June 25, 1863, The New York Herald
Rebel Occupation of Frederick.
Mr. S.M. CARPENTER’S LETTER.
FREDERICK CITY, Md., June 22, 1863.
All quiet on the Monocacy. The agony is over, the grand excitement has partially abated, and the citizens of Frederick tonight sit upon their doorsteps, smoking the pipe of peace, with no one to molest or make them afraid. It was my fortune to be within the captured city during its occupation by the enemy, and I must confess that the tumult exceeded anything of the kind ever witnessed in my history. All last week the rebels were expected, and prominent Unionists hastened off, while the secessionists smiled and gathered on the corners, awaiting the appearance of the chivalry. The wildest reports flew through the town. Sometimes rumor had a host of the enemy dashing down from Middletown; then there had been a terrible fight between Hooker and Lee, and Ewell was retreating from Williamsport; and next we would hear that our forces were at Monocacy, waiting for the rebels to come over the mountains. The week passed off, and no rebels appeared. Yet all seemed confident that they would come, and continued their preparations for saving property and welcoming the expected visitors. Many of the stores were emptied of their most valuable goods, the banks sent off their specie, horses were hurried out into the country, and the saloons stripped of their best liquors. About three o’clock on Saturday afternoon the squad of cavalry attached to the signal corps dashed through the town, shouting that the rebels were coming; but no graybacks made their appearance, and the party returned. The excitement occasioned by this demonstration had partly subsided, and the HERALD representative was strolling up the street in pursuit of knowledge, when, suddenly, a clatter of hoofs resounded through the town, and the rebel cavalry galloped down upon our men, capturing nine of the First Connecticut cavalry, including one sergeant. Lieutenant Upton, commanding the detachment, exhibited great coolness; but the appearance of the enemy was so sudden that he was unable to save his party, and escaped with but two men. In the hospital there were about sixty invalid soldiers. One rebel officer, accompanied by an orderly, rode down to the gateway, took the soldiers prisoners, and paroled them before they had fairly awakened to the fact that the enemy was in town. The mail boy of the Fourteenth New Jersey was on his way to the city after the mail for his regiment, stationed at Harper’s Ferry, but fell into the hands of the rebels. His horse was saved by some ladies. His parole reads as follows, verbatim et literatim: –
FREDERICK, June 20, 1863.
You are not to ade nor abet the Southern confederacy.
It is possible that the […..] of the Southern confederacy” were meant by the officer writing the parole; but, as it is, it is worth nothing, except as a specimen of rebel literature. The inhabitants seemed frantic. Hundreds rushed towards the junction of Market and Patrick streets, many of them clapping their hands and otherwise expressing their joy at the appearance of the rebels. The majority of the people, however, evinced no pleasure at the visit. The ladies were particularly demonstrative, and showered expressions of sympathy upon our prisoners as they passed through the streets, while the victors caught harsh words right and left. A number of stables were broken open and the horses taken off; but no damage was done to any other property. Some of the rebels were so intoxicated as to be hardly able to sit upon their horses. No ill treatment was offered any one, however, and, as darkness came on, the tumult partially subsided.
YE HERALD MAN IN A FIX.
Knowing that the rebels had, upon some occasions, taken great pains to familiarize themselves with the habits and customs of the members of the Yankee press, your correspondent concluded that distance could not fail to lend enchantment to the view. With Capt. Babcock, of Gen. Hooker’s staff, he started for the country. Now and then a grayback dashed past us; but, […..] a defiant air,” in compliance with the maxims of one of our prominent brigadiers, we were allowed to travel towards more rural scenes, until suddenly our hopes of escape were blasted by the appearance of a huge warrior upon a Gothic steed, who announced to a pilgrim, just ahead of us that his […..] was run.” No explanation was called for; but a change of base was accomplished with a celerity not exceeded even by the Army of the Potomac. At length the hope of getting beyond the limits of the town was given up. The rebel pickets were around it, the telegraph line was down, and we could only submit to our fate. Sunday morning the enemy drew in their pickets, and, securing a handcar, we worked our passage to Monocacy. During Sunday morning everything remained quiet in Frederick. The rebels roamed about the city and the people gaped and wondered. The church bells were rung; but who could attend Divine service when graybacks were running loose about town? Surely not the people of Maryland; and so the exhibition of the chivalry was patronized to the exclusion of sacred things. In the afternoon a detachment of the First Maryland cavalry under command of Lieutenant Lynk, dashed into the city, driving out the enemy and taking three prisoners, two of whom were mortally wounded. Lieutenant Lynk passed on through Frederick, and the rebels, reinforced by about one hundred and twenty-five cavalry, reoccupied the town. At night Lieutenant Dorsay, of the rebel cavalry, accompanied by an orderly, went down the Baltimore turnpike to Mount Airey, where they called out a number of laborers and compelled them to tear up the railroad track and destroy the telegraph line. From eight o’clock last night until quite late this morning we were completely isolated. The rebels held Frederick, and threatened to attack the force at the Junction and destroy the Monocacy bridge. Two pieces of artillery were seen just outside of the city, and for a time we thought a fight was inevitable. Detachments from the Fourteenth New Jersey regiment and the Fiftieth New York (engineer) regiment alone composed the force defending the point, and had an attack been made a lively time would undoubtedly have ensued. At length we got a despatch from Baltimore, and with it came a message that the account of the rebel raid into Frederick had been declared contraband by the military authorities of that city and had been suppressed. As no allusion was made to our own movements whatever, it is yet a mystery why the intelligence that the enemy was in Frederick city was regarded as contraband.
The rebels evacuated Frederick to-day, and shortly after a detachment of the Second United States cavalry occupied the city. The enemy’s cavalry were composed of detachments from the First Maryland battalion, under Major Gilmore and numbered visited three hundred. Not more than a half that number visited the city at one time, however, the remainder halting about two miles from town. To-night they have all gone, and it is reported that the country east of South Mountain is entirely clear of the enemy. The force west of South Mountain was composed of artillery, infantry and cavalry, amounting in all to about six thousand. The most of these, however, were in the vicinity of Williamsport, under the command of General Rhodes. General Hones had a portion of a brigade at Sharpsburg. A portion of Jenkins’ cavalry was at Hagerstown, and, with mounted infantry, scoured the country towards Chambersburg. It is reported here to-night that the enemy is retreating across the Potomac into Virginia. No reliable news has been received yet, however, from beyond South Mountain, though to-morrow will probably decide the question. No trains were running west of Mount Airey, and it is deemed rather unsafe for them to come up as far as that. Should nothing be heard from the rebels to-morrow the trains will probably resume their trips immediately.