artillery fire opened from both sides. Rodes' division had
come lip from Jefferson and was placed on Ramseur's left,
covering the roads from Baltimore and the crossings of the
Monocacy above the Junction Breckenridge's command,
with the trains, was in the rear between Frederick and the
Junction, while the residue of the cavalry was watching a
force of the enemy's cavalry which had followed from Maryland Heights. The enemy's position was too strong, and the
difficulties of crossing the Monocacy under fire too great, to
attack in front without greater loss than I was willing to incur.
I therefore made an examination in person to find a point at
which the river could be crossed, so as to take the enemy in
flank. While I was engaged in making this examination to
my right, I discovered McCausland in the act of crossing the
river with his brigade. As soon as he crossed, he dismounted
his men, and advanced rapidly against the enemy's left flank,
which he threw into confusion, and he came very near capturing a battery of artillery, but the enemy concentrated on him,
and he was gradually forced back obstinately contesting the
ground. McCausland's movement, which was very brilliant-
ly executed, solved the problem for me, and, as soon as I
discovered it, orders were sent to Breckenridge to move up
rapidly with Gordon's division to McCausland's assistance,
and to follow up his attack. This division crossed at the same
place, and Gordon was ordered to move forward and strike
the enemy on his left flank, and drive him from the position
commanding the crossings in Ramseur's front, so as to enable
the latter to cross. This movement was executed under the
personal superintendence of General Breckenridge, and, while
Ramseur skirmished with the enemy in front, the attack was
made by Gordon in gallant style, and, with the aid of several
pieces of King's artillery which had been crossed over, and
Nelson's artillery from the opposite side, he threw the enemy
into great confusion and forced him from his position. Ram-
seur immediately crossed on the railroad bridge and pursued
the enemy's flying forces, and Rodes crossed on the left and
joined in the pursuit. Echol's division which had been left
Page:A memoir of the last year of the War of Independence, in the Confederate States of America.djvu/62
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58
BATTLE OF MONOCACY.