y
exhausted, the difficulties of transporting over so long a march
sufficient ordnance stores being very great, he determined to withdraw
without risking a battle. His want of ammunition forced him to make his
retreat by that route which would afford most natural obstacles to
pursuit and attack of the enemy. Accordingly, instead of retiring
directly down the Shenandoah, he drew his forces off through the Kanawha
Valley, leaving the Shenandoah open to the rebel army. The march of
Hunter's men through the Kanawha, harassed by the enemy and destitute of
food, was one of great severity. The rebels finding the Shenandoah open
to them, at once pushed northward with a view of ravaging Maryland and
Pennsylvania, and, if possible, entering Washington.

Owing to the great difficulties encountered by General Hunter's army, in
reaching Harper's Ferry in time to oppose Early, it became necessary to
send other troops to meet the invading force. Accordingly, about the 1st
of July, the Third division of our Sixth corps, under command of General
Ricketts, was sent to Baltimore, and from thence marched toward
Frederick, Maryland, where, on the banks of the Monocacy near the
railroad bridge, the enemy was encountered. The Union forces consisted
of the division from the Sixth corps, and a few thousand green troops
collected about Baltimore, all under command of General Wallace. The
force of Early greatly outnumbered those of the Union general, and after
a hard fought battle our men were driven back. Although General Wallace
had met with defeat, he had succeeded in arresting the progress of the
invasion for a time, and enabled the remainder of our corps and a
division of the Nineteenth corps to reach Washington in advance of the
rebels.

Such was the state of affairs in Maryland, when, on the evening of the
9th July, the First and Second divisions of the Sixth corps were ordered
to march to City Point at once. The order came at nine o'clock, and
without delay the troops were in motion. We had become too much
accustomed to sudden movements, to require long preparations for
breaking up camp. The march of fourteen miles to City Point made during
the night, was far more tolerable than it could have been by day. For
although the roads were composed of dry beds of dust, in which the men
sank almost ankle deep at every step, and the cloud which rose as the
column moved along filled their throats and eyes and nostrils, yet they
were not forced to