the desperate fighting to be then begun.

Strict and rigid discipline was sought to be enforced throughout the Confederate army; and it was then we saw the incompetency of many of our officers, and had forebodings of the disastrous results likely to accrue from the wretched system adopted by the government of electing officers to companies instead of their being appointed by the Executive after a searching examination by an experienced and competent soldier.

In a measure, the First Maryland Regiment was free from this evil, which was owing principally to the determined steps taken by Colonel Geo. H. Steuart, who had succeeded Colonel Elzey in its command. An old and experienced soldier himself, he soon saw who was competent and who was not. Some of the latter he disposed of in a summary manner, and with others he thought to bide his time. He enforced discipline to the strictest letter of the old army regulations, which, though at first very objectionable to both officers and men of his command, afterwards became popular as the good resulting therefrom developed itself.

Drill by companies was had in the morning of every favorable day, and drill in the afternoon by battalion, with dress parade in the evening. Both officers and men were required to pay the strictest attention to their clothing and person, and the slightest neglect of either would draw from him a rebuke or punishment. The most rigid sanitary regulations were adopted for the camp; and when the neat appearance and healthy condition of the men were contrasted with that of other regiments around us, the most indifferent were stimulated to exert themselves to their utmost in sustaining the commandant in his efforts to promote the health and comfort of those placed under his charge; and, therefore, from its being at first one of the most obnoxious duties which the soldier had to perform, it became one of the most pleasant.

That Colonel Steuart was popular with the regiment upon assuming command, I cannot say. In fact, I believe he was much disliked; but in less than two months he had won the love and affection of all. Where was there such a camp as that of the First Maryland? Where such drill and discipline; such healthy, rugged looking troops; such neat and soldierly fellows? Where was the regiment that could follow them on a long, weary march with that rapid, elastic step for which they were so famous? Nowhere in the Confederacy. Ever vigilant, ever watchful, ever cheerful in the discharge of their duties, they were the pride and boast of the army.

With his officers, Colonel Steuart was strict and exacting, but always kind and courteous. He established a school for their instruction in tactics, and daily they were assembled at his headquarters for recitation; and not for his commission would one of them have appeared before him unable to recite the lessons he had been instructed to get. As a body, they were as intelligent a set of men as could be found in the army. I am compelled to say, however, that there were one or two disgraceful exceptions in the number.

One of these, in particular, was a Captain Edelin, alias Lum Cooper, who had by some means been elected to the command of a fine company, composed principally of young men from Baltimore. Without even the rudiments of a common school education, holding the truth in utter contempt, and a low swaggerer, he had nothing to recommend him but his having lighted the lamps in the streets of Washington for years, and beat a drum in the war with Mexico. His conduct everywhere in the army was disgraceful in the extreme, and reflected discredit, not only upon the regiment to which he belonged, but upon the State, of which he was neither a native nor a resident. Finally, despised and avoided by all who, without knowing the man, had associated with him in the regiment, he ran the blockade, took the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government, and turned informer upon the Government of which he had been a sworn servant.

CHAPTER IV.

The fall of 1861 will ever be remembered by the survivors of the regiment, as the most pleasant experienced by them during the whole war. We had an abundance of clothing and wholesome food, whilst there was no scarcity of money with which to indulge in even some of the luxuries of life. And then the monotony of the camp was often changed to the excitement of picketing in front of the enemy on Mason’s and Munson’s Hills, in the capture of both of which the First Maryland bore a conspicuous part. In the engagement at the latter place, we lost a private of Company I killed, and Lieutenant Mitchell, of the same company, badly wounded. During these picket reliefs, we had daily encounters with the enemy, in which we invariably got the better of him. The first that occurred I will relate, as Mr. Captain Edelin then and there gave us a specimen of military skill acquired on the head of a kettle-drum in Mexico.