Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/427

Rh and the Third (Ewell's) brought up the rear. The cavalry was disposed of as follows: two brigades on the Cashtown road under General Fitz. Lee, and the remainder (Jenkins' and Chambliss'), under my immediate command, was directed to proceed by way of Emmettsburg, Maryland, so as to guard the other flank. I dispatched Captain Blackford, Corps Engineers, to General Robertson to inform him of my movement and direct his co-operation, as Emmettsburg was in his immediate front and was probably occupied by the enemy's cavalry. It was dark before I had passed the extreme right of our line; and having to pass through very dense woods, taking by-roads, it soon became so dark that it was impossible to proceed. We were in danger of losing the command as well as the road. It was raining also. We halted for several hours, when, having received a good guide, and it becoming more light, the march was resumed and just at dawn we entered Emmettsburg. We there learned that a large body of the enemy's cavalry (the citizens said 15,000, which I knew, of course, was exaggerated) had passed through that point the afternoon previous, going towards Monterey, one of the passes designated in my instructions to Brigadier-General Robertson. I halted for a short time to procure some rations; and examining my map, I saw that this force could either attempt to force one of those gaps, or foiled in that (as I supposed they would be), it would either turn to the right and bear off towards Fairfield, where it would meet with like repulse from Hills' or Longstreet's corps, or, turning to the left before reaching Monterey, would strike across by Œiler's gap towards Hagerstown, and thus seriously threaten that portion of our trains which, under Imboden, would be passing down the Greencastle pike the next day, and interpose itself between the main body and its baggage. I did not consider that this force could seriously annoy any other portion of the command, under this order of march prescribed—particularly as it was believed that those gaps would be held by General Robertson till he could be reinforced by the main body. I, therefore, determined to adhere to my instructions, and proceed by way of Cavetown, by which I might intercept the enemy should he pass through Œiler's gap.

In and around Emmettsburg we captured sixty or seventy prisoners of war, and some valuable hospital stores en route from Frederick to the army.

The march was resumed on the road to Frederick till we reached a small village called Cooperstown, where our route turned short to the right. Here I halted the column to feed, as the horses were