Numbers 208. Reports of Colonel Thomas T. Munford Second Virginia Cavalry, commanding brigade, of operations September 4-20.

[OCTOBER 16?], 1862.

* * * * *

On the 4th [of September*] I was ordered to take command of the brigade [Robertson's], then route for Maryland. I joined General Stuart at Urbana, and, on the morning of September 8, I was ordered to Poolesville, with instructions to drive the enemy from that place. My advance guard had just entered the place when the enemy appeared in force, with three regiments of cavalry and four pieces of artillery. I selected an elevated position to the left of the town, and, as soon as they came within range, opened on them. In a few moments they replied with two heavy pieces, and at the same time advanced and drove in my pickets to the left and rear of my advance gun. Not knowing the country, and having had but a few moments' notice, I had some difficulty in extricating my guns, one a howitzer, the other a Blakely. The enemy charged up near the howitzer, but two rounds of canister sent them hurriedly back. Captain Myers, commanding the Seventh, charged them handsomely. They also charged the rifle piece supported by the Twelfth, when Colonel Harman repulsed them with some loss. A portion of his regiment behaved very badly. His loss was 8 men, killed, wounded, and missing. His regiment had been reduced by detail and other causes to about 75 men. Colonel Harman himself displayed great gallantry, and, had his command supported him, the result would have been different. Lieutenant-Colonel Burks, temporarily commanding the Second (all the field officers being was wounded), held the cross-roads and checked the enemy with his sharpshooters. In this skirmish Private P. H. Bird, of Company D, was killed, and Sergt. James W. Biggs, of Company C, badly wounded. For three days I held this cross-roads, skirmishing every day, guarding the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

On Thursday, the 11th, General Slocum advanced with his division and we fell back to a point 3 miles from Frederick City on the Buckeystown road. I may here state that the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, belonging to the brigade, having been left at Centreville to collect arms, &c., was not in Maryland with the brigade. The Seventeenth Battalion was on detached service, and on the 10th the Seventh Regiment was ordered to report to General Jackson. They did not again join the brigade until we recrossed into Virginia.

On the 12th we removed to Jefferson. At this point we renamed until the next day, constantly skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry. The enemy's infantry pressing us on three roads, we fell back to Burkittsville. The enemy advanced on Jefferson by the Point of Rocks road, on the main road from Poolesville, and by a road over a gap which intersects the road leading to Middletown about 1 1/2 miles from Jefferson. We were pursued nearly the whole way to Burkittsville by their cavalry. We had the brigade train to protect. I kept them back with the sharpshooters of the Second Regiment, under Captain Holland, and hurried Colonel Harman's command on to Burkittsville to protect the road leading directly from Jefferson to that point. Captain [T. B.] Holland, finding himself heavily pressed and with a mere handful of men, made a dash at a regiment of the enemy's cavalry, driving them back with loss.

---------------

*Portion of report omitted above relates to operations August 26-September 3, 1862, and is printed in Series I, Vol. XII, Part I., pp. 747-749.

---------------