CAPTURE OF COL. KANE.-DEATH OF ASHBY. 137 verged from the great road leading southwardly to Staunton, moving south-easterly, with intent to cross the South Fork at Port Republic. His rear was bravely and ably protected by the 2d and 6th Virginia cavalry, Gen. Turner Ashby, who that day repulsed a spirited charge naked as possible, he left Franklin | of those in front of Shields. Passing next morning," the soldiers discard- through Harrisonburg," Jackson diing even their knapsacks, but taking five days' rations of hard bread; and thus, through constant rain, and over mountain roads that could be made barely passable, he crossed the Alleghanies and descended into the Valley, reaching and occupying Strasburg on the evening of June 1st, just in time to be too late to head Jack-of our cavalry in advance, capturing son, who had retreated through that place a few hours before. Next morning, Gen. Bayard," with the cavalry advance of Shields's division, reached that point. Col. Percy Wyndham and 63 men. Being still sharply pressed, Ashby called for an infantry support; when the brigade of Gen. Geo. H. Stewart was promptly ordered up, and was soon hotly engaged with the Pennsylvania Bucktails, whose commander, Lt.-Col. Kane, was wounded and taken prisoner. The Rebel loss in this affair was numerically less than ours, being but 20 killed and 50 wounded; but among the killed was Ashby himself, whose loss was at least equal to that of a regiment. Always fighting at the head of his men, with the most reckless self-ex Shields, however, pushed up the South Fork of the Shenandoah, on the other side of Massanutten Mountain, expecting to head Jackson at some point farther south; while Fremont followed him directly down the North Fork, by Woodstock and Mount Jackson, to Harrisonburg. The advance of each was greatly embarrassed by the many streams which make their way down from the mountains into either branch of the She-posure, his fate was merely a quesnandoah, and which were now swollen to raging torrents by the incessant rains; Jackson of course burning or breaking down the bridges as he passed them, and sending cavalry across to destroy the more important 70 May 25. 71 Gen. McDowell, in his testimony aforesaid, blames Gen. Ord, commanding one of his divisions, for lack of energy in pushing it on from Front Royal to Strasburg, and adds, that he sent forward Gen. Shields from Front Royal with express orders "to go on the direct road to Strasburg, and not cross the North Fork of the Shenandoah until near that place." He adds: "After some time in getting Ord's, or rather Ricketts's, division together, I started out to the front. I met one of Gen. Shields's aids-decamp coming in from Front Royal, and asked him how far out he had met Gen. Shields. He said tion of time. For outpost and skirmishing service, he left no equal behind him in either army. Being now within a few miles of Port Republic, where his trains and artillery must be taken over a he had not met him at all. I told him he had started to go out, and he said he must have lost become of him, I took Bayard's cavalry brigade, his way. Without stopping to see what had the only one ready to move, and sent it forward by the direct road to Strasburg. I then went to see where Gen. Shields was, and found him over on the road toward Winchester. He had sent his troops on that road, instead of on the one I had ordered him to send them on. He said that he had received information from his aid-de-camp that Jackson had fallen back, and he had sent his troops this way. When I got up there, they were coming in. Well, it was too late to get ahead of Jackson then." 72 June 5. wooden bridge across the larger of the two streams into which the south branch again forks at this place, and over the other and smaller branch by a ford, Jackson was obliged to turn and fight in order to gain time. Accordingly, Maj.-Gen. Ewell, with the rear division of his army, halted" near Union Church, and took up a strong position along a ridge which here crosses the road, with his flanks well protected by timber. He had but 5,000 men directly in hand; but the residue of Jackson's army was between him and Port Republic, 4 or 5 miles distant, ready to be sent up as required. Fremont pushed out of Harrisonburg at 6 o'clock next morning," and before 9 his advance was engaged near a little hamlet known as CROSSKEYS, some seven miles on. Ewell's three brigades, under Trimble, Elzey, and Stewart, ranged from right to left, with his artillery in the center. Gen. Dick Taylor, with a Louisiana, and Col. Patton, with a Virginia brigade, came to his aid when wanted. Gen. Fremont's order of battle, a mile and a half long, was formed with the 32d, 55th, 73d, 75th, and 82d Ohio, under Brig.