Today in History:

221 Series I Volume XXXVII-I Serial 70 - Monocacy Part I

Page 221 Chapter XLIX. OPERATIONS IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY, ETC.

Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry charged me with desperation, but were repulsed with the loss of their colors, their major, color bearer, and several men killed nd a number wounded. The force pursuing me was McCausland's brigade. I had eighty men of my own regiment and thirty-five men of Stahel's cavalry with which to oppose McCausland's brigade. Stahel's cavalry I could not bring into action, and ordered them to the rear to enable me to keep a clear road in my rear. Deploying my eighty men as skirmishers and making a show of having received re-enforcements, the enemy dismounted their advance regiment to fight me on foot, sending their horses to the rear and blocking up the road. I immediately called back my skirmishers over a hill and fell back to Monrovia, where I found trains loaded with wounded and stragglers moving off. Crossing to the Baltimore turnpike I covered the rear of our retreating forces until they arrived at Ellicott's Mills. My loss this day was 1 man killed; Lieutenant J. A. Kinley and 5 men wounded. Company C and I, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, Captain Wells commanding, were entirely cut of and fell back on Washington. Captain Leib's men behaved well and fell back in good order from our extreme right, forming part of the rear guard. The Loundoun Rangers are worthless as cavalry.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. R. CLENDENIN,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Eighth Illinois Cavalry.

Lieutenant Colonel SAMUEL B. LAWRENCE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Numbers 20. Report of Captain Edward H. Leib, Fifth U. S. Cavalry, commanding Mounted Infantry, of operations July 6-10, including battle of the Monocacy.

BALTIMORE, July 18, 1864.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I left with my command of mounted infantry on the 6th instant for Monocacy Junction. I arrived and reported to General Tyler, who immediately ordered me to move to the front and report to Colonel Gilpin, of the Third Potomac Home Brigade. I reported to him and was ordered to support Alexander's battery of artillery. About 12 o'clock at night I was gain ordered to move to the Monocacy pike bridge and hold it.

On the 8th I was ordered again to the front with my command to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Clendenin, of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry. He ordered me to move to the extreme front and throw out my men, which I did. I remained in position all day; at dusk I was relieved by a regiment of the Sixth Corps, with orders to feed my horses and procure rations for my men. I met General Tyler on the road, who ordered me to move out on the Buckeystown road and feel the enemy. I moved out about five miles, and was moving on when I was ordered back to Frederick. I arrived there about 12 o'clock at night, and, in conjunction with the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, brought up the rear guard to the Monocacy Junction; from there I was ordered to move up the Monocacy River one mile to the Baltimore pike bridge to a ford, and hold it. I was also requested to


Page 221 Chapter XLIX. OPERATIONS IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY, ETC.