Sullenly, as the foe advanced, we fell back in the direction of Port
Republic, determined, when attacked by Fremont’s overwhelming army, to
fight to the last man. At length we halted at Cross Keys, and made
preparations to pass our wagons and prisoners over the crazy old bridge,
which afforded us the only means of escaping the destruction which
threatened us. Therefore, forming his army in line of battle on the
morning of the 8th of June, to keep Fremont in check, Jackson moved his
prisoners upon the bridge, but scarcely had the first of them crossed
when they were surprised by a squadron of Shields’ cavalry, that dashed
into the town of Port Republic, and who speedily captured the guard and
released the prisoners. Indeed, General Jackson himself narrowly
escaped. Hastening back, however, he brought forward a body of cavalry,
and charging them in turn recaptured not only all he had lost, but many
of the enemy beside. From the prisoners he learned that Shields was
rapidly approaching with a large force from McDowell’s army, and they
expressed themselves confident that we would be crushed between him and
Fremont.
Things looked gloomy enough, it was true, but such was the confidence of
the troops in Jackson that our situation caused little or no uneasiness.
Quickly detaching his own division from the line of battle he had formed
in front of Fremont, he placed it in position to hold Shields in check,
and at the same time cover the passage of the bridge, whilst Ewell, with
his little division of five thousand men, was to fight Fremont’s
twenty-five thousand. Thus when the battle commenced the Confederate
lines presented the singular spectacle of two armies standing back to
back, facing a foe in front and rear, and but three miles apart.
About ten o’clock the enemy moved to the attack upon Ewell in beautiful
order, and first struck his left, which was barely a skirmish line of
the First Maryland supporting Griffin’s Baltimore Battery. On came the
enemy until they had arrived within a hundred yards of us, when the
deadly fire from our Mississippi rifles and the grape and canister from
Griffin drove them back in confusion. Again they advanced and took
position about three hundred yards distant, when they opened upon us a
most terrible fire from the Belgium gun. Fortunately we were posted in a
skirt of woods, and were well protected from their fire. For hours this
desperate conflict continued, the enemy making repeated attempts to
penetrate our line, but every assault was repelled with heavy loss to
the assailants. And during those precious hours Jackson was
accomplishing his purpose of passing his trains and provisions over the
old bridge.
All day long Ewell fought on with the same troops and held the same line
of battle, for there were none to relieve those first put in, and these
the enemy were unable to drive one foot. The odds were fearful
indeed—five to one; but we were desperate men, fighting for our lives
and liberties. At length relief came to us in the declining day; and how
anxiously, we watched the sun go down that evening, for we were well
nigh worn out from seven hour’s incessant fighting. At dark the firing
almost entirely ceased, and we still held the ground we did in the
morning, and Jackson’s trains were safely over the river.
The loss of the First Maryland in this engagement was severe, although
we fought mostly under cover of the woods, but so terrible was the
enemy’s fire that it was almost impossible to expose for an instant any
part of the body without being struck. It is strange to say not a single
man was killed outright, though we had more than thirty wounded out of
one hundred and seventy-five men; several of whom, however, afterwards
died. In this fight General George H. Steuart, who was in command of the
Maryland line, was desperately wounded in the breast by a grape shot,
and General Elzey, who commanded the left, was wounded in the leg.
Late that night, leaving our fires brightly burning to deceive the
enemy, we stealthily moved from before them and commenced to cross the
bridge, and by daylight the last man had reached the longed-for shore,
and Jackson was safe. As the last foot left it, the bridge was fired in
many places, and having been filled with combustible material, was
almost instantly enveloped in flames. Great indeed must have been the
surprise and chagrin of the “great explorer,” as at daylight he beheld
the lurid flames and dense black smoke that ascended high up to heaven,
and heralded to him the escape of the wily foe he had believed
inextricably within his toils.
