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a demand for the surrender of the block house was complied with, and McCaus-
land was safe.

At Moorefield, soon after, McCausland was surprised in camp by Averill,
when thirteen men of the Baltimore Light Artillery were sabred and captured at
their guns endeavoring to load them, and two pieces were lost.

After this affair the remnant of the battery was ordered to the vicinity of
Newmarket, in the Valley of Virginia, to be reorganized and equipped. Here the
number of the battery was considerably increased by the transfer of Marylanders
who had served three years in Fort Sumter, and also by men from Major Breathed's
old battery. Horses and guns were furnished from the reserve artillery, and in a
short time Lieutenant McNulty (who had succeeded to the command) found
himself in a condition to take the field.

Sheridan was about this time rapidly advancing towards Staunton, and Early,
with a small force, had fallen back to Brown's Gap, in the Blue Ridge. McNulty
was at once ordered to join him at Port Republic, which he was enabled to do, by
making a detour, on the 27th of September. From Port Republic Early moved
towards Waynesboro', where the head of his column met that of Sheridan, and
after a desperate fight drove him back up the Valley, Early pursuing.

The scenes which these brave men were compelled to witness as they pressed
on after the brutal Sheridan and his band of incendiaries were appalling, indeed.
Hundreds of poor, helpless women and children were encountered on the road,
fleeing to a place of refuge, but knew not where to find it, for other homes as well
as their own had been plied with the incendiaries' torch. Piteously they plead for
protection and a morsel of food from the rough soldiers, but, alas ! it was not
within their power to afford them either. Night after night the heavens were
illumined by the light of burning farmhouses, barns, mills, etc., and day after day
was made dark by the dense smoke that filled the heavens. Surely, Grant and
his minion Sheridan will be long remembered by the people of the Valley of
Virginia, and their names associated by them and their posterity with all that is
bad, brutal and vindictive.

Slight skirmishing ensued between the pursued and pursuers until the former
reached Fisher's Hill, where they met their infantry, when Lomax, in command
of the cavalry, retired to the vicinity of Woodstock. At daylight next morning,
the 8th of October, Lomax and Rosser moved to attack the enemy, who had
advanced to Maurytown. Rosser was ordered to attack on the left, and Lomax
took the right, forming his troops on both sides of the Valley pike. The Baltimore
Light Artillery, under Lieutenant McNulty, was stationed on an eminence north
of the town. The fight soon began with great fury, Lomax and Rosser attacking
simultaneously, and the enemy were driven back some distance. Heavy reinforce-
ments coming to the support of the enemy, he re-formed his broken columns, and
the fight was waged with redoubled fury. Towards noon Rosser, on the left, was