Seventy-third had an encounter with skirinishers of the rebels, in the woods inmediately in front of us, in which we had one man killed and another man wounded; but otherwise we rested undisturbed, until called to march in pursuit of the enemy again in the morning.

I regret to have to state that in the night a party detailed from the battalion of Connecticut cavalry, Sergeant Morehouse and four men of company D, being sent to ascertain the position of Col. Cluseret, commanding the advance brigade, lost their way, and were captured, as is supposed, by the enemy's pickets.

The whole number of effective men of my brigade that I was enabled to take into action was as follows:

Thirty-second Ohio,..
Fifty-fifth Ohio,..
Seventy-Third Ohio,.
Seventy-fifth Ohio,..
Eighty-second Ohio,..

Total Infantry,..
DeBeck's battery,..
Rigby's battery,.
Connecticut cavalry,.

Men.

525

295

444

874

2133

Men.

Guns.

94

91

.118

the Seventy-third, extending thus the line to the right, and intending to order a charge which should sweep around the enemy's left flank and press him back towards our sustaining forces on the left. Never were troops in better temper for such work. But just as the Thirty-second was marching to the front for this purpose, leaving only the Seventy-fifth in the rear to cover the battery, I received the order of the General Commanding to withdraw slowly and in good order from my position and go to the relief of the left wing, composed of the brigades of Blenker's division. I felt reluctant to obey, because I was satisfied that the advantageous and promising position and condition of my brigade could not have been known at headquarters. I held my place, therefore, and sent back instantly to ascertain whether the emergency was such as to require me with all haste to retire. The order came back repeated. To prevent my being followed and harassed by the rebels while falling back, I then began to withdraw my infantry, moving them carefully by the flank towards the left, until I could uncover the enemy's line sufficiently to enable my battery to throw shot and shell into the woods. This done, I returned the The casualties were, altogether, but four killed, Thirty-second to the support of the battery, and seven wounded, and four missing. I append in commenced drawing off the whole of my force to a separate report the names and corps of the killthe left along the same lines in which I had ad-ed and wounded. vanced them. Here again, however, I was met by a messenger from the General Commanding, informing me that if I thought I could hold my ground I might remain, but stating that Milroy's brigade, my supporting force on the left, had also been directed to retire. I stopped, and threw the artillery again into battery, at a point a few rods in the rear of the place which it had at first occupied, and ordered a number of rounds of quick, sharp firing into the woods occupied by the rebels. The severe effect of this firing was discovered the next day, by the number of rebels found lying To the officers commanding my several region that part of the battle-field. But while thus ments and detached companies who had any opengaged, Captain Piatt, my Assistant Adjutant-portunity to be in the engagement, my acknowGeneral, ascertained for me that Gen. Milroy, ledgments are especially due under the order he had received, was rapidly Swinney, of the Thirty-second; Col. McLean, of withdrawing his brigade, passing towards the left; the Seventy-fifth; Col. Smith, of the Fifty-third; and so I had to follow him or be left separated Col. Lee, of the Fifty-fifth; Col. Cantwell, of the Eighty-second; Capt. De Beck, of the First Ohio artillery, and Capt. Blakeslee, of company A, Connecticut cavalry, commanding my guard.

from all the rest of the forces.

I returned, however, only to the ridge half a mile to the left, which I had at first occupied, and there remained, in pursuance of orders, encamped for the night.

My other battery, (Rigby's,) which I understood had been very effectively engaged during the action, on the left, was here returned home. It was now, perhaps, half-past five or six o'clock. Late in the evening, the enemy from the opposite point opened a brisk fire upon our camp and upon Hyman's battery, occupying the point of a hill at our left, with what seemed to be a battery of two six-pounders. This was probably a cover to his retreat. But he was replied to with so quick and hot a return by Hyman, Rigby and De Beck, that his fire was very soon silenced, and as afterwards ascertained, both his guns dismounted. Subsequently, a company of skirmishers from the

I cannot close this report without expressing my satisfaction with the officers and men generAlthough worn down, and ally of my command. reduced in numbers by days and weeks of constant fatigue and privation, under long marches, with insufficient supplies, which they have necessarily had to undergo, they were actively and cheerfully eager to meet the rebel forces, and only regretted that it could not be their fortune to encounter them for their share in more obstinate and decisive battle.

