ng a warm
welcome and being supplied with food as bountifully as the means of the
inhabitants permitted.

Meanwhile, the Federal military authorities were busy with efforts to
cut off the ventursome band. The difficulty was to know at what point on
the Potomac a crossing would be sought, and the troops were held in
suspense until Stuart's movements should unmask his purpose. General
Pleasanton and his cavalry force were kept in uncertain movement, now
riding to Hagerstown, then, on false information, going four miles
westward, then, halted by fresh orders, turning east and riding to
Mechanicstown, twenty miles from Hagerstown. They had marched fifty
miles that day, eight of which were wasted, and when they halted, Stuart
was passing within four miles of them without their knowledge. Midnight
brought Pleasanton word of Stuart's movements, and the weary men and
horses were put on the road again, reaching the mouth of the Monocacy
about eight o'clock the next morning. But most of his command had
dropped behind in that exhausting ride of seventy-eight miles within
twenty-eight hours, only some four hundred of them being still with him.

While the Federals were thus making every effort to cut off the bold
raiders and to garrison the fords through a long stretch of the Potomac,
Stuart was riding south from Emmittsburg, after a brief stop at that
place, seeking to convey the impression by his movements that he
proposed to try some of the upper and nearer fords. His real purpose was
to seek a crossing lower down, so near to the main body of the Federals
that they would not look for him there. Yet the dangers were growing
with every moment, three brigades of infantry guarded the lower fords,
Pleasanton was approaching the Monocacy, and it looked as if the bold
raider was in a net from which there could be no escape.

Stuart reached Hyattstown at daylight on the 12th, having marched
sixty-five miles in twenty hours. The abundance of captured horses
enabled him to make rapid changes for the guns and caissons and to
continue the march without delay. Two miles from Hyattstown the road
entered a large piece of woodland, which served to conceal his movements
from observation from any signal-tower. Here a disused road was found,
and, turning abruptly to the west, a rapid ride was made under cover.

Soon after the open country was reached again a Federal squadron was
encountered; but it was dispersed by a charge, and from this point