Page images
PDF
EPUB

of houses; ordnance exploded; cavalry rode down stragglers; bands of plunderers hastily entered houses, bayonetted their occupants, and in one wild scene of unrestrained disorder, fury, and cowardice, Banks' army passed out of the ancient town, where the enemy had so long ruled in the insolence of power.

Banks' army had stood but a few moments before Winchester, and had broken under a distant fire of artillery. He had evidently no disposition to test the substance and strength of the foe by actual collision, and was only desirous to place the Potomac between himself and the danger of action. Never was there such a shameful retreat; such a deliberate abandonment by a commander of everything but the desire for safety. In forty-eight hours after he had got the first news of the attack on Front Royal, Banks was on the shore of the Potomac, having performed thirtyfive miles of the distance on the last day of the retreat.

The fruits of Jackson's two days' operations were immense. Banks had escaped with the loss of all the material and paraphernalia that constitute an army. He had abandoned at Winchester all his commissary and ordnance stores. He had resigned that town and Front Royal to the undisputed possession of the Confederates. He had left in their hands four thousand prisoners, and stores amounting to millions of dollars. It was a rapid stroke and a splendid success which Jackson had made. Tidings of his victory were communicated to the Confederate army around Richmond in general orders. "The Federal army," wrote Gen. Johnston, "has been dispersed and ignominiously driven from the Valley of the Shenandoah, and those who have freed the loyal citizens of that district by their patriotic valour, have again earned, as they will receive, the thanks of a grateful country. In making this glorious announcement, on the eve of the memorable struggle about to ensue, the Commanding General does not deem it necessary to invoke the troops of this army to emulate the deeds of their noble comrades in the Valley." *

In falling back from Winchester, Gen. Jackson had to run the danger of being enveloped by the converging columns of Fremont and Shields. He succeeded ("through the blessing of an ever kind Providence ") in reaching Strasburg, before the two Federal armies could effect their contemplated junction in his rear. On the 5th of June he reached Harrisonburg, and, passing beyond that town, turned towards the east in the direction of Port Republic.

On the movement from Harrisonburg occurred the melancholy inci

* We may imagine the historical value of Federal official documents on reading Gen. Banks' report of the events we have related. The drama from Strasburg to the Potomac is thus epitomized: "My command had not suffered an attack and rout, but accomplished a premeditated march (!) of near sixty miles, in the face of the enemy (!), defeating his plans and giving him battle wherever he was found (!!).”

BATTLES OF CROSS-KEYS AND PORT REPUBLIC.

275

dent of the death of the famous cavalry commander of the Valley, Turner Ashby, whose name was connected with much of the romance of the war, and whose gentle enthusiastic courage, simple Christian faith, and royal passion for danger, constituted him one of the noblest and most beautiful types of modern chivalry. On the road from Harrisonburg to Port Republic, the 58th Virginia became engaged with the Pennsylvania Bucktails. Col. Johnson came up with the Maryland regiment, and by a dashing charge in flank drove the enemy off with heavy loss. Ashby was on the right of the 58th Virginia, and had just commanded a charge of bayonets upon the enemy, concealed in a piece of woods, when he fell dead not many yards from a fence where a concealed marksman had sped the fatal bullet. Gen. Jackson's tribute to the fallen officer, whose active and daring cavalry had so often co-operated with his arms, was an extraordinary one, considering the habitual measure of this great man's words. He wrote of Ashby: "As a partisan officer I never knew his superiour. His daring was proverbial; his powers of endurance almost incredible; his tone of character heroic, and his sagacity almost intuitive in divining the purposes and movements of the enemy."

BATTLES OF CROSS-KEYS AND PORT REPUBLIC.

On the 7th of June the main body of Gen. Jackson's command had reached the vicinity of Port Republic. The village is situated in the angle formed by the junction of the North and South Rivers, tributaries of the south fork of the Shenandoah. The larger portion of Jackson's command was encamped on the high ground north of the village, about a mile from the river. Gen. Ewell was some four miles distant, near the road leading from Harrisonburg to Port Republic. Gen. Fremont had arrived with his forces in the vicinity of Harrisonburg, and Gen. Shields was moving up the east side of the south fork of the Shenandoah, and was then some fifteen miles below Port Republic. Gen. Jackson's position was about equi-distant from both hostile armies. To prevent a junction of the two Federal armies, he had caused the bridge over the south fork of the Shenandoah at Conrad's store to be destroyed.