Lieut. - Colonel

To the officers of my Staff also - Capt. Don Piatt, A.A.G.; Capt. Margedant, of Engineers; Capt. Crane, C.S., and my two Aids-de-Camp, Lieuts. Chesbrough and Este-I am greatly indebted for their constant energy and activity in conveying orders and attending to other duties during the day.

I am, very respectfully, your ob't servant,
ROBERT C. SCHENCK,
Brigadier-General.

CINCINNATI "COMMERCIAL" ACCOUNT.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF FREMONT,

PORT REPUBLIC, VA., June 9.

You have received telegraphic intelligence of a severe battle having been fought on yesterday, and no doubt all your readers are anxious for de

tails of the engagement. Yesterday we expected would be a more severe struggle than ever. Many thought the rebels to be in force in their old position, while others were of the opinion that they would make a final stand at or near this place. This, in connection with a desire to present you a list of Ohio and Indiana killed and wounded, has induced me to delay writing till to-day.

Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful. | The birds were singing their sweet melodies as if in worship of Him who made the Sabbath, and the soft air that came balmily from the South, reminded us that the summer was well-nigh here. A movement had been ordered that morning. They say that history shows that battles begun on Sunday seldom are successes for the attacking party. Whether this will prove an exception to the general rule, I will not say, but leave the sequel to tell.

To the north,

spread out before us in full view.
as if standing sentinel and gravely looking down
upon the scene transpiring, rose a lofty mountain-
peak, its top enveloped in a blue haze, and its
steep sides bathed in the sunlight of the beauti-
ful morning. Far off to the east, stretching up
and down the Shenandoah, the distant peaks of
the Blue Ridge formed a background of inde-
scribable beauty.

General Schenck was assigned the right. His forces were disposed as follows: at his left was the Eighty-second Ohio, Col. Cantwell; next came the Fifty-fifth Ohio, Col. Lee; Seventythird, Col. Smith; Seventy-fifth, Col. McLean, while the Thirty-second Ohio, Col. Ford, held the extreme right. The centre, under the command of the intrepid Milroy, had the Third Virginia, Lieut.-Col. Thompson commanding, on the left; next the Fifth Virginia, Col. Zeigler, the Second A reconnoissance made on Saturday by Gen. Virginia, Major J. D. Owens commanding; while Milroy, with the Second, Third, Fifth and Eighth the Twenty-fifth Ohio, under the command of Virginia, and Fifty-fifth and Sixtieth Ohio, clearly Lieut.-Col. Richardson, formed the right. Berevealed the fact that Jackson, after having trav- tween Milroy's right and Schenck's left lay the elled the pike from Winchester, had suddenly Sixtieth Ohio, Col. Trimble, and Eighth Virginia, turned to the left in the direction of Port Repub- Col. Loeser, commanded by Col. Cluseret, in adlic, over a miserably bad road, and with the in-dition to the Garibaldi Guards, of Blenker's divitention of crossing the river. At this place, twelve miles south-east of Harrisonburgh, was a bridge over the Shenandoah. Other bridges had previously been destroyed, and it seemed pretty clear that he intended to use this. Part of Shields's force, as early as Saturday, had a little fight over the bridge, but could not hold it.

sion. Gen. Stahl's brigade, consisting of the Eighth, Forty-first, and Forty-fifth New-York, and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania, with the invincible band of Bucktails, that survived the slaughter of Friday, formed the left. Gen. Bohlen's brigade was to support Stahl, while the remainder of Blenker's division was a reserve.

