A Youth's History of the Great Civil War
Van Evrie, Horton & Co., ©1866
Revised edition, ©2006 www.ronie-mooney-encs.us
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CHAPTER XXV, DOINGS OF STONEWALL JACKSON IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
ALTHOUGH the Northern newspapers tried to keep a good face on the fight at Williamsburg, there was a settling doubt on the minds of the people as to the way matters were going in the field. The initial battle in the campaign had evently been adverse to the North.
But McClellan continued to push forward his columns, until by the 16th of May his advance divisions had reached the point known as the "White House," the head of navigation on the Pamunkey River, eighteen miles from Richmond.
General Johnston had already withdrawn his whole army behind the line of the Chickahominy River, and it was evident that he had determined to fight his great and decisive battle from the immediate defences of Richmond.
To act in conjunction with McClellan a fleet of Federal gun-boats, under the command of Commodore Rodgers, sailed up the James River. The fleet met with no opposition until it reached Fort Darling, on Drury's Bluff, about twelve miles from Richmond. But at that place, after a four hours' engagement with the guns of the fort, it was compelled to haul off with several of the boats badly damaged. Now we have the situation of all the Federal force acting for the taking of Richmond. The gun-boats on the James River twelve miles from the city, and McClellan's army resting on the Chickahominy, eighteen miles distant.
But here McClellan's offensive movements, as I shall show you, really ended, and he ever after had to act on the defensive. The Federal forces, instead of being concentrated for a decisive battle, were scattered about at great distances from each other in four distinct armies. There was the Army of the Potomac on the Peninsula in Virginia, then in Western Virginia there was the Army of The Mountain, created expressly to make a command for Fremont,to stop the ceaseless threats and clatter of the more violent of the abolitionists. Then there was the Army of the Shenandoah, under General Banks, and the Department of the Rappahannock, under General McDowell.
Now when the authorities at Washington saw the position in which they had placed McClellan's army they began to feel the necessity of doing something for the protection of Washington. For it was evident that, if McClellan's army was destroyed, there would be nothing to prevent the whole Confederate force from marching directly on Washington, as Richmond, in that event, would be effectually relieved from danger.
It was therefore resolved, at this eleventh hour, to consent that General McDowell should march to reinforce McClellan on the Chickahominy. But some of the "Republican" papers were careful to say before hand that, if the army of the Potomac should prove successful, it would be through the hand of General McDowell: notwithstanding that they had before abused that General for the defeat of Bull Run.
General McDowell, at the time we were speaking of, had an army of thirty thousand, at Fredericksburgh. For the purpose of enabling him to march to attack Richmond with McClellan, General Shields' division of ten thousand men was ordered from the army of General Banks to go to McDowell, which made his effective force over forty thousand men.
The 26th of May was set as the time when McDowell's column was to move. But before it had been pushed more than ten miles from Fredericksburg, the shrewd commander at the head of the Confederate army, General J.E.Johnston, quickly saw the nature of the movement, and it was easy for him to stop it. He had only to give the word to Stonewall Jackson, who was already up in that region to make one of his dashing campaigns down through the valley again to put a stop to all reinforcements to McClellan from that quarter, or any other.
At this time Banks' army was at Harrisonburg. Fremont was at Franklin, on the other side of the mountains, in Western Virginia. But a brigade of his department, under Milroy, was on its way to reinforce Banks. Jackson, in the first place, by a rapid march of seventy miles threw his gallant force against the command of Milroy and Blenker combined and drove it back.
General Fremont rushed to their assistance, but Jackson, leaving some cavalry to deceive Milroy, suddenly retraced his steps, and joined General Ewell, whom he had left in the valley with ten thousand men. General Banks, supposing that Jackson was engaged over the mountains in Western Virginia, was quietly making his way towards Fredericksburg, unconscious of danger. On the morning of the 22d of May, however, Banks heard Stonewall Jackson's guns in his rear.
Ewell was sent to seize Winchester, General Banks' great depot of army stores, while Jackson attacked his advance at Front Royal. Bands was not only completely outwitted, but seemed to lose all self-possession. He did not retreat, he flew, and never stopped until he got on the north bank of the Potomac. It is said he made the remarkable time of fifty-three miles in forty-eight hours. Immense stores of all kinds fell into the hands of the Confederates. It was one of the most brilliant exploits of the war, and made the name of Stonewall Jackson famous.
When the authorities at Washington heard that Stonewall Jackson was at Winchester, and then up at Harper's Ferry again, they were wild with another alarm, and instantly ordered McDowell to face about, and instead of marching to attack Richmond, to fly up the Shenandoah to protect Washington. President Lincoln had been heard to boast that he had "set a trap for Jackson." But now he was trembling with the fear that he should fall into the trap himself.
Now there was a combined force of thirty thousand men, under Fremont and Shields, in a grand chase to catch Jackson, with his sixteen thousand. But he outwitted all his pursuers. Fremont intended to go down on one side of the Shenandoah River and Shields on the other, and thus cut off Jackson's retreat. Ashby's cavalry, however, held Fremont in check. It was during this retreat that General Turner Ashby, one of Virginia's most chivalric sons, fell while leading a gallant charge at the head of his command. Jackson kept on in his course until he arrived at Cross Keys, where he turned upon Fremont, soundly whipped him, and then crossed the Shenandoah River at Port Republic, burning the bridge behind him, and falling like a thunderbolt upon Shields' command, almost annihilated it.
Thus ended Jackson's brilliant Valley campaign, and with it ended all idea of the frightened Mr.Lincoln of sending reinforcements to McClellan. Jackson's little army had become so "everywhere present" that the abolitionists at Washington began to shake as soon as they heard the name of Stonewall Jackson mentioned.
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