PURSUIT OF JACKSON UP THE VALLEY.--MARCH TO FREDERICKSBURG, AND
RETURN TO FRONT ROYAL.
About the 1st of April the command left Strasburg, under command of
General Banks, driving the rear-guard of the enemy through the little
village of Woodstock, and taking a position on the banks of Stoney
Creek, four miles beyond the latter place. It remained here until the
17th, during which time the enemy kept up an artillery fire across the
creek, which resulted in the killing of several men in the division of
General Williams.
On the morning of the 17th the command crossed the creek, and stormed
the enemy's battery on the opposite shore. The early dawn was
brightening up the eastern horizon with tints of red; and, as the
command emerged from the bridge, and ascended the steep hill beyond,
their bayonets glistened and sparkled. After firing one volley, the
rebels fled in haste, leaving the Federal forces to advance without
opposition. After falling back beyond the north branch of the
Shenandoah River, they made a stand, and endeavored to burn the bridge,
but were prevented by the Union cavalry. A flank movement being
ordered, and partly executed, the rebels again abandoned their
position. The Federals now pressed on to within a short distance of
New Market, where they encamped.
Here the command remained ten days, when it moved two miles south of
the town, and on the 3d of May advanced to within a few miles of
Harrisonburg, but on the following day fell back about five miles to a
good defensive position.
The tents were now ordered to be turned over to the quartermaster; and
on the following Monday we wound our way through Brook's Gap, in the
Massanutten Mountains, towards the smoky tops of the Blue Ridge, and
thus leaving forever the beautiful valley of the north branch of the
Shenandoah. Towards evening we crossed the south branch of the same
river at Columbia Bridge, and moved on in the direction of Luray,
encamping near that place. The next morning the command moved on down
the river until night, when it encamped. In the evening a hard rain
storm came up, which continued for several days. In early evening of
the following day the command reached Front Royal, a small village
situated at the base of the Blue Ridge, near the junction of the two
branches of the Shenandoah River. The following morning we crossed the
Blue Ridge, and immediately encountered the enemy's cavalry, which
annoyed us for several days. On the 17th we arrived at Warrenton, a
delightful village in Fauquier County. We remained in this camp until
Monday morning, when we again took the line of march for
Fredericksburg. We reached Falmouth, on the north bank of the
Rappahannock River, on the 23d of May. The corps of McDowell was in the
immediate vicinity, numbering thirty thousand men, and one hundred
pieces of artillery.
When we arrived on the Rappahannock, we learned that this force of
McDowell's, now numbering forty-one thousand men, was ordered down to
Richmond, to form a junction with the right wing of the grand army
under McClellan. There were then only about twelve thousand of the
enemy in front of Fredericksburg. It was about fifty miles to the
extreme right of the army in front of Richmond.
On Saturday the President and secretary of war came down for the
purpose of arranging the details. Shields' division was greatly in need
of shoes and clothing, while the ammunition for the artillery had been
condemned, and another supply, which had been ordered, had been very
much delayed. It was therefore arranged that the force should start
early on Monday morning, both the President and McDowell being averse
to starting on Sunday.
That evening the President and secretary of war left for Washington.
Very soon after, General McDowell received a telegram, to the effect
that Jackson was making a raid down the Shenandoah Valley, with a
prospect of crushing the forces under General Banks. Soon after this
dispatch, another arrived from the secretary of war, by order of the
President, containing instructions to send a division after Jackson.
Here was the fatal blow to the campaign against Richmond. McDowell
promptly ordered General Shields' division to move, and at the same
time telegraphed the President that it was a fatal blow to them all.
Little things control momentous events. Jackson's army of twenty
thousand veterans checkmated an army of one hundred and fifty thousand
men. In defending Washington, we lost Richmond; but Jackson risked his
own communication to break ours. Results more than realized his
expectations. Without risk there is little gain. Jackson adopted this
adage into his tactics, and endangered his army to save it. Events
proved his sagacity.
In time of war the capital of a country, unless far removed from the
seat of war, is in the way. The City of Washington was a fatality. It
stood between the army and victory. Jackson knew this, and profited by
it. When this general menaced Washington, our army let go its hold on
the Confederacy, to make it doubly safe. The campaign against Richmond
was abandoned, but Washington was endangered still. The valleys and
swamps of the Chickahominy were paved with the bodies of heroes--the
little rivulets were swollen with the best blood of the land--an army
of cripples were given to charity;--and for what? That the City of
Washington might be safe. We have since then fought the ground over
again from Washington to Richmond; another graveyard has been planted;
and this time for a purpose. Washington has been set aside by the new
commander, and Richmond made the objective point.