Early in the morning the army was in motion, Thus formed, the line was probably a mile and Col. Cluseret having the advance as usual with a half in length, and moving down the slope, with his brigade. As long as there was an enemy in the old flag floating from every regiment, was a our rear, this brigade was there. As soon as spectacle too grand for description. Now they one appeared in front, then these boys were at begin to ascend, and as they approach the woods, the post of danger there. We passed slowly over the enemy's batteries pour in their shot and shell. the bad roads, feeling our way along, and rather But our boys are not to be daunted. On they expecting the enemy not far distant. About go. A battery or two take position in a wheateleven o'clock our advance discovered the rebels, field that penetrates the woods in the centre, and immediately sent skirmishers forward. Occa- while battery after battery and regiment after sional shells were thrown by the enemy at our regiment disappear in the thick woods in front, troops, who gradually advanced, pressing him Looking across a little to the right of our centre, before them, and compelling him to take more a battery dashes along, and a company of horseremote positions. Sherman's battery soon came men follow it hurriedly across the field. They, up and began a well-directed fire. This increased too, enter the wood. At the head of that band the fire of the enemy, which now became pretty was Gen. Milroy. He never asks his men to go brisk. One of the shells thrown about this time where he will not go himself. Now the cannonfell only a few feet from Gen. Fremont, who was ading quickens. Our guns are at work, and the early upon the ground, taking observations and enemy are doing all they can. Milroy presses making dispositions of his forces, which now be- forward at the head of his men. Johnson's batgan to arrive rapidly. The country through here tery passes through the wood and over an interis rolling; woods, generally of oak, from the size vening field, taking position near a barn. Now of a small sapling to that of a man's body. Occa- we hear musketry. The skirmishers of the ensionally, too, a pine is seen. The ground upon emy are lying along the fence near by. Here which the battle was fought is a succession of Capt. Charlesworth, of the Twenty-fifth Ohio, falls hillocks. In front, and to the west where our mortally wounded. Johnson has lost four horses, troops were formed in line of battle, there are but he still deals out the deadly missiles. Gen. several farms stretching two or three miles from Milroy has his horse disabled by a ball, but he north to south. This belt of cleared land is low-exchanges him for another. In the centre, all est in the centre, gradually rising as you approach goes encouragingly. Hyman's and Ewing's batthe timber in either direction. Our line was teries are both at work. formed upon the high lands to the west, where the farms, distant woods, and gentle hills were

To the right, Gen. Schenck, with his characteristic energy, presses on. De Beck is shelling the

woods, both to the right and in front. Captain "they retire in good order." But now no time Morgedant, of Gen. Schenck's staff, in a reconnois- was to be lost. For four hours our men had sance, discovered the enemy, in considerable been fighting. For them the roar of artillery had numbers, bearing down upon them as if to turn been incessant. With the left open, of course our right, and such no doubt was their intention. | our centre, weak in numbers at best, must be exGen. Schenck, with his keen perception, at once posed severely. The day was far spent, and it discovers the enemy's intention, and frustrates seemed best to have the centre fall back also. A his plans by an increased fire and by a steady ad- messenger was accordingly sent to Milroy, telling vance. The Seventy-third Ohio, Col. Ford, is ad- him to retire in good order. But this man knows vanced two or three hundred yards, throwing out no such word as "retire," and not having heard skirmishers and pressing the enemy before them. of the misfortune on the left, he replied: "What Now let us turn to the left. Stahl, with his in the devil are you saying?" He had driven the German regiments, had long since disappeared. enemy before him, and amid a shower of ball and Capt. Dilger's mountain howitzers had now open-shot, had almost reached their batteries. In a ed fire; the cannonading was furious; the deep little while, he said, he would have had some of thunders of the artillery reverberated through the enemy's guns. Schenck, too, having adthe valleys; the sharp crash of musketry rang vanced, was ready to sweep around upon the rebthrough the woods; shells went screaming on els' left. Of course he was mortified at the netheir errand of death; and the cloud of sulphur-cessity of leaving his position, and only did it ous smoke that hung like a funeral pall over the when he knew the order to be imperative. advancing and receding waves, told too well of the work of carnage and death then going on.

new position, and here came a shell screaming like a demon, and falling not far from the position occupied by Gen. Fremont's staff; another puff, and here came another of those grim messengers that sing so unlike anything else, and which a man will always recognise after he has heard the first. We were being shelled and no mistake, and the result was a kind of separation among those who occupied the hill. Our guns, however, soon opened a brisk fire upon the "dog" that had been barking so fiercely, and a few shot com

