138 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



miles from Centreville. On the same night in- 

 formation was received at Frederick of the ap- 

 proach of the Confederate force, and it pro- 

 duced much excitement. A large number of 

 the inhabitants fled toward Pennsylvania and 

 Baltimore. Frederick, the capital of the State 

 of Maryland, is forty-four miles northwest of 

 "Washington, and sixty miles west of Baltimore. 

 It is the second city of the State in wealth and 

 commercial importance, and the third in popu- 

 lation, containing 8,143 inhabitants. The mil- 

 itary force in the city consisted of only one 

 company, which could make no opposition. 

 The Federal provost marshal removed all the 

 military stores possible, and, leaving enough for 

 the hospitals, in which there were about six 

 hundred patients, burned the remainder. About 

 ten o'clock the next morning, the 6th, the Con- 

 federate troops quietly entered the city. These 

 soldiers were in a destitute condition, in re- 

 spect to clothes and shoes, yet the most scru- 

 pulous regard was had to private property. 

 They had no tents, nor were burdened with any 

 baggage. Their only trains were ammunition 

 trains. If enduring great hardships without a 

 murmur, and most bravely and heroically fight- 

 ing, are evidences of good soldiers, seldom has 

 the world witnessed better than those who 

 composed the army of Gen. Lee. A Confeder- 

 ate provost marshal was appointed (Bradley 

 Johnson), and a proclamation issued to the citi- 

 zens, stating that the army came as friends, and 

 not as enemies, to relieve the people of Mary- 

 land from the tyranny by which they were op- 

 pressed ; that they did not purpose to interfere 

 with any non-combatants, or to disturb private 

 property, or to inquire into the opinions of cit- 

 izens ; and that whatever stores they required 

 would be paid for, either in Confederate notes 

 or United States Treasury notes, as the seller 

 might prefer. At night the soldiers were all 

 ordered to their camps outside of the city. 

 Meantime foraging parties were sent out in 

 various directions, which returned at evening 

 with droves of sheep, cattle, hogs, and horses. 

 These droves were all taken toward the Poto- 

 mac. Pickets were thrown out from Frederick 

 botli east and west for considerable distances. 

 On Sunday they were reported to have ad- 

 vanced within seven miles of Westminster, 

 causing a great excitement in the town, but 

 disappeared during the night. No Confederate 

 force, however, came farther east at that time 

 than Uniontown, twenty miles from Westmin- 

 ster. The main body encamped for some days 

 on a line between Frederick and the Potomac 

 river. Recruiting offices were opened in the 

 city, and citizens invited to enlist. Very few 

 volunteers, however, were obtained. 



On the 8th, Gen. Lee issued the following ad- 

 dress to the people of Maryland : 



HXADQtTARTKRS, ARMY OP NORTHERN VlROIKIA, ) 



NEAR FREUKRICKTOWN, Sept. 8, 1S62. f 

 To the People of Maryland : 



It is right that you should know the purpose that 

 has brought the army under my command within the 



limits of your State, so far as that purpose concerns 

 yourselves. 



The people of the Confederate States have long 

 watched with the deepest sympathy the wrongs and 

 outrages that have been inflicted upon the citizens of 

 a Commonwealth allied to the States of the South by 

 the strongest social, political, and commercial ties, and 

 reduced to the condition of a conquered province. 



Under the pretence of supporting the Constitution, 

 but in violation of its most valuable provisions, your 

 citizens have been arrested and imprisoned, upon no 

 charge, and contrary to all the forms of law. 



A faithful and manly protest against this outrage, 

 made by a venerable and illustrious Marylander, to 

 whom in his better days no citizen appealed for right 

 in vain, was treated with scorn and contempt. 



The government of your chief city has been usurped 

 by armed strangers ; your Legislature has been dis- 

 solved by the unlawful arrest of its members; freedom 

 of the press and of speech has been suppressed ; words 

 have been declared offences by an arbitrary decree of 

 the Federal executive ; and citizens ordered to be tried 

 by military commissions for what they may dare to 



Believing that the people of Maryland possess a 

 spirit too lofty to submit to such a government, the 

 people of the "South have long wished to aid you in 

 throwing off this foreign yoke, to enable you again to 

 enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore 

 the independence and sovereignty of your State. 



In obedience to this wish, our army has come among^ 

 you, and is prepared to assist you with the power ot 

 its arms in regaining the rights of which you have been 

 so unjustly despoiled. 



This, citizens of Maryland, is our mission so far as 

 you are concerned. No restraint upon your free will 

 is intended no intimidation will be allowed within the 

 limits of this army at least. Marylanders shall once 

 more enjoy their ancient freedom of thought and 

 speech. We know no enemies among you, and will 

 protect all of you in every opinion. 



It is for you to decide your destiny freely and with- 

 out constraint. This army will respect your choice, 

 whatever it may be ; and, while the Southern people 

 will rejoice to welcome you to your natural position 

 among them, they will only welcome you when you 

 come of your own free will. 



R. E. LEE, General Commanding. 



On the 10th Gen. Lee hegan to evacuate 

 Frederick, and by the 12th his entire force had 

 left. His forces moved in the direction of Ha- 

 gerstown. That same night the city was occu- 

 pied by the advance of Gen. McClellan's army, 

 under Gen. Hooker. 



On the afternoon of the 10th, Hagerstown 

 was entered by a Confederate force. On the 

 6th and 7th the banks of the town, anticipating 

 this approach, removed their specie to Harris- 

 burg and other places east for safety. The 

 Government stores there were also removed. 



Meantime, on the first approach of the Con- 

 federate army across the Potomac, the greatest 

 excitement prevailed in Pennsylvania, especially 

 in York and Adams counties, and through the 

 Susquehanna and Cumberland valleys. The 

 farmers sent away their wives, children, and 

 cattle, and hastened to take up arms. In 

 many of the towns of the State stores were 

 closed, bells rung, guns fired, public meetings 

 held, and citizens in their excitement assembled 

 in mass to drill. On the 10th Gov. Curtin is- 

 sued an order calling upon all the able bodied 

 men of Pennsylvania to organize immediately 

 for the defence of the State, and to be ready 



