Tenallytown, July 11, 1864.
There is no end of confusion out here, and very little known
of the enemy. I took over our 1st squadron, with a miscellaneous assortment
from the Dismounted Camp, to within two miles of Rockville this morning, met a
superior force of Rebs (nothing very fierce, however) and fell gradually back
towards Tenallytown, they following with a gun and a gradually diminishing
column. They are reported approaching similarly on the 7th St. road, — it looks
at present more like a move to mask heavier movements than like a serious
effort against this part of the fortifications. I gather from what I hear that
you are cut off from Baltimore and cannot do otherwise than stay.
We had only two men wounded this morning, neither seriously,
— several horses, among others Ruksh, very slightly, just across the back
behind the saddle, injuring an overcoat for me as once before on the Peninsula.
As Ruksh had a sore back before, it did not pay him to get this scratch.
Am I not “good” to write such narratives to you ? — it is
attributable to the flies and the heat and the company I am in.1
_______________
1 On July 6th, General Early, arriving by the
usual back door of the Shenandoah, crossed the Potomac, and soon after took
Frederick, the second city in importance of Maryland. After defeating the small
force of General Lew Wallace, he pushed on towards Washington, on July 11th.
The day before, Lowell, ordered by General Augur to send one regiment of his
brigade to the defence of Washington, sent the Second Massachusetts, and
obtained leave to go with it. At 6.30 A.M. on the 11th, Colonel Lowell, now in
command of all the available cavalry, began skirmishing, and caused the enemy's
advance to fall back several miles, to their reserves, which in turn forced his
command back to the infantry picket lines before Tennallytown, a suburb of
Washington.
July 12. Colonel Lowell reported that, with three companies
dismounted, he had turned the enemy's right flank and driven them back about
one and a half miles, while Lieutenant-Colonel Crowninshield drove them one
mile on the Rockville pike.
July 13. Early found Washington well defended by the Sixth and
Nineteenth Army Corps, just arrived to the rescue, and began his retreat
through Rockville, Md. He was followed up closely by the cavalry. Colonel
Lowell, through the morning and up to 2.10 P.M., sends to headquarters frequent
detailed reports of the enemy. At 2.30 he reports: “My despatch was here
interrupted by the report of a large number of rebels being met just through
the town [Rockville] by my advance-guard [part of Second Massachusetts under
Crowninshield], who charged at once. My advance was then dismounted and, after
a sharp skirmish there, checked a good strong charge of the rebels, after being
driven nearly through the town by them. [This was his own brilliant saving of
the day described in the biographical sketch.] We fell back to the edge of the
town and established a strong dismounted skirmish line, holding them. Learning
they were endeavouring to flank us, I retired to a situation two miles from
Rockville, slowly. My regiment in the town, I fear, was mostly enveloped by the
enemy, and are very severely whipped.'” Nevertheless, Lowell's men repulsed
four charges in Rockville, and next day a great many of his “missing” rejoined
the command.
Brigadier-General Hardin, U.S.A., in command in that part of
the defences, reported in his despatches, “the information given by Colonel
Lowell was always reliable.” Colonel Warner, commanding the First Brigade in
the defences, in his reports gives Lowell high praise for intelligent activity.
The Second Massachusetts Cavalry, with provisional
battalions, all under Lowell, accompanied the Sixth Corps, pursuing Early
across the Potomac and through the Blue Ridge gaps to beyond the Shenandoah
River. General Wright of this corps had, by General Grant's advice, been given
command in this repulse of Early. The regiment, with its colonel, now went back
to their camp at Falls Church, July 23 d.
SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of
Charles Russell Lowell, p. 321-2, 455-6
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