It was now half-past three o'clock. There was a lull in the storm. Each party seemed satisfied Gen. Stahl, with the Eighth New-York, Col. to take a rest. What had become of the enemy? Wutschel, and Forty-first, Col. Von Gilsa, had All was quiet as the grave. As we were revolvpenetrated the woods and passed over to the re-ing this in our mind a puff of smoke rose up in a mote side of a clover-field that lay beyond. Here the ground gradually rose till it came to a belt of woods, when it descended. This declivity had been taken advantage of by the rebels, by posting behind a considerable force of infantry, which opened a murderous fire upon the columns of our men as they ascended. This, combined with the continued stream of shot and shell poured into them, produced sad havoc. Their ranks were terribly thinned. They fell on all sides. Col. Wutschel was wounded. A few moments more, an advance of a few feet, and the German regi-pletely removed the troublesome visitor. ments could have poured into the enemy a fire An occasional discharge of artillery reminded which would have driven him before them. This, with a combined movement of Schenck, Milroy having already penetrated the centre, would have swept the enemy along his whole line, and gained a most complete victory, putting him to rout and capturing his guns. But just at this juncture a most unfortunate mistake occurred. Two of Col. Bohlen's regiments were ordered up to relieve those in advance. By some means it appears that this order was construed into one to retire, and accordingly those decimated regiments with drew from the scene of conflict, while the entire left of our forces retired in good order from the wood, and took a position in the rear.

us that we were not yet free from the enemy. The wounded, with their quivering wounds, their lived countenances, their heart-rending groans, and their bloody clothes, were brought in, and as fast as possible their wants attended to. Cluseret, with the Sixtieth Ohio and Eighth Virginia, now fell back some two hundred yards behind the church, and thus our whole line had retired more or less. Night came on; the clouds which had obscured the sky disappeared, and the moon smiled down as peacefully upon the scene where carnage had held high carnival, as if no ghastly features, pale in death, were there.

Feeling that the early position of Col. Cluseret The misfortune of this misunderstanding can was exposed, and not knowing that he had rescarcely be estimated. One more effort and these moved, Gen. Schenck, after dark, sent out Sergt. regiments, which had forced themselves right up John B. Morehouse and four privates of company to the enemy's guns, would have gained a splen-D, Connecticut cavalry, in search of him. did triumph. But the opportunity was lost, and "Stonewall" Jackson again slipped through our fingers, after we had marched through mud and rain for fifteen days to cultivate a more intimate acquaintance with him. Truly, "there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." There was more than one who saw our forces come from the woods, but there was one whose eagle eye took in the whole field. How he watched those retiring columns. "See, Colonel," said Fremont,

But in the mean time the Colonel had changed his forces. Morehouse did not return, and he is supposed to have been killed. He was a bachelor and a man of wealth, and came from California here, when the war broke out, to join a Connecticut company.

That night our troops, tired and drowsy, sank down to rest upon the ground which they had occupied before going into the thickest of the fight.

This morning we were up betimes. Another

bloody day was expected, but the depression work the battle comes, and now what was the which seemed last night to weigh down many condition of our men? Of course they were not hearts, had been removed. All now seemed con- in the best. Many were sick our force was fident. The troops were early formed in line of weak. The division of Blenker, although strong battle, Schenck now taking the centre and Milroy in numbers, was nevertheless weak, for they had the right. The American flag floated grandly in become so demoralized by their excesses on their the morning breeze, and the boys moved with various marches from Washington, that there elastic step as the bands encouraged them with was a lack of discipline, a thing indispensable to national airs. It was a grand spectacle to see a good soldier. them moving off in the direction of the ground strongly contested the day before. Skirmishers were thrown out, and the army advanced rapidly, but found only the wounded or the silent dead in possession of the field. The enemy had left the field the night before or early in the morning. When arriving at Mill Creek church, which had been used as a hospital by the rebels, we found twenty-six of our wounded. Thirty had been sent ahead, they said, with seventeen prisoners taken. The hospital had been a scene of woe. Here stood a pool of blood, there a horribly mangled foot, yonder an arm severed from the body, etc. Such is war.

Let it be said to the rebels' credit that they treated our wounded humanely. Many left upon the field had blankets thrown over them and can

teens of water placed by their side, while they nearly all say that they were as well treated as the rebels themselves.

