“The battle of Monocacy was short, decisive and bloody. While the two armies were contemplating each other from the opposite banks, my division was selected, not to prevent Wallace from driving us out of Maryland, but to drive him from our front. My movement was down the right bank of the Monocacy to a fording place below, the object being to cross the river, and then turn upon the Federal stronghold. My hope and effort were to conceal the movement from Wallace’s watchful eye, until my troops were over, and then to apprise him of my presence on his side of the river, by a sudden rush upon his left flank. But Gen. McClausland’s Cavalry had already attacked a portion of his troops, and he discovered the movement of my division before it could drag itself through the water and up the slippery banks. He at once changed front, and drew up his lines in strong position to meet the assault. This movement presented new difficulties. Instead of finding the Union forces still facing Early’s other divisions beyond the river, giving my isolated command the immense advantage of a flank attack, I found myself separated from all the Confederate infantry, with the bristling front of Wallace’s army before me. “In addition to this I found other troubles which mitigated against the success of my movement. Across the fields through which we were to advance, there were strong and high farm fences which my men must climb while under fire. Worse still these fields were full of grain stacks so high and close together that no line of battle could be maintained while advancing through them. The movement began, and as my men reached the first line of high fencing and began climbing over, they were met by a tempest of bullets, and many fell at the first volley. They pressed on and around the grain stacks, with no possibility of forming allignment or returning effective fire. The men, deprived of the support and strength of a compact line, pushed forward and drove the Federals back to their second line. The Union troops stood firmly in this second position, bravely defending the railroad and highway to Washington. Between the two hostile lines there was a narrow ravine, down which ran a stream of limpid water. In this ravine the fighting was desperate and at close quarters. To and fro the battle swayed across the little stream, the dead and wounded on both sides mingling their blood in its waters, and when the struggle was ended a crimson current ran toward the river. Nearly one-half of my men fell there. Wallace’s army, after the most stubborn resistance, was driven in the direction of Baltimore. The Confederate victory was won at fearful cost, but it was complete, and the way was opened for Gen. Early’s march to Washington.”