Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-07-01
MlSChLLA.Nh oCS
g.701REgs OOGREsP 0NUE'NCE
-u,,,,e. n.rr pors Republic.

checter after routing y snhs, &c uRHsStu "i'i
,-ea. address, boldness aud energy, 10 carry
off his prisoners and SPOTS, snd 10 oring en
HI. army between the cOnverging Columns OF
Frenon,, " hp approached his resr from the
West. with eight orleades, aud Shielas VINO
snp.osched from the East with four or'Eades.
II thess brlgades averaged twenty. I'VE We nun,
dred men, the force Of fremont Tas 2oVuu ana
that Of Shields 10, 900 mon. at HarrisonourS
Jackson lett tho main turnpike rcao ol tno
Valley and marched towards Port Republic,
,he c;staoco between these two places oslnS
shout Twelve rliiss. Port Republic is situ"'
tod at tie junction OIL Sonih !iVef, u3"n 3
North. and North river tiowlpS Esst. JSch-
son could retire no further without crossing
North river, which Tas hToIlon, anu tioi.
,sas then no bridge over IT except az fors ha'
public. The TWO rivers uniting al tnnl shA't.
form The Sh.psndosh, which no~s NoEtn' aho
wbich could not then be crossed by an army.
Ga the E Is: side ot that stream was the Army
~ Sh,.]ds aud on the West side were tho nr-
mics CT Fremont and Jackson Tue li'lsF
h,,,aS ,.ar North river without crossing it,,
and. while in iant position, bis rear WAS up
nrosched and al:scked by Ffemonts Whole
srmv on the morning eli Sunday, Ihe SIN IN
st.nt and. at the sane time, Shields force APP
Dease1 Oh ttlo Seos ''SS W
near Port Republic.
That part Of Jsckson's army which engaged
Frsm,nt on Sunday Was commanded by ven
Ew.N while the rest OF inc army under G5n.
.J.chs1u held Shields in check with artillery
Hr;oc across tho Shenandoah near Port Enpuo-
hc The battle OF Sunday took place soout
two miles from that vlllsgo III lilo dirsetloh cl
Harrsonburg. y
|, began early in the morning sno lasted all
lav Win occasional intervals. Ii WAS uiin!J
a, artillery FIGHT, but now aud ihon, hcru ana
there. the infantry became holly epgeget. he
force under Fremont wAs rnucn larger tnah
TINT under EHell but tbe later was strongly
nost,d OH Umin.nclas which favored the slhec'
tiyeuess Of artillery aud sheltered the lnlsntrJ,
while the enemy could only approach throuSi.
oman fslds. EGtlis command WAS handled
with remarkable skill while Fremont's senor>
aiship wss Indifferent EEolis sruliery was
served with aoml1abie precision and etecL ana
his infantry, whenever engaged, displayed
crea. steaaneGs and gsllanTy. The result
was that n hun night put an cad to the con-
test. Fremont had oeen Griysn back between
one and two miles with a loss in Killed auu
wounded, not less than two thousand, and pro
baby much larger, vbiie our loss did not
exceed three hundred, AMI probably not i"o
hundred. The judicIous selection OF position
in which TO receive the enemy favored TINS
result, but il was largely duo 10 Line superior
lighting qualities Of ouE raSh.
Soon alter nishtiall. Gen. Jsekson began to
Withdraw his men from this battle hello, sno
pass them over North river BY tho bIloSe *
Poc. Republic, with view 20 nttHck Shisius
the next morning. rs lcIs il front OF Fremont
a small f,rce 10 snuse and delain him, and
after retiring belcre him to Port Republic, "
burn tho brlJse b9hind tEsm and thus 10 pre-
ven. Fremont from rendering any aid "
Shields. All this Yves accomplished.
