rmy passed our door _en
route_, as at least he hoped, for Washington. General John B. Gordon
sent an orderly to our house with his compliments to ask for a map of
Frederick County, which we were unable to supply. All through the day
the Southern troops continued to march by, until, towards sunset, the
rear of the last column halted in front of our place. As we knew that a
battle was imminent, we awaited the result with beating hearts and
anxious hopes. When the firing of cannon began we know that the battle
of the Monocacy had begun and were truly grateful that it was four miles
away! The battle was short and decisive and the Southern Army was
repulsed. The wounded soldiers were conveyed to Frederick, where
hospitals were improvised, and the dead were laid to rest in Mount
Olivet Cemetery, on the outskirts of the city. Both Northern and
Southern sympathizers became skilled nurses and their gentle
ministrations resulted in several instances in romantic attachments.
Among the young physicians left in Frederick to attend the wounded
soldiers was Doctor Robert S. Weir, who subsequently became
distinguished as a surgeon in New York City. While stationed at the
hospital in Frederick, he met a daughter of Robert G. McPherson, whom at
the conclusion of the war he married. Mrs. McPherson was Miss Milicent
Washington, who was a direct descendant of Colonel Samuel Washington, a
younger brother of George Washington, and whose five wives are all
interred in the graveyard at the old family home, Harewood, in Jefferson
County, Virginia. Mrs. McPherson, one of whose ancestors was Miss Ann
Steptoe, who married Willoughby Allerton, was also a niece of "Dolly"
Madison.

Prior to the battle of the Monocacy I discovered that our house was
again surrounded by quite a number of Northern soldiers. This was an
usual occurrence, to be sure, but this time they were making such a
careful scrutiny of the premises that I was led to inquire of one of
them what object they had in view. To my utter dismay I was informed
that as our house was upon a hill they had selected it as "a position,"
and that our safest place was in the cellar. We soon realized the wisdom
of this retreat as shells began to fly around us from several directions
and with much rapidity. We spent the greater part of the day
underground, wondering all the while how long our involuntary
imprisonment would last, as these dark and dismal quarters were
naturally a great restraint upon t