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The commander of the department kept him constantly near the enemy, and to
a large extent he was the eye and ear of the Army of the Valley.

By September, 1863, he organized a battalion of six companies of partisan
rangers, and it is but fair to say that a braver, more daring and reckless band never
followed the flag of a free companion in the Middle Ages. They were rough and
ready; they pervaded the enemy's rear, behind his lines, captured his wagons and
couriers carrying dispatches from headquarters to a general in the field, and har-
rassed the enemy without ceasing by day and by night. In 1864, when Early
moved into the Valley, he offered to make Gilmor Colonel of one of the Virginia
cavalry regiments. But Gilmor asked that instead of promotion, two of his men
then in guardhouse be released. They had fired on the provost guard, and would
certainly have been severely punished, if not shot, for their offenses. Early
released them.

In the campaign of 1863 Gilmor straggled off east of the Blue Ridge in search
of some of his men, who had strayed into Fauquier and Loudoun. Whenever a
fight came off he volunteered for the hottest place.

Brigadier-General Fitz Lee, in his report of March 23, 1863, says : " Captain
Harry Gilmor, Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, volunteered for the occasion on the staff
of the Major-General. I commend him for his marked bravery and cool courage/'

Major-General J. E. B. Stuart, in his report (March 25, 1863,) of the battle
of Kelly's ford, says : " I was especially indebted to Captain Harry Gilmor,
Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, who accompanied me as volunteer staff officer."

At Kelly's ford Gilmor bore off the field the body of the " gallant Pelham."

In the year 1864 an attempt was made to assemble all the Marylanders in the
armies of the Confederacy into the Maryland Line. Colonel Bradley T. Johnson
was assigned to the command of all the Maryland troops and companies in the
service, and directed to rendezvous them at Hanover Junction. Major-General
Arnold Elzey was ordered to assemble all the unassigned men at Sraunton and
organize them into regiments.

Colonel Johnson collected the First Maryland Cavalry. Lieutenant-Colonel
Ridgely Brown; the Second Maryland Infantry. Captain I. Parran Crane (Lieu-
tenant-Colonel James R. Herbert and Major W. W. Goldsborouph absent, having
been wounded at Gettysburg and prisoners); First Maryland Artillery, Captain
William F. Dement : Second Maryland Artillery (Baltimore Light). Captain
William H. Griffin; Fourth Maryland Artillery (Chesapeake) Captain Winfield
Scott Chew. The Third Artillery, under Captain Latrobe and subsequently
Captain William L. Ritter, was serving with £reat distinction in the Army of the
Southwest, and was never assembled with the command, though it always ranked as
belonging to the Maryland Line.

The following general order indicates that Gilmor was expected to report with