On Monday morning, jackson passed tao
greater part OF his army across the South river
The smallest Of tho s;resms) by neans OF a
bridge made OF plsnks LAID IN wagons placed
in tho river Early in the morning sufficient
number bad crossed to commence the oa'ie,
and they were led to the field between one ana
two miles distant, on The cast bank OF the
Shenandoah. TIE ensmys force WIS ieuno
drawn up awaiting the attack.
The enemy's line extended from ths Il'ef
.hort half + mile scrass & dat bottotn, Tree
from timber. and covered with wheat, grass,
=. Hs LETT rested on the pom, Of low ridge
coming out from the WOODS Whieh SKIRT the
bottom. Ga slight elevation there snc IN
some small knols IN the bot,em, no hha ms
artillery, commanding the road and the
wide uncovered level plain, over which JACK,
sons srmy was Obliged to advance. Inc level
and exposed ground offered scarcely any SUIT
Bblo positions ior. planting Our s;hiieff. Inc
advantage of position belonged altogether TO
she enemy. Inc capital fault OF MS dlsposl-
ton for battle was taat tho battery on his eS-
;reme left was posted near The WOODS with
out any Infantry IN the woods TO defend IT. -
By awaiting himself OF this circumstance, ana
oY orillisnt InaIeuvre and charge, jackson
turned Ito fortune OF the day at u critical mo
ment.
For some Two hours TIE rsttiO rEsoi With
great fury. Our infantry, a! first but few, ad'
Ysnced with mArvsloS> intrepidlty in The faco
of whitening hre Of artillery and musketry.
at one nomen. tho enemy aa~auced q section
Of battery several hundred yasds b as to
sraiads our lefs wing, which already suffered
zerribly from the FIRE in front 1t sr.ued
that nothing could withstand the Jury Of ,A4
anemy's fire OF all arms. His artillery YVES
yery fine an was served with great effect by
.esulars. But other troops coming a, double
quick from Port Republic, came on the tsid
aud. nj ;he salho time, tho Louisiana brigade,
under TAYLOR, emerged from Tho woods Or th.
siderable circuit through the WOODS which
extend all along the battle field between The
cleared ground and The neigh boring mountain.
Bya slight error Of direction they csme gu;
of the w0ods ll;tle TOO soon and found them,
selves almos, in front of tho battery, which
instantly began to show or grape upon them.
Bu:, immediately rectityius lEeir direction,
they charged the battery with irresistible i'm.
petuosity, and carried it. The contest then
WAS speedily ended. Tue ene1Dy's whole line
gave way and IVES presently reueaiing in DIS
order, pursued BY our cavalry. The pursuit
was sept up about ten or twelve miles, but
tho fight continued bill Ina! day and the nsxt.
About Ave hundred PRISONERS were taken that
DIV. and Others havo baon brought in ds.iy
ever since The less Of tho enemy in killed
and wounded wss heavy, Aud so was our own.
SIX splendid cannon were captured on tho
field, another wsa taken in the pursuit. end
s.ili another had been captured on Sunday
The force Of the enemy engaged Was about six
or seven thousand, and ours little larger
Shields was not present, but his troops were
commanded by Gen. Tyler.
After the rout Of the enemy had commenced
tho last Of our troops crossed over the bridge
at Port Republic, and burnt it Fremont,
cautiously following, appeared solno timo
afterwards, and drew up mis- army in line Of
battle on The heights along the west bank Of
the Shenandoah, from which be overlooked the
asld of battle. While. ne stood there in impo-
tent idleness, Jacksons army, having finally
dispossd of Shields, moved CT 81 leisure to
Browns Gap, and there encainped, to resi- for
few days rom tho 1asigues OF months
campaign more ariuous and moro successful
than any months operations Of the war. The
exhaustion Of our men and the interpGsition
of river, no longer bridged. secured Fremont
from second hattie or nasty fight. The
next day he commenced his fesrest down the
Valley. He and Shields had set out to catch
Jackson, and they caught him.
1t is hoped that the judicious reader, FROM