First Person Report
Letter of Dora Higgins
The best local account of the day´s events is a letter from Dora Higgins, to her mother. Dora was the wife of John Higgins, one of those arrested by the Confederates and marched off with the Confederate cavalry column. John and Dora Higgins owned and operated one of the Town´s stores. They were leading citizens of unabashed Unionist sentiment.
Rockville, Maryland
June 29, 1863
My Dear Mother,
I suppose news of our tribulation reached you today. First place Saturday morning I got up to find Maria, my cook, gone, and heard during the day that Basil and Charity at William Trent´s also gone. Mr. Muncaster´s servant cleared out. Well, I had been expecting for the last two years to find it so, but still it was a blow. I was very busy all Saturday, and hardly got to bed, before I heard horsemen going by and the clanking of sabers and spurs. "Federal pickets," thought I and laid me down and slept in peace.
After breakfast I was getting the children ready for Sabbath School. I saw a federal guard with six hundred condemned horses going by to Washington. I told John to come home after school and stay with his sister, Dora, and little Frank, whilst I went to church. As John came in at the front gate, I heard a terrific yell, and there appeared what I thought were six colored men on horseback rushing up to our gate and drawing up in line. Dora screamed, "Rebels, Ma!" I thought it impossible. The next moment I saw a whole column with the Rebel Flag charging furiously down past William Brewer´s, and next a discharge of musketry and cannon in the rear, and there was a demand to know where the man who lived here was. I could with truth say he was not in. "Where was he?" and tell I did not. Eblen came running in to get us into the cellar, when the men surrounded him, saying "You are the one we are looking for" and took him, calling him a "cursed Yankee". I followed on to beg for him, but no use. I have not seen or heard from him since.
I broke through the charging columns with the pistol balls flying, rushed through the back way to the Church just in time to warn Mr. Higgins, Mr. Bowie, Mr. Dawson and Williams to stay in the Vestry room, for they, the Secessionists, were vowing vengeance on them.
I came back bringing the children through the melee. I flew to get Mr. DeSellum (the Presbyterian minister) to put himself out of the way and give John Vinson time to prepare himself. They did at Mr. Prout´s, but it was too late to save Mr. Moulden and Mr. Bailey. I remember nothing but the thick rank and clanking of sabers, yells and furious charges. They were pouring in at every lane and road from the Falls.
On my return I was beset with applications for Mr. Higgins and was told that "If I did not open the store, they would break it open." "Had I the key." "Well, now you have to be accommodating." I just told them that if Gen. Wade Hampton of General Jeb Stuart would send one of their aides with a guard and said I must open it, I would. "Now that is ladylike. We will pay you in Confederate script." I replied, "I take no pay for what you take. Remember, if you go into that store, I go too, but I do not wish you to have anything out of it."
It ended in my finding a Rebel Captain Cissel of Maryland who showed me General Stuart. I sent Dr. Hodges to ask him if I was compelled to open the store. General Stuart sent an order back for me to stay in front of the store and "let one of them dare to resist you." I stayed there six hours repelling their persistent endeavors and having a full view of their movements.
There had been no firing after the first assault. A brigade of Federals came up as far as the Poor House and though too feeble to oppose the whole force, yet skirmished on the outskirts of the village. There were three brigades in all, about 8000. One brigade went charging down the turnpike, capturing an incoming Federal wagon train of 170 wagons. They skirmished down as far as the stone tavern (5 miles from Washington), sweeping the whole country of horses and servants. John, with bitter tears, declared his intention of taking Charlie´s horse upstairs, but I took him and hid him in the bushes in the garden and saved him.
I found time to leave my post and receive from Mr. Higgins and Bowie $1300 and secure it on me and tell them to stay in the vestry room till I could come and tell them there was no danger. During the day they (Rebels) brought in 600 prisoners, colored men, soldiers and citizens and put them in the Court House. I thought verily they would tear the whole of the inside of the Court House; their yells were terrific on each fresh arrival of prisoners.
George Peter, Messrs Miller, White and Brown (Sesesh) pleaded hard for the rescue of Eblen and that Union men should not be molested. Had it not been for their endeavors, every Union man would have been taken and every store laid open, for Gen. Lee had ordered such to be done, but Gen. Stuart countermanded the order at the earnest protestations of the Secessionists, for they said to carry out such an order would be their (Secessionists) entire ruin. At six the rebels deployed out in the open fields below the village and came up a solid Column, one-half under Gen. Lee, turning out towards Brookeville, and one-half under Gen. Stuart towards Frederick. They had a battery of six pieces. No infantry. They carried their prisoners off, compelling Capt. Vinson, tho´ too ill to stand alone, to mount a horse at the point of their sabers, and go with them.
