Page:A Memoir of the Last Year of the War for Independence in the Confederate States of America.djvu/60

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OPERATIONS IN FRONT OF WASHINGTON

were sent to the hospitals at Frederick under charge of competent medical officers, and our dead were buried. During the operations at Monocacy, a contribution of $200,000 in money, was levied on the city of Frederick, and some needed supplies were obtained.



OPERATIONS IN FRONT OF WASHINGTON, AND
RECROSSING THE POTOMAC.

On the 10th, the march was resumed at daylight, and we bivouacked four miles from Rockville, on the Georgetown pike, having marched twenty miles. Ramseur's division which had remained behind for a short time to protect a working party engaged in destroying the railroad bridge, was detained, for a time in driving off the party of cavalry which had been following from Maryland Heights, and did not get up until one o'clock at night. McCausland, moving in front on this day, drove a body of the enemy's cavalry before him, and had quite a brisk engagement at Rockville, where he encamped after defeating and driving off the enemy.

We moved at daylight on the 11th: McCausland moving on the Georgetown pike, while the infantry, preceded by Imboden's cavalry under Colonel Smith, turned to the left at Rockville, so as to reach the 7th street pike which runs by Silver Spring into Washington, Jackson's cavalry moved on the, left flank. The previous day had been very warm, and the roads were exceedingly dusty, MS there had been no rain for several weeks. The heat during the night had been very oppressive, and but little rest had been obtained. This day was an exceedingly hot one, and there was no air stirring. While marching, the men were enveloped in a suffocating cloud of dust, and many of them fell by the way from exhaustion. Our progress was therefore very much impeded, but I pushed on as rapidly as possible, hoping to get into the fortiti-