A short time after his return the Second Maryland and the Baltimore Light Artillery and First Maryland Cavalry were ordered to Fisher’s Hill, to relieve the gallant Major Sam Myers, who was stationed there with a small force of cavalry. Soon after our arrival we were joined by the lamented General Albert G. Jenkins, with a splendid brigade of Virginia cavalry.
Whilst at Fisher’s Hill it was determined by the officers of the Maryland Line to select a commander, it being then temporarily under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel James R. Herbert. By their unanimous voice Colonel Bradley T. Johnson was chosen, and Lieutenant Bussey dispatched to Richmond to notify that officer of the fact. Colonel Johnson was then a member of a military court, much against his will, with the rank of Colonel of cavalry, and he at once accepted the command, and started for it next day, but did not reach it until after the battle of Gettysburg (though he was in the latter part of that engagement, acting as aid-de-camp to General Ewell,) and upon looking into the matter, and finding the battalion of infantry cut to pieces, advised that the consolidation should be postponed for the present, whilst he himself was assigned to the temporary command of the Third Virginia Brigade, the same he commanded with so much distinction at the second battle of Manassas, and first invasion of Maryland, and to which General Jackson, before his death, had so long tried in vain to have him permanently appointed.
During our short stay here nothing of moment occurred with the exception of a slight skirmish in the streets of Strasburg, in which Captain John W. Torsch with three companies was engaged with a regiment of the Federal cavalry. The enemy was driven off with loss, and pursued beyond Middletown by a portion of the First Maryland cavalry, who were, however, unable to come up with them, so precipitate was their flight.
On the 10th of June the whole command moved down and went into temporary camp at Cedar Creek. Whilst here a company of the First Maryland cavalry, with a few of Jenkins’ men, all under the command of Captain W. I. Raisin, had the misfortune to run into a Federal ambuscade, in which he sustained a loss of four men killed, and thirty wounded and captured, the gallant Raisin being of the number, with a desperate wound in the head.
On the afternoon of the 12th a dispatch arrived announcing that General Ewell was at Front Royal with his whole corps. Great was our surprise, for we had little dreamed he was nearer than Fredericksburg. What it meant we could not conjecture, but that a movement was to be made on Winchester was apparent to all.
Late that night a second dispatch arrived directing Colonel Herbert with his infantry and the Baltimore Light Artillery, (General Jenkins with the cavalry had left that afternoon to join General Ewell,) to move in the direction of Middletown immediately and protect Ewell’s wagon train, which had been ordered to that point.
The next morning, by order of General Ewell, we moved up the Valley turnpike, somewhere along which we were to await the arrival of General Early, who was to strike the turnpike near Newtown. We halted about two miles from Kearnstown, where shortly after a second order arrived directing us to halt at Newtown and there await Early’s approach. It was too late, however, for we had passed that place, and fearing the effects a retrograde movement would have upon his raw troops, Col. Herbert determined to take the responsibility of waiting for Early where he was. In an hour or two that General joined us with his division of infantry.
Our approach had by this time been discovered by the enemy, for a regiment of cavalry was descried in the road less than a mile in our front. A piece of Griffin’s battery was now run up and masked by a small party of horsemen, and a shell thrown into the midst of the surprised cavalrymen, who scattered in every direction. In a few minutes a battery made its appearance upon a neighboring hill, when a lively exchange of compliments took place between it and the Baltimore Light Artillery.
Meanwhile Early was engaged getting his troops into position. Three companies of the Second Maryland, under the command of Major W. W. Goldsborough, were thrown forward as skirmishers, with orders to advance until the enemy were developed in force. Griffin’s opponent had now retired, and the whole command moved forward in line of battle. In a little orchard, near Kearnstown, which was flanked on the right by a strip of woods, the skirmishers first encountered them, and a sharp fight ensued. Steadily the Marylanders pressed forward, and although subjected to a severe artillery fire from a battery on a hill a short ways off, drove the enemy before them.
General Early had in the meanwhile formed his troops for a charge, and in a few minutes a yell on our left announced it. It was Gordon with his splendid brigade of Georgians. In beautiful order they dashed forward and drove the enemy pell-mell into Winchester.