289

The command then pushed on and entered Martinsburg, when they came
suddenly upon a battalion of women, dressed in their holiday attire, drawn up
on the sidewalks, as though bent on preventing Johnson from taking possession
of the town, or at least their wagon train, ladened with ice cream, confectionery,
etc.; for the fair and unfair dames, damsels and sweethearts of the troopers were
about to celebrate the great national holiday by a picnic, when surprised by the
naughty rebel Johnson, upon whom they at once opened such a fusilade of invect-
ives in bad and not very choice English as to compel him and his command to retire
in disgust, leaving them masters of the field.

From Martinsburg Johnson moved to Shepherdstown, and crossed the Poto-
mac into Man-land, and took position on Catoctin Mountain, where he encountered
a force of the enemy with artillery, but Bean soon drove them off, when they
retired to Frederick City, closely pursued by Johnson's cavalry. Here, being
reinforced, they made a stand within the confines of the city, and opened fire from
their battery, protected by the houses. The fire was not returned for some time,
as Johnson was loth to open his guns upon defenseless women and children, but
finally forbearance ceasing to be a virtue, he opened his battery, and a sharp
artillery fight continued until night, when Johnson retired to the mountain to await
Early's arrival.

Early having at length come up, Johnson, with his cavalry, and a section of the
artillery under command of Lieutenant J. McNulty, proceeded to destroy the
railroad bridges at Cockeysville, and this accomplished, he made a rapid move
around Baltimore, and struck the Washington branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad at Beltsville, where a large body of the enemy's cavalry was met, which,
after a few shots from the battery and a charge from the cavalry, broke and fled
towards Washington in the utmost confusion.

The battery, with Johnson's cavalry, covered Early's retreat from Washington,
though it was but seldom brought into requisition until the army reached Pooles-
ville, where the enemy made a vigorous attack, but were kept in check by Johnson's
cavalry and artillery until the whole army had crossed in safety.

On the 29th of July General Johnson was ordered by General Early to accom-
pany McCausland into Pennsylvania and exact a stipulated sum of money from the
citizens of Chambersburg, or in case of their not complying with that demand to
burn the town. The Baltimore Light Artillery was attached to the brigade, and
the whole crossed at McCoy's Ferry and proceeded on their way. Before day on
the morning of the 30th the advance approached Chambersburg, and after feeling
the place with a few shells, and finding no enemy, the town was entered and burned.

Retracing his steps to Virginia by way of Cumberland, McCausland arrived
at that place late in the afternoon of the next day, and found his situation a critical
one. Kelly, with a large force, was in his front, strongly posted behind breast-