Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/95

 FTER Cross Keys and Port Republic, when Fremont and Shields were sent whirling down the valley, Jackson made a feint of pursuit, and pushed his cavalry some marches after them. He ordered the First Maryland to Staunton to recruit, where, during the next ten days, Company I was mustered out on June 17th, its time having expired. These men left the regiment with the respect of the whole command and the love of their colonel. Their captain, Michael Stone Robertson, belonged to an historic family in Charles county and was a descendant of Col. John H. Stone, colonel of the First regiment of the Maryland Line of the Revolution. His words as he fell were, "Go on, boys, don't mind me," and he died at his next breath. Lieut. Nicholas Snowden, of Company D, who died at the same time, had been captain of a cavalry company in Prince George's in 1860-61, and had joined Captain Herbert, his cousin, at Harper's Ferry, early in May, 1861. He was as honest, gallant and high-minded a gentleman as ever lived. The blood that Maryland poured out on that evening of June 6th was as precious and as glorious as any she has ever given in all her history, at Long Island, at Monterey, or in the army of Northern Virginia.

At Staunton the regiment was reinforced with a new company under Capt. John H. Barry, which was designated Company G. About June 24th Jackson made a sudden disappearance from the front of Fremont, and reappeared on Lee's left on the Chickahominy. He picked up the First Maryland at Staunton, and moved by