Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-06-27
GIN. JACKsoN,s movEmENTs

It Battles cf Cross Keys and Le1cisiOa
A writer in the Richmond Bhig, who is ev
) IDENTIFY thoroughly acquainted with Jackson
e every movement, furnishes the following intel
a esting narrative of what G3n. jackson has &C
: complished in the Valley during The past fe,
months:
e As the pubic will, no doubt, be anxious t
!, learn all they in regard to the glorious cam
paign of Jackson a the Valley, have conclud
ed to give you sucl particulars as 1 regard to b
authentic.
Ia reviewing the operations Of Gen. Jackson
for the last three, months, it will be found tina
; he has probably accomplished more, in that bre
} period, with the means at his command, thar
ever was achieved by any other general of an
cient or modern times. believe that his cam
Paign during the the spring win compare ia
VOIaby even with the almost Incredible aehieY
ments of Napo con ia his celebrated campaign ia
Italy. With handful of citizen soldiers, bu
partially drilled and poorly armed and equipped
he has in little more than sixty days, marched
over five hundred miles, fought about twelve
battles-dotea;ed four geneIals-routed four ar
mies-captured millions of dollars worth oil
stores, etc and killed, wounded and secured as
prisoners almost IS many OF the enemy as he
had soldiers under his command These are
startling assertions, but they, literally true
Explore the pages Of history, and see whether
they afford the record Of more brilliant successes
! In the latter part of March, Jackson was at
| Winchester, with about three or four thl usand
men Being pressed by a superior force, he was
compelled to fall back before the hosts of Gen.
Banks. Slowly aud in good order he retired up
the Valley, cOntesting every inch Of ground
At KeTnstOwn be turned upon his pursuTer, and
for two successive days he gave him battle, and
! here permit me to remark, that the recent occu-
patton of the lower Valley by our forces has en-
abled us to gather facts in regard to those bat
| ties which add new luster 10 the glOries Of these
| fights. 1t is now ascertained that Jackson's
force at Kernstown was not much over $500
whilst that Of the enemy was - 600 OF The
enemy SEQ were buried in Winchester and on
Inc battle field, many others were sent home for
interment, and 1900 were wounded, whilst our
loss in killed and wounded was less than 500.
The S4th Pennsylvania regiment went into the
battle with 800 ana came out with 300
Having taught the enemy this severe leFson,
Jackson continued his progress up the Valley,
holding the whole army in check until he could
obtain -reintorcements Arriving at Harrison
burg. with bis men WeaTied and exhausted by
continual ma ching and diminishing, Jackson
left the main valley road and turned off eastward
on 'he Swift Run Gap road. His object was to
cross the Shenandoah river and, having placed
to lie quiet to give bis men a chance to rest-to
watch the movements of the enemy, and to
await TeinfOrcemeats. Here he was Joined by
Gen Ewell, bu. their united force was not suffi-
cient to meet the enemy in the open field. II
must be remembered too, that at this time Stauu-
ton and the upper part Of the Valley were
threatened by large force from the West, under
Milroy. Gen johnson, with about $500 men,
was the only obstacle to the advance Of Alilroy.
Being thus with command Of less than 10000
men, including JChnson's, and threatened BY
Banks, with an estimated force Of 35 900 on one
side, and MilrOy with SIX or eight thousand on
the other, he was obliged to accomplish by
stra'agem what he could not effect in the open
neld. To this end he moved across the Blue
Ridge, as if with the view of uniting with the
forces Of Gen. Jos E. Johnston. He took care,
however, to leave Ewel.'s forces concealed in the
gOrges of the mountains, near Swift Run, and
Ashby'a cavalry to picket the country closely,
so as TO cut off all information from the enemy
as 10 his true purposes. The maDeuver effectual-
ly deceived Banks, and be forthwith telegraph to
Washington that Jackson had evacuated the
Valley and fed to Gordonsvillel In a day or
two Jackson turned up at Staunton, and hasten
ing to Join Gen. Ed. Johnson, he fell upon Nil
roy, at Mcdowell, and routed him, and pursued
him to Franklin, in Pendleton county
In the meantime, Banks, supposing that Jack
son was east Of the Ridge, weakened his force,
by sending Shells with 900 men to Join Me
Djwell, aud another detachment to reinforce
MilrOy. Jackson having thus cleared his left
flank by dispensing MilrOy's forces, hastened by
the nearest route to Hauisonburg, where he
could act in conjunction with Ewell Ewell
came out of his hiding place, and, while por.
ton of the conjOint forces marched down the
Valley turnpike toward Srasburg, to which
place the greater portion of Banks army had
fallen back, the residue crossed the Massanuttoa
mountain, and hurried down the banks of the
Shenandoah to Front Royal, where they attack |
ed and captured the forces stationed at that
point. The sound of the cannon gave Banks |
the first intimation of the proximity of an enc
my, and he Immediately commenced his pTecip- |
tate fight to Winchester. An effort was made |
to intercept him near Newton, but the attempt |
was only partially successful. The sA if-foOted |
Banks had passed the junction Of the road /
with a part OF his army, before the Wearied /
forces of Jackson could come up with them |
He pierced Banks column, however, and drove |
a portion of it southwark up the road, while the |
main body fed toward Winchester. A running l
fight of eight or ten miles ensued, Banks flying |
aud Jackson pursuing. Near Winchester the /
enemy made stand, but the inYincible columns |
of Jackson bore down upon them with irresisti-
be power, and they broke and fed ineloricusly,
and were pursued through the streets of Win
chester and on to Martinsburg and Harper's Fer
ry, where the denor&lized elements of the once |
powerful army Of Banks sought refuge in Ma
ryland. At Winchester aad MartinsbuTg, and |
Front Royal, stores, estimated at from three to
five millions of dollars, were taken, and near
three thousand prisoners. Encountered with
his prisoners, on the very borders Of the enemy's
country, Jackson found himself 10 a critical po-
sition. He remained only long enough to secure
fba xvb bo
to our army, and having sent that in wagons up
the Valley, he followed to protect his rains and
put bis prisoners in place Of security.
We all Tecolleet the sensation which these |
daring achievements created throughout the /
country. Lincoln was thrown into paroxysm
of fright and kilograms were dispatched |
throughout the North calling for the whole |
militia force of the country to protect the United
States capital, which it was feared Jackson !
might seize at an early day.
When the authorities at Washington recoy-
cred from their panic, they were overwhelmed |
with shame and confusion, and Immediately |
set to work to aYeuge the wound that had been |
inflicted on their national honor. 1t was ascer-
tanned that Jackson had but small force-that !
he was eneumbered with immense trains and
vast numbers of prisoners, and that he would |
have to march one hundred and twenty miles |
before he could reach point of safety. The |
whole Northern press teemed win threats |
and promises of the speedy annihilation Of j sck-
son and his daring followers. Three armies
one from the North, under Dix-one from the |
West, under Fremont and Milroy, and one from |
the East under Shields-were Immediately set |
in motion to intercept him, and it was even said
by some of the Northern journals that Jackson
had fallen into the trap that had been set for
him.
The reader will observe the position of the
parties Jackson's forces were scattered from
the Potomac to Winchester-D.x came by rail
way from Baltimore-Fremont was west of the
North Mountain at Franklin, in PendletOn, and
Shields was east of the Blue Ridge near War
renton The plan was for Fremont and Shields
to. push forward and unite their forces at Stras-
burg and cut off Jsckson's retreat up the Val
lev while Dix would press him in the rear.