Johnson moved his whole force to Cockeysville, and after destroying the bridges there he detached the First Maryland and Gilmor’s battalion, the two having been temporarily consolidated, and all under Colonel Gilmor’s command, and directed that officer to burn the railroad bridges over the Bush and Gunpowder rivers, which he did. Johnson then moved rapidly around Baltimore, and at Beltsville found a force of about one thousand of the enemy’s cavalry, which he charged and drove into Bladensburg, after which he started for Point Lookout, but had not gone many miles when he received an order from General Early to join him at once. At Cockeysville Johnson had learned that the 19th corps of the enemy was landing at Locust Point, of which fact he at once advised Early, and it was this information which compelled the Confederate General to forego the intended raid on Point Lookout, and which had reached him just as he was about to assault Washington with his whole army. In obedience to this order, General Johnson retraced his steps, and joined Early next morning at Blair’s house. Early now turned his back on the Yankee capital, and directed his steps towards the Potomac, and crossed near Poolsville. In the retreat from Maryland, General Johnson was ordered to protect his rear. At Rockville he charged the enemy’s cavalry, and beat him, capturing eighty prisoners and horses. At Poolsville he was vigorously attacked in force, but drove his assailants back, and kept them in check until the whole army had recrossed the river. It will thus be seen that General Johnson’s brigade constituted the advance guard in the invasion of Maryland, and the rear guard in the retreat. The Maryland troops were placed at the head of the column in the first and the rear in the latter; thus, from the 5th of July, the day of crossing, to the 14th, the day of recrossing the Potomac, they were almost constantly engaged, and always closest to the enemy. CHAPTER VIII. Soon after the return of the army under Early from Maryland, that General determined to send McCausland on an expedition into Pennsylvania, with his own and General Johnson’s brigades, for what purpose will be seen by the following extract from his “Memoirs of the Last Year of the War for Independence:”