A Later Newspaper Story
of fighting in Rockville, July 13, 1864

The following text is of a local story, report many years later, that occurred during the Battle of Rockville.

War Reminiscences

After a lapse of 26 years James Hill returned here on Sunday last to pay his respects to Miss Margaret Beall in return for the kind treatment he received at her hands and under her roof while suffering from a bullet wound. At the time he was a soldier in the Federal army pursuing Gen. Early´s amry in the movement back across the river from a raid in Maryland in 1864. He was amongst the advance guard of the Federal troops and attacked Early´s rear at the western end of [Rockville]. He and his comrades were repulsed and attempted to make their escape through Miss Beall´s woods, dodging behind the trees and firing on the enemy at the same time. Presently, he says, in relating this story the other day, he felt a stinging sensation in the breast just below the heart, without knowing that he was shot. He looked around, not a comrade was to be seen, and he fled in earnest, with Confederate balls flying after him thick and fast, which he thought to escape by getting behind Miss Beall´'s brick house, which was then in close proximity to him. Making to the house a gate was to be passed through, and he says it seemed to him if one ball from the pursuing enemy struck the gate while he was attempting to open it, fifty must have struck there abouts. He finally opened the gate, but was exhausted, and fell upon his face in front of the house by his faint condition engendered by the wound. He was taken inside and received the friendly attention of Miss Beall for several days and was then carried to the hospital in Washington. His wound was immediately below the heart and that he is a living man today doing service in the Census Bureau at Washington is a miracle. Coincident with Hill´s wound about the heart in the same skirmish, a Confederate soldier was shot directly through the heart and killed a little further down town.

Hill joined the army from Michigan, returned to it after his wound healed, was mustered out at the close of the war, and has since prior to a month ago been conducting a ranch in Wyoming successfully. Now he is capably performing duty in the Census Bureau. 

Montgomery County Sentinel, October 10, 1890, Local & Personal Section, p. 3