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Virginia troops. The companies of Murray and Dorsey became afterward a part
of the First Maryland, but that of Captain Clark was attached to the Twenty-first
Virginia.

Captain Clark has been unjustly blamed for not attaching his company to
the First Maryland. It was no fault of his, for he had organized his company for
that purpose.

Some misconception existed in the War Department at Richmond relative
to the terms of enlistment of the Maryland companies. It was thought the
Harper's Ferry companies were all enlisted for the " war," when, in fact, two
of them were mustered only for twelve months. The erroneous impression also
prevailed that Dorsey's and Murray's companies were war companies.

In the effort to organize the so-called war companies into one regiment
Dorsey and Murray were ordered to Winchester, and Clark was assigned to the
Twenty-first Virginia Regiment. These errors caused Captain Clark, as well as
the men of his fine company, much regret, but nevertheless, although separated
from their fellow-Marylanders, they proved themselves worthy of the name they
bore, the "Maryland Guards," on many a battle-field.

A few clays prior to the formation of the companies in Richmond, Captain
Bradley T. Johnson had marched his company from Frederick City to the Point
of Rocks. This company had been organized on the 19th of April and joined the
military of Baltimore to prevent the passage of troops through the city.

It was the first to be mustered into the service of the Confederate States at
the Point of Rocks, and consequently afterward became the senior company of
the First Maryland. Company B, commanded by Captain C. C. Edelin, was also
mustered in at the Point of Rocks on the same day — May 21, 1862.

Several hundred other Marylanders had also assembled at Harper's Ferry,
and at that place there were organized Companies C, Captain Frank S. Price;
Company D, Captain James R. Herbert ; Company E, Captain Harry McCoy;
Company F. Captain Thomas Holbrook; Company G, Captain Wilson C.
Nicholas, and Company H, Captain Wellmore, when for good and sufficient
reasons skeletons of companies were merged into others, and Captains Price,
Wellmore and Holbrook were relieved of their commands.

The six companies were mustered into the service of the Confederate States
by Lieutenant-Colonel George Deas, P. A. C. S., on May 22. 1862, at Harper's
Ferry. The two companies at the Point of Rocks were ordered with them, and the
battalion of eight companies placed by Colonel T. J. Jackson under the command
of Captain Bradley T. Johnson, of Company A.

By June 1. Captain George H. Steuart, of the Second United States Cavalry,
reported to General Joseph E. Johnston, who had relieved Colonel Jackson in
command at Harper's Ferry, and he assigned Captain Steuart to command the
Maryland Battalion.