Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 9 |
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Nearing the Federal position, Winder deployed with his right in the edge of the woods on the slope of the same terrace occupied by Tyler’s left, with the ravine intervening, extending his left toward the river, placing batteries in the road near his right and on swells of the broad bottoms toward his left. The Lewiston farmhouse, with its numerous outbuildings, was between the lines of the combatants near the foot of the wooded terrace. As he advanced, Winder soon found that his lines were commanded and enfiladed by the Federal battery on the coal hearth. He then sent Colonel Allen with two Virginia regiments and two guns into the forest on the terrace, on his right, to attempt to flank the Federal left and capture the battery that was impeding his progress, but he was met and promptly driven back by the superior fire of that battery and by the volleys of the four Federal regiments that were supporting it. To create a diversion, he sent the Fifth Virginia to his left to attack the Federal right, in which it met with some success, but this was promptly checked by Tyler, who reinforced his right with three regiments and drove the Fifth back after a stubborn fight. Finding that his 1,200 men were not equal to the enemy’s tactic force, and that he was getting the worst of the battle, Winder called upon Jackson, who was watching the combat just in the rear of its center, for reinforcements. He sent Taylor’s Seventh Louisiana, with batteries, to the left, but the Federals were still gaining ground in that direction. Just then the main body of Taylor’s brigade, led by Taylor himself, approached by the Port Republic road on which Jackson, all alone, was watching the contest and seeing that the field was in danger of going against him. At that moment Captain Hotchkiss joined him. Catching sight of Taylor’s advance, Jackson promptly ordered Hotchkiss to lead that command around through the forest, turn the Federal left and capture the battery on the coal hearth. The head of Taylor’s column was promptly turned to the right, and, in concealment, marched as rapidly through the woods as the rough character of the ground and the thick growth of young timber would admit. Bearing well to the right, to be sure of completely turning the Federal left, the head of this column had nearly reached Deep Hollow, or Lewis’ run, which flowed through the ravine between the contending forces, when an aide from General Winder informed the officer in charge of the movement that unless an immediate attack was made upon the Federal left he would be compelled to give way and abandon the field. After a consultation, it was agreed, in view of the present emergency, that the flank movement should be abandoned and an immediate attack, obliquing to the left, should be made upon the Federal position and battery across the ravine. Taylor quickly formed his brave Louisianans and charged upon the Federal position, from which a portion of the infantry supports had been withdrawn by Tyler to strengthen his right. Taylor’s men, though opposed by a most galling fire of musketry and artillery at short range, succeeded in capturing the battery, but Tyler soon recaptured it with men brought from his right, when Taylor again rallied his forces and retook it; and so the contention went on for some time, for the possession of the Federal battery and the point of vantage for victory. In the meantime, Winder reinforced his left with three regiments that had just come up, and ordered an advance which checked the charge, aided by two regiments under Scott, which Ewell had just sent in on his left, and captured and held the battery just as the Federals were starting in retreat and attempting to carry off the guns, although nearly all their horses had been killed. They succeeded in taking away one gun, but the Confederate attack was successful all along the line, and the Federals were soon in full retreat, followed by Taliaferro’s brigade, which had just reached the field, joining with Winder in pursuit for over three miles, when Munford took it up with his cavalry, recaptured the piece of artillery that had been taken away, picked up many prisoners and followed the Federal retreat until dark overtook him. Tyler made a brave and gallant fight, hotly contesting the possession of the field, on which he had so skillfully posted his men and guns, and stubbornly resisting every effort to drive him from it until Jackson’s superior tactics made it no longer tenable. His loss was 66 killed, 382 wounded, and 382 missing, a total of 830; or, as stated by another Federal authority, 67 killed, 361 wounded and 574 missing, a total of 1,002, or fully one-third of his command—figures which tell the story of his courageous fight in which brothers and kindred from western Virginia met in opposing regiments on the bloodiest part of this decisive field of carnage. Late in the forenoon, Fremont advanced against Trimble near Cross Keys, and was driving him slowly back, when Jackson thought it prudent to call him to the Lewiston, or Port Republic, battlefield, when he, with Taliaferro, withdrew as rapidly as possible, and without loss crossed the bridge at Port Republic, which he burned behind him and moved down toward the battlefield. Fremont arrived on the bluffs, overlooking the field of combat across the river, just in time to witness the retreat of Tyler and engage in the safe but shameful business of shelling the ambulances and the relief parties who were engaged on the field in looking after the wounded of both armies. Jackson quickly withdrew his men from the range of Fremont’s guns, by byways leading from Lewiston through the woods directly to the mouth of Brown’s gap, where he established his headquarters, and within which he gathered all his men in bivouac, but some of them not until midnight. His losses in the Port Republic battle were 816, killed, wounded and missing; 290 of these from Taylor’s brigade, 199 from Winder’s, 190 from Steuart’s, and 128 from Elzey’s. During the day all of Jackson’s trains were removed to the cove, or amphitheatral basin, within Brown’s gap, so that by the morning of the 10th, he was there concentrated and ready to either take the offensive or to retire toward Richmond. Jackson rested his wearied and well-nigh exhausted men in their camps on the 10th. Tyler met Shields coming to reinforce him, at Conrad’s store, and Fremont, baffled at every turn, fell back to Harrisonburg on the morning of that day and continued his retreat down the valley on the 11th and 12th, followed by Munford’s cavalry, which crossed North river and reached Mt. Crawford the night of the 11th, and the next day took possession of Harrisonburg and of the 200 wounded which Fremont had left there. The latter did not halt, owing to “significant demonstrations of the enemy,” as he says, until he joined Banks and Sigel (Saxton’s command) at Middletown, in the lower valley, to which point they had advanced, respectively, from Williamsport and Harper’s Ferry. Shields continued his retreat to Luray, which he reached on the 