Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-19
Gen. Fremont's Operations in the valley
THE BATTLE OF CROSS KEYS.
Correspondence of the n. Y. Evening Post.

Wchs operations inc valley
THE BATTLE OF CROSS KEYS.
Correspondence of the N. Y Evening Post,
HARRIsoNBURG, Va, June 10, 1862.
Under the fatigue and excitement of the
battle of Cross Keys-for by that name will
this remarkable victory be known in history
i was not able to give any accurate or de-
tailed account of the contest The smoke of
the battle has now cleared away, and we more
fully comprehend the extreme difficulties
which were before us, the sagacity of our no
BILE commander, and the bravery of our SOL
diers-heroes they are, worthy the cause and
their leader.
On the southern slope of the White Noun
tains, from Plymouth to the Flume, there is
range of country which answers admirably to
that one which we marched upon, leaving the
main road leading from Harrisonburg to
Staunton. The skirmish between Col. Wind
ham and the enemy, in which the noted Ashby
was undoubtedly killed, had taught us eau
ton. The wood path led over a succession of
hills, through thick forests and passing grain
fields. We first met the enemys skirmishers
at the edge of wood. They were driven
across a strip of open ground, half mile
wide, and stretching several miles to the
south. Behind the thick woods the Blue
Ridge melts with the sky and to the north a
spur of the Shenandoah juts out into the val
ley.
THE BATTLE.
The line of battle was soon formed, extend
ing over two miles from wing to wing. TWAS
a beautiful sight to watch from the hill form
ing the center of the position which we had
now gained, the masses of troops as they
marched across the fields into the woods be-
yond. Our artillery had already driven the
rebel batteries back from point to point, and
tbav cnonad of thic moment raSo1vad +O ,nolya
stand. For more than an hour was heard the
heavy firing of cannon, reverberating like dis
tant thunder through the mountains. Soon
came the musket firing sometimes Struggling
shots, followed by rapid volleys. The blue
smoke crept up from the tree tops and foated
slowly away into the setting sunlight.
Aids de-camp and orderlies were riding
hither and thither, carrying messages from
one point to another. Captain Dunka, gal
liant young officer of Fremont's staff, was
killed while taking an order to general Blen-
ker. l was continually near general Fremont
during the action, and watched him closely.
Never was there displayed on the battlefield
more thorough self-possession and calmness.
He seemed fully to comprehend the position.
He sifted the true from the false in the eXag-
gerated reports which came in, delivering his
orders with clearness and precision. He may
have stumbled in a speech before the students
of a law school, but amidst the roar of battle
there was force and meaning to his words
more eloquent than a thousand Cambridge
Oratons.
OUR VICTORY.
Our success in this battle may be chiefly
attributed to the splendid firing of our artil-
lery. Of colonel Pilson, the chief of artillery
too much cannot be said. He placed all the
pieces himself in position which invariably
o1,O1e Lra1 1e,1O tla,r
l had occasion to be near johnson, which was
the most advanced of pieces; the gunners
worked splendidly, with their coats off, their
faces and arms covered with powder and
sweat they served their pieces with rapidity
and unerring precision. Six horses and sew
eral men were killed out of this company.
As wrote you before, if it had not been
for the misunderstanding of Gen. Stahel in
the receipt of an order, we should have
routed the rebels and taken the whole force
prisoners, for Milroy had reached the key of
their position. His support by Schenck,
which was part of our plan Of battle, whose
brigade was not in the engagement, would
have left his left flank and given us possession
of the road to Port Republic. As it was,
Stahers withdrawal exposed our right flank,
and we were forced to withdraw for while.
It must be remembered that we were in a
strange country, entirely ignorant OF the
ground. which is full of splendid positions for
defence and ambush. Night came on, and we
did not renew the attack
RESULTS.
In the morning we advanced with more
confidence but found that jackson had re-
treated in the night, leaving hundreds Of dead
and wounded on the field We have large
number of muskets, two rifed cannon and
many prisoners. Our loss in killed will not
amount to one hundred and fifteen; in wound
ed and missing to not over five hundred
Col. Cluseret worked admirably his little
brigade of the 10th Ohio and 9Th Virginia as
skirmishers in the front Of the right wing
Major Foster who is a recent addition &c
Fremonts staff, rendered valuable assistance.
His experience and bravery has given him q
place of distinction at once.
THE REBEL FORCES.
Yesterday morning we arrived on the bank
of the Shenandoah to find the bridge destroy
ed. The sound of cannonading in the morn
ing in that direction convinced us that Jack
son had fallen upon the small force unde
Carroll and we fearedh would be overpower
ed. These fears have since been confirmed
but YOU are likely to have fuller reports o
that affair than ourselves. We found it i'm
possible to cross the river, having only on
pontoon in the army, and that IN use at fol
jackson We could be of no benefit to Shield
where we were, and the road from the turr
pike was too poor to bring forward supplies
We also have positive information that Jacl
son has been reinforced by Longstreet an
Smith, so that he must have more than fort
thousand men. We fought the battle on Sun
day with less than five thousand men, and "
could not muster ten thousand effective so
diers to-day, should we be called upon to fig
again. We shall fall back to Mount jackson
1t would be the most criminal of suicides
permit Jackson to come in our rear at Ney
market and destroy our pontoons on the nor
fork of the Shenandoah. We shall accor
ingly fall back.
don't know what the country thinks of on
march over here from Franklin, and cha
after jackson, catching and beating him on h
own ground all the whle when we knew th