Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/489

 General Stuart's Expedition into Pennsylvania. 483

his batteries beyond the Monocacy, between which and our soHtary gun quite a spirited fire continued for some time. This answered, in connection with the high crest occupied by our piece, to screen entirely my real movement quickly to the left, making a bold and rapid strike for White's lord, to make my way across before the enemy at Poolesville and Monocacy could be aware of my design. Although delayed somewhat by about two hundred infantry, strongly posted in the cliffs over the ford, yet they yielded to the moral effect of a few shells before engaging our sharpshooters, and the crossing of the canal (now dry) and river was effected with all the precision of passing a defile on drill. A section of artillery being sent with the advance and placed in position on the Loudoun side, another piece on the Maryland height, while Pelham continued to occupy the attention of the enemy with the other, withdrawing from position to position until his piece was ordered to cross. The enemy was march- ing from Poolesville in the meantime, but came up in line of battle on the Maryland bank only to receive a thundering salutation, with evident effect, from our guns on this side,

1 lost not a man killed on the expedition, and only a few slight wounds. The enemy's loss is not known, but Pelham's one gun compelled the enemy's battery to change its position three times.

The remainder of the march was destitute of interest. The con- duct of the command and their behavior towards the inhabitants is worthy of the highest praise ; a few individual cases only were ex- ceptions in this particular.

Brigadier General Hampton and Colonels Lee, Jones, Wickham and Butler, and the officers and men under their command, are en- titled to my lasting gratitude for their coolness in danger and cheer- ful obedience to orders. Unoffending persons were treated with civility, and the inhabitants were generous in proffers of provisions on the march. We seized and brought over a large number of horses, the property of citizens of the United States.

The valuable information obtained in this reconnoissance as to the distribution of the enemy's force was communicated orally to the Commanding General, and need not here be repeated. A number of public functionaries and prominent citizens were taken captives and brought over as hostages for our own unoffending citizens whom the enemy have torn from their homes and confined in dungeons in the North. One or two of my men lost their way and are probably in the hands of the enemy.

The results of this expedition in a moral and political point of view