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of two companies, H and I, were about to expire, which would leave but a handful
of men to represent the regiment.
Therefore, for this purpose, on the 13th of June Colonel Johnson was ordered
to take his regiment to Staunton, where upon its arrival Companies H and I were
mustered out of the service. The void, however, occasioned by the departure
of these companies was in a measure filled by the addition to its ranks of a
company, just arrived from Richmond, commanded by Captain Edmund Barry.
Captain Barry was an old Mexican soldier, and the men of which his company
was composed were fine young fellows from the lower counties of Maryland.
The company was given the title of C, as the first Company C had been mustered
out some weeks before.
At this time reinforcements for Jackson were rapidly arriving, and it was
confidently believed that another visit was to be paid to the vicinity of Winchester,
upon which place Fremont had fallen back after Port Republic. The Washington
authorities evidently thought so, too, for they were not long in learning of their
arrival, and McClellan's importunities to be reinforced by McDowell, then at
Manassas, availed nothing. And still the sending of these reinforcements to
Jackson was but a blind as to General Lee's real movements, and the Federal
authorities were easily misled.
Great, then, was the surprise of his troops when on the 17th of June Jackson
put his army in motion and marched them aboard the many trains that had so
mysteriously arrived at Staunton, and it soon became apparent to all that they
were destined for Richmond.
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