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only filled when it had become apparent that Major R. C. Smith, who had been
wounded at Greenland Gap, was permanently disabled.

After Colonel Dorsey's accession to the command, the campaign was constantly
active, and the enemy being nearly as strong in cavalry alone as General Early was
in troops of all arms, his cavalry was compelled to contend with great odds.
Fights and skirmishes of a greater or less magnitude were of daily and almost
hourly occurrence, and with the picket duty to be performed men and horses were
employed to the utmost limit of endurance.

In most of these engagements the Confederates were successful, but in one
of them, at Fisher's Hill, on the 22d of September, the enemy gained considerable
advantage by suddenly throwing a heavy force, consisting of two or three
divisions, which he had moved up under cover of North Mountains on Early's
left, upon the line of dismounted cavalry, which was all that General could spare
to cover that point. Here, after they had broken the Confederate line, Colonel
Dorsey ordered the First Maryland to charge, with the view to check the enemy,
if possible, and gain time to bring up reinforcements, but the charge only availed
to release some prisoners and to get the horses of the dismounted men out of the
way. In the face of such odds Dorsey was forced back with some loss, and,
although severely wounded himself, extricated his command and made an
orderly retreat.