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General Johnson, and that General demanded an investigation, which exonerated
him from all blame. But someone was to blame for placing the brigade in so
hazardous a position, and if it was not Johnson it must have been McCausland,
who was Johnson's superior officer. It has been more than once asserted that
McCausland's dislike for General Johnson had much to do with bringing about
the disaster, and, indeed, it has been hinted, that he was purposely sacrificed. It
was certainly McCausland's place to know whether he was " safe from pursuit "
or not; and, failing in this, he showed shameful negligence, to say the least.

In this disastrous surprise Gilmor's battalion lost fifty men in killed, wounded
and prisoners, and the First Maryland lost still more heavily.

Soon after the Moorefield affair Early moved to Fisher's Hill, when Gilmor
was ordered to scout in his front with the two Maryland battalions. Shortly after
Sheridan retreated to Winchester, and beyond this place Early pursued him. A
series of desperate encounters ensued with the enemy's cavalry in the vicinity of
Winchester, Martinsburg, Bunker Hill, Leetown and Charlestcmn, in which the
First Maryland took a prominent part, and lost heavily.

One of the severest of these fights, which was but a repetition of them all,
and will serve as an illustration, took place near Bunker Hill on the 13th of August,
1864. On that morning a brigade of Lomax's command, to which the First
Maryland was attached, had advanced and driven in the enemy's pickets, and
pushed back his cavalry several miles below Bunker Hill, where they halted for
awhile, and then turned to retrace their steps. The enemy in the meanwhile had
been heavily reinforced, and pressed hard upon the retreating column, of which
the First Maryland formed the rear. The enemy became more and more pressing
as they advanced, until a charge was ordered by Colonel Gilmor, which had the
effect of checking them, and his vastly superior force only saved him from rout.

These charges had to be repeated again and again, the First Maryland retiring
in excellent order at a walk. When the stream which crosses the pike at Bunker
Hill was reached Gilmor, who had been much delayed in making these charges,
found himself entirely unsupported, all the other regiments of the brigade having
retired to the shelter of the infantry, which was formed in line about a mile distant.

At this juncture the head of the enemy's column, immediately in the rear of
the First Maryland, had entered the stream before the rear of the battalion had
reached the opposite bank, two other of his columns meanwhile moving unopposed
parallel to the pike, and were some distance in the rear of the little band battling
with ten times their number. At this most critical moment, right in the midst of
the stream, the battalion wheeled, and again charged, meeting the enemy midway,
when a most desperate hand-to-hand fight ensued, the blood of both intermingling
with its current.

For some minutes they held the enemy in check, expecting reinforcements.