Echols' and Gordon's divisions, Early's corps of Rodes' and Ramseur's divisions, with a corps of cavalry commanded by General Ransom, the constitution or numbers of which I cannot give accurately. There were W. L. Jackson's brigade, McCausland's brigade, Vaughan's brigade, Imboden's brigade, and a number of smaller organization, the whole being about three thousand cavalry, most of it known as wild cavalry—of the inefficiency of which there was constant complaint and almost daily exhibition. The infantry numbered about eight thousand, and were in the main as good as any in the service—all being inured to fighting, except the troops which had come from Southwest Virginia with General Breckinridge, which had not seen so much field service as the others.
From Martinsburg, General Early moved to Sharpsburg, and, threatening Harper's Ferry with his cavalry, crossed on the 5th into Maryland. On the morning of the 9th he reached Frederick City, near and beyond which General Lew. Wallace, with a force of six or eight thousand men, had taken position beyond Monocacy creek. It was at this place shortly after noon that General Breckinridge, with Gordon's division alone, won a decisive victory over Wallace. Crossing the Monocacy two miles below the Monocacy Junction, he struck Wallace with a flanking movement, but not until he had time hastily to change front. The repulse was decisive, the engagement being one of the bloodiest of the war—the heaviest struggle being on the bluff bank of the Monocacy, whose waters were made crimson with the blood of those slain or wounded by its side, many of whom fell or found refuge in the creek. A large number of prisoners, near a thousand, were captured, and Wallace fled with his forces in confusion to Baltimore. The road to Washington being open (forty-five miles), Early marched on the Middletown road next day (10th), and on the 11th, about noon, his advance was in front of the fortifications at Silver Spring—Breckinridge being in the advance. It was plainly inpracticable to make an attack, for besides an impassible abatis in front of the works, which consisted of star forts connected by heavy entrenchments, there was every evidence that the forts were manned and supplied with guns sufficient to repel any assault; an almost continuous fire was kept up at us with artillery. Early's object being to make a diversion merely to draw troops from General Lee's front, he remained until the night of the 12th, and then, a council of officers having approved the move, fell back in the night towards Edwards' ferry, reaching Seneca creek, twenty-seven miles from Washington,
