ed in the vicinity of
Hagerstown. The road we were on enters the town at right angles with the
pike from Hagerstown to Williamsport, on reaching which we turned to the
left, the position being something like the following diagram:

North
Hagerstown

Boonsborough
East
Williamsport
South

Lee's reserve wagon trains were at Williamsport under General Imboden.
From Hagerstown to Williamsport was about five miles. We had Stuart's
cavalry in our front, Lee's whole army on our right, and only five miles
to our left the tempting prize which Kilpatrick was eager to seize.
Besides, it was necessary for Lee to reach Williamsport in order to
secure a crossing of the Potomac river.

The advance of his army reached Hagerstown simultaneously with
ourselves, but the skirmishers of the First brigade drove them back to
the northward, and then the Michigan brigade passed through and turned
southward on the pike toward Williamsport. The Fifth Michigan had the
advance and the Sixth the rear. The latter regiment had hardly more than
turned in the new direction when the boom of a cannon in front told the
story that the battle had begun.

General Kilpatrick had been attending to matters in Hagerstown. It was
evident that there was considerable force there and that it was
constantly augmenting. The opening gun at Williamsport called his
attention to a new danger. It looked as though he had deliberately
walked into a trap. In a moment I saw him coming, dashing along the
flank of the column. He was urging his horse to its utmost speed. In his
hand he held a small riding whip with which he was touching the flank of
his charger as he rode. His face was pale. His eyes were gazing fixedly
to the front and he looked neither to the right nor to the left. The
look of anxiety on his countenance was apparent. The sound of cannon
grew louder and more frequent; we were rushed rapidly to the front. The
First brigade followed and to the officer in command of it was assigned
the task of holding back Lee's army while the Michigan brigade tried
titles with Imboden. Buford, with the First cavalry division, was
fighting Stuart's cavalry to the left, towards Boonsborough, and on him
it depended to keep open the only avenue of escape from the position
in which Kilpatrick found himself.

[Illustration: AARON CONE JEWETT]

In a little time the two b