Consternation reigned at Richmond on the twelfth of June, the day
the fitful firing ceased around Cold Harbor. There was danger in
the Valley, where Hunter had won success at Staunton, and where
Crook's and Averell's Union troops were expected to arrive from
West Virginia. Sheridan, too, was off on a twenty-day raid. He
cut the Virginia Central rails at Trevilian, did much other
damage between Richmond and the Valley, and, toward the end of
June, rejoined Grant, who had reached the James nearly a
fortnight before. Always trying to overlap Lee's extending right,
Grant closed in on Petersburg with the Army of the Potomac while
the Army of the James held fast against Richmond. This part of
the front then remained comparatively quiet till the end of July.

But the beleaguered Confederates made one last sortie out of the
Valley and straight against Washington. At the beginning of July
the Valley was uncovered owing to the roundabout flank march that
Hunter was forced to make back to his base for ammunition. The
enterprising Jubal Early took advantage of this with some veteran
troops and made straight for Washington. On the ninth Lew Wallace
succeeded in delaying him for one day at the Monocacy by an
admirably planned defense most gallantly carried out with greatly
inferior numbers and far less veteran men. This gave time for
reinforcements to pour into Washington; so that on the twelfth,
Early, finding the works alive with men, had to retreat even
faster than he came.

In the meantime Grant's extreme right wing was steadily pressing
the invasion of Georgia, where we left Sherman and Johnston face
to face at Kenesaw in June. Here again the beleaguered