CHAPTER XXXV.

THE REBEL ADVANCE ON WASHINGTON.

EARLY MOVES DOWN THE VALLEY.-GRANT SENDS UP THE SIXTH AND NINETEENTH. -WALLACE MOVES.—IS DEFEATED, BUT DETAINS EARLY.-DESTRUCTION.-W RIGHT IN COMMAND.-EARLY RETREATS.-THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.-GRANT VISITS HUNTER. SHERIDAN-LET LOOSE.-WINCHESTER.

WE must now go back, in point of time, to the beginning of July, and turn to the consideration of an event which promised to give Grant great additional trouble, and which caused him, as we have before indicated, to detach some of his troops, and send them northward for the defence of Washington towards the line of the Potomac.

When Hunter retreated from Lynchburg into Western Virginia, the ever-memorable Valley of the Shenandoah was left open to the enemy, for raids across our frontier, into the loyal States of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The rebel authorities were not slow to avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded. A considerable force was moved down the Valley, under General Jubal Early, who had resumed the command during the disability of Ewell, with the intention of invading the North, opening the way for larger bodies, and perhaps so working upon the fears of our people, and the authorities at Washington, as to force Grant to abandon the siege of Petersburg. Early's force was his own corps, with a portion of that of Breckinridge, and detachments, making in all about twentyfive thousand men.

Grant was disappointed at this new obstacle to his plans; but his ready resources did not fail him.

He ordered Hunter, who was now in Western Virginia, to move as rapidly as possible, by river and railroad, to Harper's Ferry. But Hunter's delays were great. The water was low in the river, and the railroad was broken in several places. To meet this emergency, troops must be had at once; therefore, early in July, the Sixth Corps was taken from its lines in front of Petersburg, and sent to cover Washington. The Nineteenth Corps, under General W. H. Emory, which had been ordered from the Gulf as soon as Grant had heard of the failure of the Red River expedition, had just arrived in Hampton Roads without disembarking, it was also pushed after the Sixth. Rickett's division of the Sixth was sent to Baltimore. Wright, with the remainder, subsequently went to Washington.

In a military point of view, the enemy deserves great credit for the bold stroke he now made. Thundering down the Valley, on the 3d of July he was at Martinsburg. Sigel, who had a small command there, at once retreated across the Potomac to Shepardstown. Weber, in command at Harper's Ferry, likewise evacuated the town, occupying the Maryland Heights opposite. The enemy, being now unobstructed, crossed the river at Williamsport and Point of Rocks, and on the 6th of July was at Hagerstown; from which he pushed a strong column towards Frederick, and other detachments to destroy the railroad and canal, and to plunder the surrounding towns. Grant's foresight had been admirable, and the re-enforcements had been sent not a moment too soon.

WALLACE MOVES.

General Lewis Wallace, in command of the Department of Annapolis, with his headquarters at Baltimore, taking with him his own command, and Rickett's division of the Sixtheight thousand in all-promptly moved out, first to Frederick, and then took position on the Monocacy, near the railroad

crossing, where, on the 8th of July, he fought the advancing enemy. The contest was unequal. The enemy were sixteen thousand strong. Except the Sixth Corps, Wallace's command consisted of one hundred days' men, heavy artillery regiments, invalids, and volunteers; and although he was defeated by a flank movement of Early upon his right, he deserves great credit for his prompt advance, his brave reception of the impetuous rebel attack, and, in a word, for doing every thing in his power, with the inadequate means at his command. By this course of conduct he employed and detained the enemy, while Wright could reach Washington with the remainder of the Sixth Corps and the advance of the Nineteenth.

These troops entered Washington at the very nick of time; for the enemy, inspirited by his success on the Monocacy, at once moved upon the Federal capital; while Wallace fell back to defend Baltimore. On the 10th of July, Early's cavalry was at Rockville. On the 12th, the commander of the troops in Washington, General Augur, threw out a reconnoissance in force from Fort Stevens, and encountered the enemy, losing two hundred and eighty killed and wounded; but skirmishing was continued during the day, and the enemy retired that night, recrossing the Potomac at Portersville and Edwards' Ferry.

Let every man have his just tribute. To give the archenemy his due, the rebels certainly gave us a good scare, and accomplished humiliating wonders in this brief period. The rebel cavalry destroyed a long stretch of the Northern Central Railroad, and burned Gunpowder Bridge; and, reaching a thoroughfare never dreamed to be insecure, captured a train on the Philadelphia and Baltimore road.

At a quarter before twelve o'clock, on the night of the 12th, Grant telegraphed to Washington to have General Wright put in command of all the troops in the field there; and he urged that our men should now be put out of the trenches, and push Early vigorously at every step of his retreat. In accordance with these directions, Wright began the pursuit, and overtook

the rear-guard of Early at Snicker's Ferry, on the Shenandoah, where a sharp battle ensued, in which the enemy was worsted. Averill, who had promptly moved up the Valley with his cavalry, caught a portion of Early's force at Winchester, and defeated them, capturing four guns and five hundred prisoners.

THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.

The very difficult duty now devolved upon Grant of directing the movements of troops from City Point,-difficult, because not only were they out of his sight, but he had conflicting reports of the details of the operations. Messages and orders crossed each other in such a manner as to confuse, not only the lieutenant-general, but also General Wright and the authorities at Washington.

His first impulse, when he found Early retreating, was to bring back the Sixth and Nineteenth corps to Petersburg, and make a new assault on Lee before Early could re-enforce him; but orders to that effect were postponed, and at length countermanded, as soon as he found that Early did not design to return to Richmond, but meant to continue his operations in the Valley. Grant then directed General Hunter, who had now arrived with his troops from Western Virginia, to maintain a defensive in the Valley, and thus deter the rebels from again advancing on Washington.

Again concentrating his forces, on the 24th Early attacked Crook and Averill, and flanking them, drove their forces through Winchester and across the Potomac. He was now ready for a forward movement. On the 25th he again came proudly forward, as if to cross the river; and to meet him, Grant ordered the Sixth Corps to Harper's Ferry.

Connected with this movement of Early, was a rebel raid into Pennsylvania by a small cavalry force-only three or four hundred-under McCausland, which perpetrated the diabolical outrage of burning the undefended town of Chambersburg, because the people would not, or could not, pay half a million of dollars ransom. He then retreated, with our cavalry after