-Gen. Schenck, on the right, and the 2d, 3d, and 5th Virginia, with the 25th Ohio, under Gen. Milroy, in the center, with the 8th, 41st, and 45th New York, and 27th Pennsylvania, and what were left of the Bucktails, under Gen. Stahl, on the left, supported by Gen. Bohlen's brigade; while the remainder of Blenker's division was held in reserve. Col. Cluseret, with the 60th Ohio, 8th Virginia, and Garibaldi Guards, had held the advance 73 June 7. through the morning, but had now fallen in between Schenck and Milroy. Thus formed, our army advanced steadily and successfully, under a storm of shot and shell, losing heavily in men, but constantly gaining ground, until after 3 o'clock; when Stahl's brigade, having passed through the wood in its front to a clover-field, which gradually ascended to another wood filled with Rebels beyond, encountered a murderous fire, by which its ranks were fearfully thinned and its progress arrested. Two of Bohlen's regiments were ordered up to its support; but, before they could arrive, the brigade had recoiled; understanding, it was said, that they were to give place to Bohlen's men, instead of being sustained by them. Up to this moment, Schenck, on our right, had been making slow but steady progress; but he now halted by order, and finally receded for a mile, finding that Milroy had moved toward the left, and that he must follow or be isolated. Two hours later, the Rebels cannonaded him in his new position, but were easily and quickly driven off by his batteries. Our total loss in this indecisive action was 664, two-thirds of it in Stahl's brigade; and our troops slept on the battle-field, expecting to renew the fight next morning. Gen. Ewell's report admits a total loss on their side of 329; but among their severely wounded were Gens. Elzey and Stewart. During the night, Ewell silently moved off, carrying away all but his mortally wounded. Jackson had turned aside from his direct line of retreat, because he found that, with an army nearly or 74 June 8. THE FIGHT AT PORT REPUBLIC. 139 quite equal to his own pressing close- | Tyler received and replied to a ly on his rear, he must sometimes dispatch from Shields; but, before turn and fight, and thus permit the finishing his answer, he was apprised other hostile army, advancing on his that the Rebels were in his front, flank, to gain on him. He was at endeavoring to outflank his left. Port Republic during the conflict at The struggle that ensued was short: Cross-Keys, preparing to cross, and the Rebel attack being resisted with watching for Shields, whose column, great gallantry by our men; but they though delayed by burnt bridges and were 3,000 at most, while their asswollen streams, had reached Con- sailants were 8,000, with more berad's Store, only 15 miles distant, hind them. We were even successand whose advance of cavalry and ful at first over Winder on our right; artillery, under Col. Carroll, appear- but to no purpose, since the odds. ed that day." against us were constantly increasCarroll had been told that Jack-ing; and, at length, Dick Taylor's son's train was parked near Port Re-Louisiana brigade, which had flanked public, with a drove of beef cattle; our left by an unobserved advance the whole guarded by some 200 or through the forest, made so sudden 300 cavalry; and he dashed into the and overwhelming a dash at Col. village with his troopers and two Candy's battery on our left, that it guns, expecting to cross the bridge was captured; its horses having been and make an easy capture of the killed or disabled. Exasperated raaforesaid train and cattle. Had he ther than dismayed by this loss, Col. comprehended the situation, he might Candy, with the 5th and 7th Ohio, have burned the bridge, and thereby made a spirited counter-charge, and exposed the enemy to serious loss, if retook his battery; but was unable, not utter destruction. But Jackson for lack of horses, to bring it off," was already there, with 2 infantry though he drove back the Rebel inbrigades and 3 batteries; by the fire fantry and artillery, and actually of which Carroll was driven out in captured one of their guns, which, 20 minutes, falling back two miles with 67 prisoners, was brought off and a half, upon Gen. Tyler's brig-in our retreat, which was admirably ade of infantry, 2,000 strong. Tyler, who, on hearing of trouble ahead, had been rapidly hurrying to the rescue, ought now to have retreated also; instead of which, he sent his men to bivouac, and went forward with Carroll to reconnoiter. His vedettes, at 4 A. M.," reported that there had been no advance of the enemy across the bridge during the night, and that only their pickets were visible. Returning to his camp, covered by Col. Carroll. The Rebels pursued about 5 miles, capturing 450 prisoners and about 800 muskets. Disastrous as was its result, there is no battle whereof the soldiers of the Union have more reason to be proud than that of Port Republic. Fremont awoke that morning to find his enemy vanished, and to follow on his track to Port Republic; arriving just in time to find the last Rebel safely across the river and the was this battery lost and won, in the desperate " Jackson's official report says: "Three times and determined efforts to capture and recover it." 75 June 8. 