64

great battle one of Hays' Louisiana regiments, having lost all its officers but a
Lieutenant, and suffered dreadfully in men, broke and went in great confusion
to the rear. Colonel Johnson called the First Maryland to "Attention!" The
brave fellows sprang to their feet, for they had been hugging the ground closely,
and the gallant Louisianians quickly rallied on their left. Colonel Johnson then
moved the whole through the darkness to the front, but the battle was over, and
except an occasional shell from the gunboats there was nothing to disturb the
stillness of the night but the cries and groans of the thousands of wounded men
who covered that ghastly field.

Here again the First Maryland became temporarily attached to General
Winder's command. In his official report that General says :

Hearing of troops near by not engaged, I immediately sent for them, and was soon
reinforced by a portion of General Lawton's Brigade, General J. R. Jones' Brigade, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham, and a part of the Louisiana Brigade, and that gallant
band of Marylanders under the brave Colonel B. T. Johnson. Colonel Johnson, hearing
I needed assitance, came forward to tender his regiment, which I gladly accepted, and
gave him the advance, directing him to extend our line some half a mile to the right,
placing my picket on and near the flank of the enemy. This duty he executed rapidly and with
good judgment, holding this position until after the enemy had retired the following day.

Long before daybreak on the morning of the 2d of July the Confederate Army
was in line of battle ready to renew the conflict that had resulted so disastrously
the day before, hut McClellan had withdrawn during the night. Colonel Johnson
ordered Companies A and D to move through a piece of woods and see if any of
the enemy remained in that direction. The two companies, deployed as skir-
mishers, advanced in beautiful order, and upon emerging from the woods into the
open country they encountered a body of cavalry, which hastily retired upon
being fired upon. Thus it will be seen that the First Maryland opened the Seven
Days' Battles on the 26th of June near Games' Mill and tired the last shot at
Malvern Hill.

McClellan had withdrawn his shattered and demoralized army to Harrison's
Landing and entrenched, where, under cover of his gunboats, he was safe.

The 4th of July found the First Maryland at Westover Church, where it
remained for several days skirmishing with the enemy.

From Westover Church the First Maryland was ordered to Richmond, and
encamped on the Central railroad, about three miles from the city.

The regiment, which had entered the field in the spring numbering seven
hundred and twenty men, had from various causes been reduced to about one
hundred and fifty. No regiment in the service had received more hard knocks,