On the morning of the 13th of August, 1864, a brigade of Lomax’s command (to which was attached the First Maryland and Gilmor’s cavalry, all under command of Gilmor,) had advanced and driven in the enemy’s pickets, and pushed back his cavalry several miles below Bunker Hill, where they halted for a while and then turned to retrace their steps. The enemy in the meanwhile had been heavily reinforced, and pressed hard upon the retreating column, of which the First Maryland formed the rear. The enemy became more and more pressing as they advanced, until a charge was ordered by Colonel Gilmor, which had the effect of checking them, and his vastly superior force only saved him from rout. These charges had to be repeated again and again, the First Maryland retiring excellent order at a walk. When the stream which crosses the pike at Bunker Hill was reached, Gilmor, who had been much delayed, of course, in making these charges, found himself entirely unsupported, all the other regiments of the brigade having retired to the shelter of the infantry, which was formed in line about a mile distant. At this juncture the head of the enemy’s column, immediately in the rear of the battalion, had entered the stream before the rear of the First Maryland had reached the opposite bank, two other of his columns meanwhile moving unopposed parallel to the pike, and were at least a mile in the rear of the little band battling with ten times their number. At this most critical period, right in the midst of the stream, the battalion wheeled and again charged, meeting the enemy midway, when a most desperate hand to hand fight ensued, the blood of both intermingling with its current. For some minutes they held the enemy in check, expecting reinforcements, but none were available, and under the desperate nature of the circumstances General Lomax ordered a battery, near the line of battle which the infantry was forming, to open on the struggling mass. The artillery officer remonstrated, as he was satisfied he would damage friend as well foe; but the order was repeated. The first few shots fell in the ranks of the enemy, and rendered material aid to the handful of heroes in such imminent peril, but unfortunately a shell at last struck right in their midst, when, of course, the battalion broke. The fire of a foe in front and a friend in rear was more than human nature could withstand; but even then they did not leave the field, but retired, stubbornly contesting every foot of ground, until they reached a house standing in a field near the pike, and midway between Bunker Hill and the infantry line, where some of the command formed on both sides, which they were obliged to do to confront the now rapidly advancing enemy. Here a stand was made, and the fight continued for sometime. On the side of the house next the pike was the color bearer of the battalion, Colonel Gilmor, Captain Ditty, Captain Raisin and some fifteen or twenty