76 June 9. bridge in flames. Some of Jackson's moned on the 17th, with the bulk of officers had been obliged to abandon his army, to Richmond. their horses in order to make good their escape. On the same day" with Jackson's Gen. Jackson makes his total loss demolition of Kenly at Front Royal, in these engagements, 133 killed, | Gen. Heth, with 3 regiments of Vir929 wounded, and 34 missing-in | ginia Rebels, attacked at Lewisburg, all, 1,096; or, since he left Winches- in West Virginia, the 36th and 44th ter, 1,167, with 1 gun; while he had Ohio, Col. Geo. Crook, by whom he captured, including wounded in hos- was quickly routed, though Heth pital, 975 men and 7 guns. Con- seems to have had decidedly the adsidering the perils he braved, and vantage in numbers. Before our arthe odds which ought to have been, tillery could be brought into position, but were not, brought to bear against the Rebels were broken and flying, him, his campaign was one of the with a loss of 4 guns, 300 muskets, most brilliant of the war, and stamps and 100 prisoners. Our loss was 11 him a true military genius." killed and 52 wounded, including Col. Crook in the foot. The Rebel loss is stated at 50 killed and 75 wounded, part of whom were doubtless included in the prisoners. Heth burnt the bridge over the Greenbrier, three miles distant, and thus arrested the pursuit. Both Fremont and Shields, being recalled by orders from Washington, here relinquished the pursuit and slowly retired; while Jackson, master of the situation, recrossed the South Fork on the 12th, and encamped at Weyer's Cave; whence he was sum VII. MCCLELLAN BEFORE RICHMOND. THE capture of Norfolk and the | where he found' the channel thordestruction of the Merrimac, alias Virginia, having opened James river to our navy, Commander John Rodgers, in the steamer Galena, backed by the Monitor, Aroostook, Port Royal, and Naugatuck, moved up that river unimpeded, save by the shallows on which they repeatedly grounded, to within eight miles of Richmond, 78 Confidential letters, unpublished, from Lee and Jackson to Johnson and Ewell, show that the movement was suggested, and in fact directed, from Richmond: Jackson and Ewell being ordered to combine their forces and strike a blow at Banks or at McDowell, as circumstances should render advisable. The detachment of 2 oughly obstructed by two separate barriers of piles and vessels, the banks lined with sharp-shooters in rifle-pits, and a battery of heavy guns mounted on Drewry's Bluff, 200 feet above the surface of the water. The river was here so narrow as to compel him to come to anchor; which he did very near the lower barrier, and within Shields from Banks, and sending the former to McDowell at Fredericksburg, in order to enable the latter to advance to the aid of McClellan before Richmond, determined the direction of the blow. 79 May 23. FIGHT AT HANOVER COURT HOUSE. 141 600 yards of the Rebel guns. He at | until rëenforced by Gen. D. C. Butonce opened fire on the battery, and terfield, with four regiments of his maintained a most unequal contest brigade, when the enemy was charged for 3 hours; when, having exhaust- and quickly routed; one of his guns ed his ammunition, he desisted and being captured by Col. Lansing's fell down the river. The Galena had 17th New York. The cavalry, Ben13 men killed and 11 wounded; the son's battery, and Gen. Morell's inNaugatuck 2, and the Port Royal 1 fantry and artillery, keenly pursued wounded. The bursting of a 100- the fugitives; while Martindale's bripound Parrott on the Naugatuck gade, with a section of artillery, adthreatened a more serious disaster. vanced on the Ashland road, pushCapt. Farrand, commanding the ing back the enemy in his front, Rebel battery, reports his loss at 7 until ordered to reform his brigade killed and 8 wounded. and move up the railroad to the Court House. One regiment having taken that course, Gen. Martindale was left with but two and a half regiments and one section of Martin's battery, when he was attacked by a superior force and compelled to maintain the unequal contest for an hour. The first collision on the Chickahominy between the advance of Gen. McClellan's army and the Rebels occurred3 near New Bridge; where the 4th Michigan, Col. Woodbury, waded the stream and assailed and drove off a superior Rebel force, losing but 8 men in all, and taking 37 prisoners, of whom 15 were wounded. Meantime, Gen. Porter, at the Court House, learning that his rear was thus attacked, faced his whole column about and moved rapidly to the rescue, sending the 13th and 14th New York, with Griffin's battery, di Directly afterward, Gen. Fitz-John Porter, commanding the 5th corps, on our right, was ordered by Gen. McClellan to advance from New Bridge, via Mechanicsville, to Hano-rectly to Martindale's assistance, pushver Court House, in order to facilitate and render secure Gen. McDowell's expected junction from Fredericksburg. Starting at 3 A. M., in a pouring rain, our cavalry advance, under Gen. W. H. Emory, had reached at noon a point two miles southward of the Court House, where the road forks to Ashland, and where the enemy were found in position to bar our further progress. The 25th New York and Berdan's sharp-shooters speedily coming up, they were deployed by Gen. Emory, with a section of Benson's battery, and thus advanced slowly toward the enemy * May 24. ing the 9th Massachusetts and 62d Pennsylvania through the woods on the right (west) to take the enemy in flank; while Butterfield, with the 83d Pennsylvania and 16th Michigan, hastened through the woods still farther to the right, and completed the rout of the enemy. The 13th New York, of Col. G. K. Warren's brigade, which, having been delayed repairing bridges, had not hitherto been in action, now came up on our left; and, the odds being too palpable, the Confederates made a rapid retreat. Their loss is stated by Gen. McClellan at some 200 killed, 730 May 27 |