For more than two weeks his whereabouts remained a mystery, and various were the conjectures as to what had become of him, when one day there came the news of Milroy’s defeat at McDowell, more than one hundred miles away. Swiftly he had traversed the steep ranges of mountains that separated him from his prey, and with irresistible fury had hurled his legions upon the astonished foe in his mountain fastness and routed him with heavy loss, and was even now on his return, and within two days’ march of us. General Ewell was ordered to join him at once near Luray, and on the 16th of May we encamped at Columbia Bridge on our way thither.
It was the next day that the term of enlistment of Company C, First Maryland, expired, and the men clamored for an immediate discharge, which, under the circumstances, was reluctantly given by Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, who had succeeded to the command by the promotion of Colonel Steuart to the rank of brigadier general, and ordered to organize the Maryland Line. And here again the discontent that had prevailed at Manassas among the men enlisted for the war broke out afresh. They declared they had enlisted for twelve months only, and that if the muster rolls had it otherwise they had been grossly deceived by their officers. The dissatisfaction grew more apparent every hour, and when, on the 18th day of May, we marched to join General Jackson, the men were almost in a state of mutiny.
It was on the banks of the Shenandoah, the 21st of May, that we first caught sight of the glorious soldier as he dashed along the lines with hat off, and bowing right and left in acknowledgment of the vociferous cheers that went up from his enthusiastic army.
Our camp that night was within a mile of Luray, and here we were destined to part with the gallant Elzey, who had so long commanded us, and who had led us to our first victory. As I have said, Colonel Steuart had been promoted and ordered to organize and command the Maryland Line, of which the First Maryland and Baltimore Light Artillery were to form the nucleus. For the present, however, Colonel Johnson was in command, as General Steuart had been temporarily assigned to a brigade of cavalry. Never shall I forget General Elzey’s emotion as he drew the regiment up in line for the last time, and with tears rolling down his war-worn cheeks, thanked them for the honor they had helped to confer upon him at Manassas.
CHAPTER VI.
On the evening of the 22d, the army, about twelve thousand strong, went into camp within an easy day’s march of Front Royal, where, rumor had it, was stationed a considerable force of the enemy. Here the dissatisfaction that had so long existed in the First Maryland broke out into open mutiny, and the majority of the men in the war companies threw down their arms and demanded an immediate discharge. It was in vain that General Steuart and Colonel Johnson expostulated with them upon their disgraceful conduct, but they declared they had served out their term of enlistment, and would serve no longer, and when next morning we resumed our march, nearly one-half the regiment was disarmed and under guard. The affair was kept concealed from General Jackson, as it was still hoped the men would return to reason, for it was not calculated to impress him very favorably with the troops from whom he expected so much.
Brig. Gen. GEO. H. STEUART.
A halt was made about five miles from Front Royal, and whilst resting ourselves by the wayside, an aid-de-camp was observed to dash up to Colonel Johnson and hand him a dispatch. It took him but an instant to acquaint himself with its contents, when, turning to his command, in a voice tremulous with suppressed anger and with a face flushed with mortification and shame, called it to “attention.”
“I have just received an order from General Jackson that very nearly concerns yourselves,” he said, “and I will read it to you:”