New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-06-21
vuom TBE MOUNTAIN DEFIANT
NsENT.
From Oar Special Correspondent


AMI Gen. Fremont has fallen back with his whole
column to this town, on the hhher Dahk oi 'io
S,.nanaoob. Omit;ing to-,iay soiso details OF the
march, let re state very briefly Why All t"e 'o"'
.ou, cannot vet be given This campaign is by no
means finished, and until II Is enc very
consideration can only be referred to ID 'He H'oe'
general way, mean Che number o. troops III ui,'
army. But inasrnnoh as the original plan by when
1, was hoped 10 destroy Jacksons army has been
wholly abandoned il can DO no harm to say what II
wac.
When jackson drove Banks ont Of The Shenan'
5oah Valley he advanced 80 far North tcat ne gave"
chance for The two Union armies IN his rear VI
either flank to unite and cut him OF. Their a'S''i''0
was 50 great tbt he probably deemed hlinsen 'e''.'
from the attempt but the extent OF his su''o's -
Northern Virginia and tie alarm when II ''''S'' -
wosbi,gton siiuulated the War Department or tue
p,esident or bolh to extraordinary efforts orue's
were simultaneously dispatched 10 McDoweh III cue
Eos, and Fremont 10 the West 30 proceed by forced
marches 70 the relief of the Shenandoah valley
hing their rces in the rear Of JACKSON "ho
with Ewell was known TO have not less than VOV
men. they would have been strong enough TO assam
snd defeat the Rebel forces. TIE march OF Nj
Dowell is out Of my province, and have no eX-
plapation 10 offer concerning 1t. il Is sufficient TO
cav that one brigade of cavalry under Gen. BayaTd
reached Srasburg the day after jackson bad passed
through. and Fremont had occupied it, and this
brigade was ordered forward TO join in the pursuii
The movements of Shields viii be referred TO here
after
Gen. Fremont was frst ordered to HaIrisou5urg
by the direct road from Frankn-a movement which
would undoubtedly have placed bim IN Jack
cons rear, but which have heretofore shown to
have been impossible, owing to the want Of food
and forage Another reason for not taking 1t may
he found in tue fact that il would have opened to
jackson the road of escape through Romney and
Petersburg, cutting the only line OF communication
by which supplies had been or could be forwarded
20 Franklin; and it may be added finally that the
soad to Harisonburg WAS artifcially obs'rueted by
the Rebels so rs to be wholly impossible. When
therefore. II was decided to approach Srasburg by
way OF Petersburg and MOoreield, the movement
was made in expectation that Mcdowell would also
reach S,rasburg with sufficient force to max. an
attack upon jackson possible. Ii he should have
succeeded in getting through Strasburg the same
united forces would b. strong enough to continue
The pursuit with hopes of success.
Moving there from Franklin, with an army eX
baust4d hv unusual fatigue and hardship before II
star ed Gen. Fremont crossed the mountains IN
the face of every obstacle which could retard the
progress Of bis column, and arrived IN front o. Stras
burg as jackson was passing through. The history
OF the subsequent pursuit. ITS extraordinary Vigor
and celebrity, its daily encounters with desperate
enemy driven to every strait III order to Tetard IT,
and the final victorious contest at CToSs-heys has
been already given. The pursuit from Strasburg
was begun and continued by Gen. Fremont with no
considerable addition to bis forces-Gen. Bayard's
cavalry being his only reinforcement. SucA pur-
sui, with such force, had never been contemplated
by tho-e who ord red the movement; nor old the
Rebel jackson dream that he was flying in tumuiu-
Gus haste before pursuing army lt,e more than
half his own strength. The pursuit was wholly
Fremont's. On the other side OF the SheDandOah
and the mountsins, Gen. Shields was moving up The
Valley lie was heard of day after day. by rumorf
and by information from scouts, but bis exact place
was never known. II was successfully announced
that he would place himself IN Jackson rear az
Wood.tock at Mount jackson, at New-Market, NJ
Harrisonburg, and at Po1 Republic. The retreat
ing enemy passed unst4yed through each, and the
ruiug force succeeded them, and IA no place was
Shields 10 be found in rear waiting, az be might,
If too weak for a contest, TO effect junction with
Fremont. At ilsrrisonburg the pursuit became 20
close that jackson found IT necessary TO strengthen
bis rear guard and attempt sudden check OF the
advance guard Of bis pursuers. lie had turned OF
from the main road, ho;eless Of reaching SLaunion
by the turnp Ike without being overaken and forced
10 fight, for the bridge at Mount Crawford was
burnt aud be could not replace it,. In the narrow
oefles Of the Port Republic road, bis wagon trains
became
Wyndham O. tie lst New-Jerscy Cavalry, heed
lessly hurled bis regiment on the Rebel rear, be
found himself net aud defeated by two bIigades OF
infantry artillery, and cavalry. The rash and in
subordinate effort OF Gen. Bsyard 10 retrieve that
disaster was repelled by he force, the strength
of which still unsupported, till consumed IN
half hour murderous fire more than half the brave
battalion of Kane Rifles, which were sent into the
woods 70 attack It.
When, fiually on Sunday, the pursuing column
again advanced, the enemy had been unable by a
days delay TO retreat more than seven or eight
miles and were discovered ia force in position Of
complete conceal0eDt and extraordinary strength at
Cross KEYS. The record Of that obs mate battle
shows that the enemy, for the first time, became
aware Of his numerical superiority 10 the force be-
fore which he had fed for q week. Whea Ere mont
advanced his line OF battle, formed with matte IS
skill and quiet appreciation Of he difficulties OF The
ground which alone would have established u.ill-
tary reputation the enemy, threatened with the
ayouet and shrinking before the dc ably FIRE Of the
artillery, withdrew IRON his position and fell back
10 the interior belt Of woods which Ind his IoseTv.
Nevertheless this line which went go galautly for
ward were 20 infer or in extent ~ the enemy
against whom it was drawn out, that the Rebels, by
help Of superior numbers, attempted TO turn both the
right and elt TANKS, aud very nearly succeeded
with the latter. 1 don't remember whether stated
il IN tie account of tie bate, but believe hat on
the left that thanking movement, which was covered
by O screen OF woods, Was only prevented from be-
ing successful By the arrival that part Of the field
OF Col Albert Chief of Stiff His soldierly instinct
trained in long Austrian and Hungarian service, an
ticpated the attempt, and ordered up Gen. BOhlens
brigade 10 forestall ii by an echelOn mOvern NJ.
must not delay tie progress Of tJls statement by
VIZ ling the story Of thai desperate rugsle. IL is
enough 10 add that though he then undoubtedly dis
covered thai biz force largely OutDumbered Lilo
pursGer +, jackson dared not Ilsk another conflict,