was at Front Royal, capturing many prisoners and guns, and a large amount of stores. This was on the 23d of May.

About a week before this time (May 17th), the national government, desirous of re-enforcing McClellan in the

ALEXANDRIA

RIVER

WASHINGTON

CHAP. LV.]

Detachments sent to McClellan.

THE RETREAT OF BANKS.

393

Peninsula, had ordered Shields to leave Banks's corps and join that of McDowell, which was on its march to McClellan, Banks being or dered to fall back to Strasburg and there fortify himself. He was thus left with about 6000 men to defend the valley.

Banks, weakened, is attacked by Jack

son,

Banks heard of the disaster at Front Royal on the evening of its occurrence. He saw his peril. He retreated instantly from Strasburg (May 24th), the Confederate advance already appearing. His losses in this forced march were great, but he gained Winchester by midnight. He was unable to rest there more than a couple of hours, for Jackson was fast enveloping him. He resumed his flight, turning upon his pursuers whenever he could, in order to give time for his trains to escape. As he passed through Winchester, the women threw from the windows hot water and missiles of every description on his troops. In the course of the afternoon he reached Martinsburg, a march of 22 miles, and, resting his footsore troops only two hours and a half, marched again twelve miles, and gained the Potomac opposite Williamsport the same night.

and, caused to retreat precipi

tately,

In this pursuit Jackson captured two guns, more than 9000 small-arms, and more than 3000 prisoners. Banks's loss in killed and wounded was about 200. "Never," says that general-not a very soldierly confession-"were there more grateful hearts in the same number of men than when at midday, on the 26th, we stood on the opposite shore" of the Potomac.

escapes across the Potomac.

"The scene on the river when the rear-guard arrived was of the most animated and exciting description. A thousand camp-fires were burning on the hill-side, a thousand carriages of all sorts were crowded upon the banks of the broad stream between

394

CONSTERNATION IN WASHINGTON.

[SECT. XI.

the exhausted troops and their coveted rest. The ford was too deep for the teams to cross in regular succession; only the strongest horses, after a few experiments, were allowed to essay the passage over before morning. The single ferry was occupied by the ammunition trains, the ford by the wagons. The cavalry was secure; the troops only had no transportation. No enemy appeared in sight. Fortunately, there were several boats belonging to the pontoon train brought from Strasburg, which were launched and devoted exclusively to the soldiers."

A rush like that of Stonewall Jackson through the Valley in pursuit of Banks was what the nation expected of McClellan when Magruder attempted to stop him in the Peninsula.

McClellan's re-en

back.

The attack at Front Royal and on Strasburg produced Consternation in consternation in Washington. McDowell Washington. was at once ordered to fall back; he was within fifteen miles of Hanover Court-house, and on the point of making a junction with McClellan. In letters to the Secretary of War and to the President forcements ordered he expressed his regret in a soldierly manner. He at once proceeded to execute his orders, which were to aid in intercepting Jackson and cut off his retreat in the Valley. On the same day (May 24) Fremont was ordered by telegraph to march instantly in aid of the same attempt. By the route he was or dered to take he might have intercepted, Jackson, but he assumed the responsibility of going by another, which permitted Jackson to escape. It had been hoped that, between McDowell and Fremont, Jackson's retreat would be stopped.

In the consternation of the moment, in addition to these military orders, dispatches were sent to the governors of the Northern States. They were of the following tenor:

Call upon the
Northern gov-

ernors.

CHAP. LV.]

JACKSON'S RETREAT.

"To the Governor of Massachusetts:

395

"Washington, May 25th, 1862.

"Intelligence from various quarters leaves no doubt that the enemy in great force are marching on Washington. You will please organize and forward immediately all the militia and volunteer force in your state.

The government

"EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War."

On the same day (May 25th) the President took military possession of all the railroads in the seizes the railroads. United States, ordering their officers and servants to hold themselves in readiness for the transportation of troops and munitions of war, to the exclusion of all other business.

Retreat of Jack

er's Ferry.

It was now high time for Stonewall Jackson to retreat from the front of Harper's Ferry. Accord son from Harp-ingly he did so (May 29), leaving Ewell as a rear-guard. That officer made some ener getic demonstrations on the night of the 30th. "The night was intensely dark; the hills around were alive with signal lights; the rain descended in torrents; vivid flashes of lightning illuminated at intervals the green and magnificent scenery, while the crash of the thunder echoing among the mountains threw into comparative insignificance the roar of the artillery." Next morning it was found that Ewell had disappeared. To overtake Jackson, he marched thirty-four miles on that day!

We have seen that Fremont changed his prescribed line of march. He did this with a view of finding a readier passage over the Shenandoah Mountains from Franklin, where he had concentrated. He went northward forty miles to Moorfield; then, crossing the ridgethough he had stripped his men even of their knapsacks, and marched as expeditiously as he could over roads made almost impassable by the incessant rain-he reachFailure of Fremont ed Strasburg (June 1st) just after Jackson had passed through it. Shields, who was

to intercept him.

396

JACKSON'S RETREAT.

[SECT. XI.

moving along the South Fork of the Shenandoah, on the east of the Masanutten range, while Fremont was thus moving on the west, attempted to intercept Jackson farther south. But that general retarded the pursuit of Fremont and delayed Shields by burning the bridges as he passed them. Marching rapidly through Harrisonburg, he made his way through the South Fork of the Shenandoah at Port Republic, repulsing (June 5) an attack of the national cavalry on his rear, but losing in the combat General Ashby, a very brave officer, who was in command of Affair at Port his cavalry. At Port Republic the river di vides; the larger of its branches is crossed by a wooden bridge, the smaller by a ford. Here Fremont at length brought him to bay (June 8), near a hamlet known as Cross Keys, but in vain, for he repulsed the attack.

Republic.

While he was thus engaged with Fremont, who had come down from the northwest, Shields was converging upon him from the northeast. The advance cavalry and artillery of that officer dashed into Port Republic, expecting to seize Jackson's train, but in a few minutes they were driven out and compelled to fall back on their ad vancing infantry. The infantry, in its turn, was overwhelmed. A battery was captured and recaptured. Jackson, in his report, says, "Three times was this battery lost and won in the desperate efforts to capture and recover it." After a determined contest, Jackson good his retreat. forced back his assailants, pursuing them nearly five miles, making good his retreat across the river, and setting fire to the bridge. He had lost a thousand men (1167) and one gun since he left Winchester, and had captured about a thousand men (975) and sev en guns.

Jackson makes

Jackson had thus dexterously slipped between McDowell on one side, and Fremont on the other, at Strasburg.