Fremont had seven brigades of infantry besides numerous cavalry. Ewell had three small brigades during the greater part of the action that was to ensue, and no cavalry at any time. His force was short of five thousand men. About ten o'clock the enemy felt along his front, posted his artillery, and, with two brigades, made an attack on Trimble's brigade on the right. Gen. Trimble repulsed this force, and, advancing, drove the enemy more than a mile, and remained on his flank ready to make the final attack. At a late hour of the afternoon, Gen. Ewell advanced both

his wings, drove in the enemy's skirmishers, and, when night closed, was in possession of all the ground previously held by the enemy.

The victory-known as that of Cross-Keys-had been purchased by a small Confederate loss: 42 killed and 287 wounded. Gen. Ewell officially estimated the enemy's loss at 2,000. Gen. Fremont officially gives it at 625-exhibiting rather more than the usual difference between Federal and Confederate figures.

Meanwhile Gen. Jackson was preparing to give the final blow to Shields on the other side of the river; and on the morning after their victory, Ewell's forces were recalled to join in the attack at Port Republic. As day broke they commenced their march to the other field of battle seven miles distant.

The enemy had judiciously selected his position for defence. Upon a rising ground near the Lewis House, he had planted six guns, which commanded the road from Port Republic, and swept the plateau for a considerable distance in front. As Gen. Winder moved forward his brigade, a rapid and severe fire of shell was opened upon it. The artillery fire was well sustained by our batteries, which, however, proved unequal to that of the enemy. In the meantime, Winder, being now reinforced by a Louisiana regiment, seeing no mode of silencing the Federal battery, or escaping its destructive missiles but by a rapid charge, and the capture of it, advanced with great boldness for some distance, but encountered such a heavy fire of artillery and small arms as greatly to disorganize his command, which fell back in disorder. The enemy advanced across the field, and, by a heavy musketry fire, forced back our infantry supports, in consequence of which our guns had to retire.

It was just at this crisis, when the day seemed lost, that Ewell's forces appeared upon the scene. Two regiments-the 58th and 44th Virginiarushed with a shout upon the enemy, took him in flank and drove him back, for the first time that day in disorder. Meanwhile Gen. Taylor was employed on the Federal left and rear, and, his attack diverting attention from the front, led to a concentration of the enemy's force upon him. Here the battle raged furiously. Although assailed by a superiour force in front and flank, with their guns in position within point blank range, the charge ordered by Taylor was gallantly made, and the enemy's battery, consisting of six guns, fell into our hands. Three times was this battery lost and won in the desperate and determined efforts to capture and recover it. At last, attacked in front and on flank, Taylor fell back to a skirt of woods. Winder, having rallied his command, moved to his support, and again opened upon the enemy, who were moving upon Taylor's left flank, apparently to surround him in the wood. The final attack was made. Taylor, with the reinforcement, pushed forward; he was assisted by the well-directed fire of our artillery; the enemy fell back; a few

BATTLES OF CROSS-KEYS AND PORT REPUBLIC.

277

moments more, and he was in precipitate retreat. Four hundred and fifty prisoners were taken in the pursuit, and what remained of the enemy's artillery.

While the forces of Shields were in full retreat, Fremont appeared on the opposite bank of the south fork of the Shenandoah, with his army, and opened his artillery with but little effect. The next day withdrawing his forces, he retreated down the Valley. The battle of Port Republic closed the campaign of the Valley. It had been fiercely contested by the enemy, and the Confederate loss was quite one thousand in killed and wounded. But the termination of the campaign found Jackson crowned with an almost marvellous success. In little more than two weeks, he had defeated three Federal armies; swept the Valley of Virginia of hostile forces; thrilled Washington with alarm; and thwarted whatever plan the enemy might have entertained, in other circumstances, of environing Richmond by large converging armies.