Relieved, I thought all had gone and I went to the Church to tell my prisoners to wait another hour and they would be safe. When Mr. Bowie said, "Here comes a squad," there was an ominous "Halt" outside and the door opened. The gentlemen never stirred and I never changed my position. Emma Holland gave a slight sob; otherwise there was a dead silence. In the growing dark I could see that Mr. Bowie and Mr. Higgins were deadly pale. Then "Is Mr. Dawson here?" "Yes!" Rising, he walked out. Is Judge Bowie here?" I am ready." The two gentlemen passed out, Emma Holland with them. The guard looked first at me. It was Captain Cissel. He hesitated then looked at Higgins. "Lieut. Wilkes, come here, I have forgotten the name." "Mr. Higgins," replied the Lieut. "Come out." I went up and threw my arms around Mr. Higgins. "Good-bye." "No leave-taking, if you please," said the Lieut. "There can be no objection to his leaving directions."
In solemn procession, we moved up the street as far as the square, when the Captain said, "Ladies, you can go no farther." The Secessionists gathered around Mrs. Bowie and myself declaring they had nothing to do with it. Mrs. Bowie was rather short. I said, "I know positively that not one of you could have any influence today, as General Stuart had a written list of all the Union men´s names. But some one here furnished that list. " They left me alone after that.
I broke down only once through the day and that was when the children knew their father was a prisoner. I went down and gathered all Mr. Higgins´ papers and money out of the safe. I buried the money. I sent for John and Eliza Marin to stay with me as I was alone with my children.
About one o´clock I heard the back gate slam and someone called "Dora". It was Mr. Higgins! The rebels took him out towards Laytonsville. They met the other Columns filing in from Brookeville. Somehow, they seemed uneasy about Judge Bowie and, stopping to rest, concluded they had better let him go; and besides the federal troops were passing through Rockville and as they had no horses for the three could not hope to retain them and move rapidly.
I heard many say they were going to give Pennsylvania a taste of the war. Notwithstanding all, they behaved better than I expected; never entered the house. They had feasted on Uncle Abe´s army rations. Had captured enough coffee, a rarity. "They did not fight for thirteen dollars a month." "They were going to run all the Yankees off the face of the earth." "But we are gentlemen. We don´t distress women and children and destroy dwellings."
Eblen got home two o´clock this morning so faint and exhausted that I had to help him to bed. The Rebels carried him to the confines of Carroll County. Mr. Baily, the Postmaster, and Mr. Moulden, the Provost, were offered their liberty unconditionally at Brookeville, but Mr. Baily refused to leave Eblen, for he feared if he wearied, they would shoot him on the road, as they did several prisoners on the march. They concluded not to leave Eblen. Baily carried him several miles on his back. Moulden helped. They both passed their arms under his shoulders and kept him from fainting. They had not one mouthful to eat from Sunday morning till they were released at 11 o´clock Monday night at Claggetsville, where they were ordered back five miles this way and released. The reason was soon apparent, for just then they came to the advance guard of the 2nd Regular Cavalry, who were in hot pursuit. They were not permitted to stop for water, except as they crossed the streams, they dipped a hatful. They had 300 colored men prisoners, whom they gathered from the various farms. They slashed at them if they attempted to drink at the streams. Eblen saw one shot because he was too weak to keep up with the others. The Sergeant who had them in charge tried to beg for food from the Rebels for his prisoners, but could get none. In all they marched nearly 70 miles.
What hurts me more than all is that Mr. Peter said he would go to Lee and see if he could get Eblen off. Told Lee that nothing but his being a weakly man (boy) had spared him from being clubbed to death by the Secessionists. Mr. Peter prevented me from going to Lee and Mrs. B. revealed the fact that as the last Rebels were leaving the village Judge Bowie heard them say, "Stuart´s Cavalry are the elite of the Southern Army."
I could, by what I know, justly get the punishment of many prominent Secessoinists, but I shall never hurt a hair of their heads. But I shall certainly tell George Peter of their treachery.
I expect to send this across the country to Colesville, as we have no mail this week.
With love to all, I am
Your affectionate daughter,
Dora B. Higgins
Sophia Dorothy Barnard Higgins to Mrs. Robert
Barton Bernard, 29 June 1863.
For excerpts and further context description: McGuckian, Eileen S. Rockville,
Portrait of a City. Hillsboro Press, Franklin, Tennessee, 2001. p. 51.
For a public source of the full text: Betts, Maude Wilson Piscataway to
Prince George's Parish. Rockville, MD. N.p., n.d. pp. 25-28.