13th. On the 12th of June, as soon as he could cross South river by fords made passable by his engineer, Jackson moved his army from Brown’s gap into the noble, parklike oak forests between the forks of the Shenandoah, in the vicinity of Weyer’s cave and Mt. Meridian, where, for five days of splendid June weather, he rested, recuperated and refitted his army, and where, as he proclaimed in general orders, “for the purpose of rendering thanks to God for having crowned our arms with success and to implore His continual favor,” divine service was held in the army on the 14th, during which the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered. Jackson issued another inspiring order to his men, June 13th, in these words: “The fortitude of the troops under fatigue and their valor in action have again, under the blessing of Divine Providence, placed it in the power of the commanding general to congratulate them upon the victories of June 8th and 9th. Beset on both flanks by two boastful armies, you have escaped their toils, inflicting, successively, crushing blows upon each of your pursuers. Let a few more such efforts be made, and you may confidently hope that our beautiful valley will be cleaned from the pollution of the invaders’ presence. The major-general commanding invites you to observe to-morrow evening, June 14th, from 3 o’clock p.m., as a season of thanksgiving, by a suspension of all military exercises, and by holding divine service in the several regiments.” It is interesting to review this Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, which closed with the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. It occupied just three months—from the evacuation of Winchester. March 11th, when Jackson fell back with about 4,500 badly armed and equipped men, before the advance of Banks with his 30,000, as well equipped and supplied as men could possibly be, to the 11th of June, when Fremont and Shields were in full retreat for the lower valley and Jackson was resting near the triple forks of the Shenandoah, the acknowledged hero of one of the most famous campaigns in history. Regarding his retreat from Winchester in March as a confession of weakness, the Federal government at once ordered the larger part of Banks’ force from the Valley to the support of McClellan’s columns advancing on Richmond. Marching rapidly from his apparent hiding in retreat, Jackson fell, on the 23rd of March, upon the remaining Federal force in the vicinity of Kernstown with 3,500 wearied men, and, though mistaken as to his enemy’s numbers, joined issue with Shields’ 7,000, and nearly becoming the victor on the battlefield, he compelled the return to the Valley of all the Federals that had left it, and to that extent weakened the Federal army moving toward Richmond and delayed its operations. Falling back from Kernstown, he drew Banks and his large army, still further reinforced, after him to Harrisonburg, where he disconcerted his pursuer by turning across to the Blue ridge, to a safe position near Swift Run gap, where he reorganized his army; submitted to Lee a plan of campaign for freeing the Valley and the mountains beyond, of three threatening Federal advances; got permission to carry out his designs, if he could do so with the aid of Ewell’s division, then across the Blue ridge from his encampment, and with Johnson’s brigade, which was holding back Fremont’s advance just west of Staunton. On the last of April, while he was deceiving Banks at Harrisonburg with a demonstration in his front, Ewell crossed to the camps Jackson had evacuated, while he took up his line of march, with his own immediate command, to join Edward Johnson, by a circuitous route, which involved the crossing of the Blue ridge twice, thus deceiving friend and foe alike. Joining Johnson on the 5th of May, he forced back Fremont’s advance to McDowell, where he defeated him in battle, on the 8th, and followed after his retreat until it met his main body at Franklin where he left the whole Federal force safely disposed of on the 12th. Marching back to the Valley and down it to near New Market, taking up Ewell’s command in passing, he crossed the Massanutton mountains, marched rapidly down the Page valley, and on the 24th fell on Banks’ line of retreat, which his attack on Front Royal, on the 23rd, had forced from Strasburg, whither he had retired on learning that Ewell had reinforced Jackson at Conrad’s store (Elkton). Defeating Banks m a pitched battle at Winchester on the 25th, capturing many prisoners and great quantities of stores, he drove the remnant of Banks’ army across the Potomac at Williamsport, and made a demonstration at Harper’s Ferry from the 28th to the 31st, as if he would move on Washington. Thus he threw the Federal government into consternation, causing it to order McDowell, who with 40,000 men had reached Fredericksburg on his way to join McClellan, to turn from his course and march to the Valley to oppose him; to order Fremont to withdraw from his advance toward Staunton, to co-operate with McDowell in blocking Jackson’s way out at Strasburg, and to order a formidable force to Harper’s Ferry, until more than 60,000 men were on the march to contend with his 16,000. Keeping up his threatening attitude until his converging foes were but a day’s march from a junction at Strasburg, he then, having saved his captures and his prisoners, fell rapidly back and safely escaped those gathering to entrap him; divided this great force by calling to his aid the great topographic bulwarks of the Valley, and drew a portion of his foes under Fremont again to Harrisonburg, and to a chosen field of engagement at Cross Keys, where he dealt Fremont a staggering blow which caused him to halt and hesitate, while on the next day, June 9th, he met McDowell’s advance coming up the eastern valley, which by his precautions he had kept from joining Fremont, and drove it back in total defeat. These two armies, which he had so success. fully outgeneraled, halted not in their retreat until they were again safe in the lower valley. During these three months Jackson had marched more than 500 miles, fought five pitched battles, and had numerous engagements with the armies of his enemy. On June 11th, General Lee wrote to Jackson from Richmond: “Your recent successes have been the cause of the liveliest joy in this army as well as in the country. The admiration excited by your skill and boldness has been constantly mingled with solicitude for your situation.” |
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Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 1 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 2 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 3 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 4 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 5 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 6 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 7 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 8 Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 - from The Confederate Military History - Part 10 |
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