Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/126

112 The winter of 1862-63 was employed in picketing and scouting General Jones' front and accompanying the command on various raids on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad and to collect provisions and horses. In the latter part of April, 1863, General Jones went through Moorefield and western Maryland, having numerous skirmishes at the villages of that region and collecting much spoil. On their way to Oakland in Maryland, at Greenland Gap, a pass in the mountain range, necessary to go through in order to reach their destination, they encountered a strong blockhouse of logs, garrisoned with one hundred and fifty infantry, which commanded the way. The Seventh Virginia, Col. Richard H. Dulany, was first ordered in, but was repulsed, its colonel badly and supposed mortally wounded. The First Maryland was then sent forward. The position was almost impregnable. The strong log house was crenelated and the garrison poured through its crevices a constant and devouring fire. Its only approach was by a path, along which only two could charge abreast. Brown took charge and with his adjutant, Booth, led the forlorn hope. With a small number of men they got up to the side of the house, and by sticking close to the wall and firing through the crevices with their revolvers, managed for some moments to live. Brown was shouting for fire, when both he and Booth were shot through the leg from muskets poked through the cracks at them. But the fire was got up and the house set in flames and then the garrison surrendered. Maj. Robert Carter Smith and Lieutenants Pue and Beatty of Company A were severely wounded. The First Maryland lost several in its rank and file. All the field and staff were wounded. After a few days Colonel Brown's, Major Smith's and Captain Booth's wounds became so bad that they had to be sent to the rear, when Capt. Frank A. Bond was assigned to the command.

In the movement on Pennsylvania in June, 1863, the First Maryland was assigned to the command of Brig.-