But our work was not yet done; for six thousand men and a battery of
artillery of Shields’ command, under General Tyler, held a strong
position right in our path, and must be disposed of. They had been
silent spectators of the passage of the bridge, never offering to molest
us in the least, and Jackson had refrained from attacking them until he
had escaped from his more powerful antagonist. But now they must be got
rid of, and for that purpose General Dick Taylor and his Louisiana and
two Virginia brigades were moved down the river side, and a vigorous
attack made upon the enemy’s position. They were repulsed, however, with
heavy loss, but a second attempt proved more successful, and the enemy
was driven from his position with terrible slaughter, and the battery
captured. In this engagement, which was of but two hours’ duration, the
enemy lost over two thousand in killed and wounded, besides nearly a
thousand prisoners.
During the latter part of the battle of Port Republic Fremont’s army
remained drawn up on the opposite bank of the river, unable to render
any assistance to the unfortunate Tyler, and to whose destruction they
were silent spectators. The battle over though, and whilst the
Confederates were burying the dead and succoring the wounded of both
sides, the brutal Fremont, wild with disappointment, opened his
batteries upon the ambulance and burial parties, which fire killed many
of his own wounded people, and compelled us to leave the balance on the
field uncared for, and his dead unburied.
The battle of Port Republic closed Jackson’s Valley Campaign, for
Fremont finding it useless to attempt to cope with his wily antagonist
in his mountain fastness, retired in the direction of Winchester.
Never in his previous or subsequent campaigns did Jackson’s military
genius and daring show to greater advantage than in this of the Valley
of Virginia. In less than six weeks he had beaten the army of Milroy,
destroyed that of Banks, baffled that of Fremont, and annihilated that
of Tyler, and all with less than twelve thousand men; besides capturing
from the enemy millions worth of stores, &c.
From General Ewell’s official report of the Valley Campaign we take the
following highly complimentary extract:
* * * * *
“The history of the Maryland regiment, gallantly commanded by Colonel
Bradley T. Johnson during the campaign of the Valley, would be the
history of every action from Front Royal to Cross Keys. On the 6th, near
Harrisonburg, the Fifty-Eighth Virginia Regiment was engaged with the
Pennsylvania “Bucktails,” the fighting being close and bloody. Colonel
Johnson came up with his regiment in the hottest period, and by a
dashing charge in flank drove the enemy off with heavy loss, capturing
Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, commanding. In commemoration of this gallant
conduct I ordered one of the captured “Bucktails” to be appended as a
trophy to their flag. The action is worthy of acknowledgment from a
higher source, more particularly as they avenged the death of the
gallant General Ashby who fell at the same time. Four color bearers were
shot down in succession, but each time the colors were caught before
reaching the ground, and were finally borne by Corporal Daniel Shanks to
the close of the action.
“On the 8th instant at Cross Keys they were opposed to three of the
enemy’s regiments in succession.”
General Jackson, also, in his official report of the Valley Campaign,
thus speaks of the First Maryland’s participation in the battle of
Harrisonburg:
* * * * *
“Apprehending that the Federals would make a more serious attack, Ashby
called for an infantry support. The brigade of General George H. Steuart
was accordingly ordered forward. In a short time the Fifty-Eighth
Virginia Regiment became engaged with a Pennsylvania Regiment called the
Bucktails, when Colonel Johnson of the First Maryland Regiment coming up
in the hottest period of the fire, charged gallantly into its flank, and
drove the enemy with heavy loss from the field, capturing
Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, commanding. In this skirmish our infantry loss
was seventeen killed, fifty wounded and three missing. In this affair
General Turner Ashby was killed. An official report is not an
appropriate place for more than a passing notice of the distinguished
dead; but the close relation which General Ashby bore to my command for
most of the past twelve months will justify me in saying that as a
partisan officer I never knew his superior. His daring was proverbial;
his power of endurance almost incredible; his tone of character heroic,
and his sagacity almost intuitive in divining the purpose and movement
of the enemy.”