On the 12th of June Jackson encamped near Weyer's Cave. Here the pious commander paused, to hold divine service in his army in commemoration of his victories. He was to be here but a few days before receiving orders to move towards Richmond, and to join in the impending contest for the capital.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE TARDINESS OF M'CLELLAN.-HOW THE CONFEDERATES AVAILED THEMSELVES OF IT.—
THEIR CONCENTRATION OF FORCES AT RICHMOND.-STRENGTH OF THESE FORCES.-POSI-
TION OF THE TWO ARMIES.-THE CHICKAHOMINY AND THE ROADS CROSSING IT.-BATTLE
66
OF SEVEN PINES."-FAILURE OF GEN. HUGER TO ATTACK.-GALLANT CHARGE OF THE
TROOPS OF LONGSTREET AND HILL.-GEN. JOHNSTON WOUNDED. THE AFFAIR OF THE
NEXT DAY.-IMPORTANT CHANGE OF MILITARY COMMAND.-SECRET HISTORY OF THE
ATTEMPT TO LIMIT THE MILITARY POWER OF PRESIDENT DAVIS.-A PLAN OF CONFED-
ERATE POLITICIANS.-PLOT AGAINST THE PRESIDENT'S POWER. THE NEW OFFICE OF
COMMANDING-GENERAL OF THE CONFEDERATES.-HOW MADE NOMINAL BY PRESIDENT

DAVIS. GEN. ROBERT E. LEE APPOINTED TO THIS OFFICE. HIS APPEARANCE AND MAN-
NERS. THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND.-LEE'S PLAN OF OPERATIONS.—
JACKSON'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE VALLEY MASKED.-BATTLES OF MECHANICSVILLE AND
BEAVER DAM.-REPULSE OF THE CONFEDERATES AT BEAVER DAM CREEK.-JACKSON
FLANKS THE ENEMY'S POSITION.-M'CLELLAN'S RETREAT TO GAINES' MILLS.-ITS STRAT-
EGIO DESIGN.-EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH OF THE NEW POSITION.-GEN. LEE WAITING
FOR THE GREAT BATTLE.—BATTLE OF GAINES' MILLS.-HEROIO FIGHT OF HILL'S DIVISION.
-THE ENEMY GAINS GROUND.-AN URGENT MESSAGE TO LONGSTREET.-JACKSON AP-
PEARS.-FINAL CHARGE OF THE DAY.-ITS FIERCE GRANDEUR.—VICTORY OF THE CON-
FEDERATES.-M'OLELLAN RETREATS TOWARDS THE JAMES RIVER.-FAILURE Of Magruder
AND HUGER TO INTERCEPT HIM.-THE GREAT ERROUR WHICH THEY COMMITTED.-BATTLE
OF SAVAGE STATION.-M'OLELLAN CROSSES WHITE OAK SWAMP.-Failure of HuGER'S
ATTACK.-ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY LOST.-BATTLE OF FRAZIER'S FARM.-HILL AND LONG-
STREET'S TROOPS ONLY ENGAGED.—BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL.-M'CLELLAN'S POSITION ON
THE HILL.-HIS NUMEROUS ARTILLERY.-THE ATTACK OF THE CONFEDERATE LEFT NOT
SUPPORTED.-MAGRUDER'S IMPETUOUS AND DESPERATE CHARGE. THE SUBLIME SCENERY
OF THE CONTEST.-FAILURE OF THE ATTACK.-M'OLELLAN CONTINUES HIS RETREAT TO
HARRISON'S LANDING.-FRUITS OF THE CONFEDERATE SUCCESS. GEN. LEE'S EXPLANATION
OF M'CLELLAN'S ESCAPE.-ESTIMATE OF THE VICTORY BY LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON.

-RICHMOND ERECT AND EXULTANT.

THE tardiness of McClellan afforded opportunity to the Confederates to recruit their forces, to realize the results of the conscription law, and to assemble before Richmond the largest army they were ever able to put on a single field in any time of the war. The enemy had had the start in the preparation of many months. He delayed the advance upon Richmond, hesitating which line to adopt, when an advance upon either of the proposed lines could hardly have failed of success. A month was lost before

« PreviousContinue »