After Gen. Johnson with his brigade of cavalry had crossed the Potomac on July 5th at Shepherdstown, he moved through Sharpsburg, sending a scouting party in the direction of Hagerstown, and camped at Keedysville that night. The next day (the 6th) he moved through Boonsboro' by the turnpike and camped on the top of the mountain, between Boonsboro' and Middletown, in the gap which was the scene of Reno's attack, where ex-President (then Col. R. B.) Hayes was wounded, just before the battle of Sharpsburg, in September, 1862. On the 7th, being still held back by the orders of Maj.-Gen. Ransom, commanding Early's cavalry, who insisted upon his keeping within reach of the infantry, he made another slow movement towards Frederick. Early had passed part of his force over the Potomac on the evening of the 5th, and was maneuvering to oust the Federal force from Maryland Heights, .being unwilling to expose his flank to it while moving on Washington, as well as to leave it in his rear.
In Middletown Johnson's advance came in contact with the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, Col. Clendenin, which had moved from Frederick on a reconnaissance. Col. Clendenin's force consisted of about three hundred of the Eighth Illinois, Cole's Maryland cavalry battalion, and two pieces of Alexander's Baltimore artillery. After a sharp skirmish the Federals were driven back, and made a stand on the top of the mountain between Frederick and Middletown. Gen. Johnson deployed the two Maryland battalions under Col. Harry Gilmor and pressed them on the Federal position, when Col. Clendenin, finding he was about to be flanked, withdrew into Frederick, the Confederates pressing hotly on his retreat, moving to within a mile of Frederick on the Hagerstown turnpike. Johnson's brigade consisted of about eight hundred effectives and the Baltimore Light Artillery with four guns.
As he passed the hamlet of Fairview, at the toll-gate he detached Lieut.-Col. Dunn with a Virginia regiment by the road that pusses from the right of the road behind the estate of Prospect Hill to the Harper's Ferry road. Dunn passed rapidly down the road in a sweeping gallop, and turning into the Harper's Ferry road, moved sharply towards the city, pushing his dismounted skirmishers as far as Rizer's barn, and across through Mount Olivet Cemetery towards the Georgetown turnpike. These operations created the utmost excitement in the city. From early dawn on the 7th it was rumored in Frederick that the Confederates were only a short distance from the city, and that they would soon enter and occupy it. The arrival of couriers and wounded from the skirmish beyond Middletown, bringing the news that the force sent out to hold the Confederates in check until reinforcements arrived was unable to cope with them, and was slowly falling back towards Frederick, raised higher the alarm, and by noon business was suspended, stores closed, and many fled from the city. All the sick and stores were hastily removed. About half-past three o'clock the Federal forces came down the Hagerstown turnpike, and immediately took position on the edge of the city. It was an exciting time for the citizens of Frederick, as it was impossible to resist a direct assault upon the city with the light force at the command of Col. Clendenin. At this time, however, Gen. Wallace, the commander of the department, sent up from Monocacy Junction the Third Maryland Regiment, which was promptly marched to the front under Col. Gilpin, the senior officer present, who assumed command and disposed of his forces for battle. The whole force under his command at this time in defense of the city was the Third Maryland, seven hundred men; Eighth Illinois Cavalry, three hundred men; three pieces of Alexander's battery (Baltimore), about fifty men; and two companies of Col. Maulsby's Potomac Home Brigade, and Maj. Cole's Maryland cavalry.
About four o'clock the Confederates were to be seen from the roofs of the houses in Frederick coming down the Hagerstown road, and also the Harper's Ferry or Jefferson road, apparently in strong force. Capt. Alexander opened his battery upon the advancing foe, when they closed up and formed their line of battle on the west front of the city, covering the Harper's Ferry and Hagerstown roads, planting their guns on " Hogan's Hills" and the " Red Hills," and posting their cavalry in the valley formed between the two hills named and the Catoctin Mountains. The engagement opened about half-past four o'clock with an artillery duel between Alexander's guns in Zimmerman's fields and the Confederate guns on Hogan's Hill. The skirmishers soon advanced, and the sharp crack of musketry was heard for about two hours with no result on either side, when the Third Maryland Regiment was advanced and drove the Confederates out of Rizer's field, lying on the Harper's Ferry road, on the west side of the city, which they held for the remainder of the day. The two companies of Col. Maulsby's regiment supported the guns at the head of Patrick Street, and the Eighth Illinois Cavalry were dismounted and rendered effective service on the skirmish-line. During the artillery duel several shots from the Confederate batteries entered the heart of the city and did some damage. All the houses on the west side of the city were deserted, as they were in range of the Confederate guns.
The Confederate line of battle held its position, pushing its skirmishers along the front of the Federal line to conceal the movement Johnson was preparing to make by the reservoir road at the northwestern end, and by the Georgetown road at the southern end of the city. He was perfectly informed by his friends of the forces and condition of things within the Federal line, and he proposed sending in one regiment by the reservoir road, while Lieut.-Col. Dunn charged with his regiment down through Market Street, by the Georgetown road, and the main body moved directly on in front. This attack on both flanks and in front, he believed, would result in the capture of the entire force engaging him. Gen. Ransom, who was with Johnson's column, prohibited him from attempting to execute this plan, and ordered him to withdraw his troops to the top of the mountain as soon as night covered the movement.
Chagrined and mortified, Johnson saw a brilliant victory eluding his grasp and a substantial success thus escaping him, and sullenly withdrew about nine o'clock the night of the 7th. His headquarters during the engagement that afternoon had been on the range of hills not far from the house of George Wm. Smith.
All day of the 8th the Confederates lay inactive, leaving the garrison of Frederick in the greatest anxiety, which feeling was intensely shared by the administration at Washington.
Col. Clendenin and the Eighth Illinois Cavalry made another reconnaissance from Frederick by way of the Mountain or Shookstown road on the 8th, but were driven back with loss by Gilmor and the First and Second Maryland Cavalry. The head of Early's column of infantry reached Middletown the evening of the 8th, and the same evening Gen. Wallace, having assumed command at Frederick, ordered the evacuation of that place.
Hastily gathering the stores and ammunition, he forwarded them by rail to Monocacy Junction, and withdrew his forces by the turnpike road to the same place. The whole movement was executed quietly, and by midnight there was scarcely a Federal soldier in the city, except a few scouts who had been stationed to watch the movements of the Confederates.
The feelings of the Union people of Frederick when it became known that the Federal troops were about to evacuate the city, cannot be described. Hundreds left with the troops in every manner of conveyance, and many on foot. On the withdrawal of the Federal forces many of the Southern sympathizers made their way out the Hagerstown road and communicated the intelligence to the Confederates, who immediately entered the city with cavalry and hoisted their flag over the court-house. The capture was a barren victory, so far as military supplies were concerned, as everything in the way of stores, horses, ammunition, wagons, etc., belonging to the Federal government had been removed long previous to its evacuation. Nearly all the horses of citizens were sent away, and many people had sent their valuables to a point of safety. The banks had made ample arrangements to secure their property. The collector of internal revenue sent over seventy thousand dollars in his possession to Washington, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company secured all their rollingstock and motive-power on the road.
On taking possession of Frederick the Confederates appointed a provost-marshal, etc., and on the