"Saturday morning found us in line of battle, my command forming the right of the line, my left resting on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and connecting with Gen. Ricketts; the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio National Guards and three companies of the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio National Guards holding the extreme right. Col. Gilpin's Third Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade, Maryland Volunteers, and three companies of the First Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade, under Capt. Barnford, extending along the base of the hill, holding the ford between the stone bridge and junction, and the Eleventh Maryland, Col. Landstreet, completing my line. The enemy appeared directly in my front about 9 a.m., and opened on us with artillery, and attacked inconsiderable force our skirmish-line formed on the west bank of the Monocacy. and composed of the troops of the First Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade, under command of Capt. Brown. Three guns of Capt. Alexander's battery (three having been sent to Gen. Ricketts) and a twenty-four-pounder howitzer soon checked their advancing lines, and the action in my front, with the exception of sharpshooters and skirmish firing, was an artillery fight. This at times was quite spirited, continuing until near the close of the action. We maintained our position without serious loss.
"The conduct of Capt. Brown, of First Maryland. Potomac Home Brigade, and his command merits special notice; they successfully maintained their skirmish-line against a superior force to the close, and resisted several charges of the enemy.
" Capt. Alexander, with his officers and men, behaved in the most gallant manner, serving their guns with great coolness and effect. I desire particularly to call the commanding general's attention to their conduct during the three days we were in front of the enemy.
"The One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio and three companies of the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio National Guards, under Col. Brown, considering their inexperience, behaved well, successfully resisting several charges of the enemy. "Col. Gilpin's regiment, with the three companies of the First Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade, that were assigned him, although serving in detachments along an extended line, fully sustained the enviable reputation they had won on Thursday.
" The Eleventh Maryland was not brought into action, but was exposed for a time to the artillery fire of the enemy.
"The cavalry was placed under the direction of Lieut.-Col. Clendenin, who will furnish a separate report; and I would very respectfully call the attention of the major-general to this gallant and valuable officer and the officers and men serving under him. They certainly acquitted themselves with great credit.
" A force of the enemy's cavalry came down upon me while on the right of the line near the stone bridge, and forced me, Capt. Webb and Lieut. Goldborough, of my staff, into the woods surrounding us, and, with their persistent watchfulness, prevented our following the column for nearly three days.
" To the officers of my staff— Capt. W. H. Wiegel, Capt. F. J. D. Webb, and Lieuts. Goldsborough, George W. Startzman, and R. E. Smith — I am greatly Indebted for their untiring efforts and energy during the whole movement. Capt. Wiegel in the heat of the engagement took command of the twenty-four-pounder howitzer on the bank of the river, serving it with marked courage and ability, and with telling effect upon the enemy. His conduct must have been observed by the commanding general.
" I send you herewith a list of the casualties, as far as we are able to obtain them at this time.
" Very respectfully submitted,
" B. B. Tyler, Brig. Gen. Comdg."
Report of Capt. Charles J. Brown, First Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade.
" Headquarters, Fort Worthington,
"July 20, 1864.
"Capt. R. H. Offley, A.A.G. Defenses of Baltimore.
" Captain, — I have the honor to submit the following report of my command at the battle of the Monocacy. My two companies, C and K, First Maryland Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade, were occupying at the commencement of the fight the blockhouse on the west side of the Monocacy, which I, in obedience to orders from the general commanding, evacuated and burned. I was then ordered to hold the bridge over the railroad on the Georgetown pike, one company of the Tenth Vermont Infantry and one company of the Ninth New York Heavy Artillery being added to my command. This position I held until the left of our army fell back, when, having received a discretionary order to fall back while I could do so with safety, I left my position, fell back across the railroad bridge, and occupied the rifle-pits on the east side of the Monocacy, covering the retreat of our army for a short time, and then following the line of march until my command was increased by Companies B, G, and H, First Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade, by being added to it at Ellicott's Mills, where I was furnished transportation to Baltimore, Sunday, July 10th, and ordered to report to Col. Gilpin, commanding First Separate Brigade, Col. Gilpin being in command of Fort Worthington. On Wednesday, July 13th, Col. Gilpin being ordered elsewhere, I was placed in command of the fort, which I now occupy with Companies B, C, G, H, and K of the First Maryland Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade.
" I have the honor to be
" Very respectfully,
" Yuur obt. servt.,
" Charles J. Brown,
" Capt. Cmd. 1st M. D., P. H. B., Inftry."
The loss of the Third Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade, at the battle of Monocacy was two killed, seven wounded, four missing, and ten captured.
After the defeat of Wallace the Confederates had everything their own way. Small parties traversed the country in every direction without opposition, collecting forage, grain, horses, and army supplies of all sorts. Gen. Early, after burying his dead and caring for his wounded at the Monocacy, on the morning of the 10th took up his line of march towards Washington, and made twenty miles that day, camping within four miles of Rockville.
On Sunday afternoon, July 10th, at about three o'clock, the Federal forces, numbering about twelve hundred, passed through Rockville, closely pursued by the Confederate advance, consisting of a brigade of cavalry, numbering some sixteen hundred, under the command of Gen. McCausland. Of this latter force several hundred constituted " pressmen," who scoured the adjacent farms in search of horses, which they appropriated " without money and without price." They made no distinction between citizens on the ground of sympathy.
On Monday, the 11th, Early resumed his march, and appeared before the defenses of Washington on the Seventh Street pike. His force at this time had been reduced to eight thousand infantry, one thousand cavalry, and forty pieces of artillery, manned by about seven hundred men. The rest of his cavalry force had been detached at Frederick on the 9th, under Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, with special orders from Gen. Lee to destroy the communication between Baltimore and the north, threaten Baltimore, break the railroad and cut the telegraph wires between Baltimore and Washington, and thence move on Point Lookout, so as to attack on the morning of the 12th, when an attack was also to be made on the bay side, After releasing the prisoners, some fifteen thousand, Gen. Johnson was to take command of them and rejoin Early at Bladensburg, while that general was in the meantime to attack Washington and carry it by assault. As soon as Early's movements in the neighborhood of Washington were disclosed, however, Gen. Kenly, Gen. Rawlings, and most of the regular troops engaged in the defenses of Baltimore hastened to Washington and manned the fortifications.