Under circumstances such as these, Gen. Fremont fought the battle of Cross Keys. Did it not require a man with a stout heart and steady hand? In spite of all untoward circumstances he gained much, and but for the misfortune on the left would have captured Gen. Jackson with both army and baggage.

Do you ask why it is called "Cross Keys?"
Well, there is, about the middle of the battle-
ground, a store-house, a church, and a house or
two; this is called by that name. I believe they
have formerly had a post-office there.
Our loss is severe, and foots up as far as I am
now able to say, as follows:

KILLED, WOUNDED AND MISSING.
Stahl's brigade,....
Milroy's brigade,.
Bohlen's brigade,.
Cluseret's brigade,..
Schenck's brigade,
Bucktails,..

Total,.....

427

..118

80

17

14

8

...664

But let us go on with our march: The army moves in the direction of Port Republic without resistance. As we draw near that place we see a dense volume of smoke rising. Our troops press on to see the cause. The last rebel had This does not include the casualties in Steincrossed the Shenandoah-their almost intermina-wehr's brigade, which is probably small. Some ble train could be seen winding along like a huge snake, in the distant valley. Several regiments were drawn in line of battle on the opposite side of the river. An unfordable river was between them, and the only bridge was in flames. The battle of "Cross Keys' was now a matter of history, and the famous pursuit of Jackson and his army was at an end.

Gen. Fremont had left Franklin on Sunday, May twenty-fifth, taking up his line of march for the valley of Virginia. At Petersburgh he had left his tents and heavy baggage. With one exception, he had marched sixteen consecutive days. The rains had been heavy and severe. Frequently our soldiers had bivouacked in water and mud, and lain down in their drenched clothes to steal a little sleep, to have a dream of the loved ones at home, and to have a very few hours of rest that they might endure the fatigues of the coming day. Transportation had been difficult. Forage was scarce, the country having been cleaned of such things by former armies. Sometimes they had a short allowance of bread or perhaps none, while the shoes of some of them had given out and the poor fellows had to march barefoot. Day after day they had pressed forward in good spirits and with light hearts, enduring the trials with great patience. For seven days they had had skirmishing with the rebels and had taken over four hundred prisoners and liberated about thirty of Banks' men. After fourteen days of continued

of the missing were taken prisoners, yet we have
reason to believe the number of such small. Some
may yet come in, so that our loss in killed and
wounded may be set down at about six hundred.
What the rebel loss is, of course we cannot tell.
Their dead were principally removed. Some of
our wounded at the hospital said they had three
hundred and fifty wounded lying in the field adja-
cent to the church, but this is unreliable. A pit at
Mill Creek Church is supposed to be a receptacle
for many of their dead. They had far more
horses killed than we. At one battery there are
seventeen horses lying. Their loss around their
batteries must have been severe, for the ground
is literally ploughed by our balls and shells.
Their loss at any rate must be equal to our own.
I could relate many incidents that would be in-
teresting, but I will not do it. One instance, how-
ever, is too amusing to omit. Capt. Morgedant,
of Gen. Schenck's staff, happened, in the midst of
the fight, to come upon one of our First Lieuten-
ants and fourteen men squatted in a wheat-field,
with plenty of plunder. The brave Lieutenant,
thinking with the Irishman that this man was
about to surround him and his squad of maraud-
ers, quickly exclaimed, "Captain, I'm your pris-
oner!" handing him his sword at the same time.
After he discovered that the Captain was of the
Union army, he wanted his sword back, but the
Captain said, "No, sir, I will arrest you for cow-
ardice," and he did so. This Lieutenant was a

Comment is Nicholas Dunka. Many horses were killed in. our batteries, which the enemy repeatedly at

Captain Dunka, of General Fremont's staff, was tempted to take, but were repulsed by canister killed. fire generally.

This morning detachments were occupied in searching the grounds covered by yesterday's action at Cross Keys, for our remaining dead and wounded. I am not yet fully informed, but think that one hundred and twenty-five will cover our loss in killed, and five hundred that inderstand, as the only tenable one in that vicinity. wounded.