Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-07-22
The shenandonh Campaign.
alMAarINsvIuuEgOnIo, Juiy rs. 1852

unuhOhl SuulphlEuI Which, uoIWllnSLhnu-
ing its lateness, is nevertheless true To the
letter,as Iknow from my own Observation
ana knowledge. being with the army oi
Geu, Fremplt in his hot pursuit of the fly.
ing and terrified rebel Jackson through the
vallirs Of the Potomac and Shenandoah
and where, If all had acted with the same
honesty aud loyalty as Gen. Fremont,
might have made it Jackson's last race
] merely request that you insert the article
in the IatelLigencer, that your readers may
see this much of the facts.
$40 Respectfully, NJ. B. D.
THE SHENANDOAH CAMPAIGN
Atthe late campaign in the Shenandoah
Valley, from the time that Gen. Fremont
left Franklin to the moment when he saw
the last stragglers of jackson 8 army swim
ming the Shenandoah River, too late to
escape by way of the bridge over which the
Rebel commander had just passed and burnt
behind him, less is known than ofany 9TH
er campaign in tue whole war. Whether
other journals have been as unfortunate as
ourselves we know not; but we know that
we have been unable to tell the details of
OF that series of brilliant exploits, because
eight out of ten of the letters ofa diligent
correspondent with Gen. Fremonts army,
which we know were written aud mailed,
have, for some unaccountable reason, new
er reached US. The facts however, have
not been wholly hidden. It is known that
Jackson turned his face southwlrd SO
soon as he heard that Fremont, with
only half his number of men, was on his
tracks; that he never tarried to give
him battle in force; that in every engage
meut between the rear of one army and
the advance of the other, our troops were
victoriousi and that when Jackson had
fairly escaped over the river ;hat ought to
have stopped him, aud compelled him at
last to face the foe, he stayed all further
pursuit by destroying the bridge over
which he had fled. So notorious are these
facts, we are surprised that morning CO.
temporary should commit so grave Rn err
ror as to say that Jackson was victorious
in that campaign over Milroy and Schencs,
over Banks, and over Fremont IL is true
that he compelled Banks to retreat, be-
cause that General had neen left without
force enough to stand an encounter; but
Milroy and Scheuck he turned from at
Franklin, without daring to attack them,
and Fremont be fled before with precipi-
tation that showed how much he feared to
meet in fair field an army half the size of
his own under such q leader.
When jackson came down the valley he
posted himself 10 an advantageous position
at Mcdowell, where Milroy and Schenck
attacked him. ,Aftera desperatefg fight aginst
overwhelming numbers, these two gallMut
leaders fell back in good order, jackson
following, in a march of two days, upon
Franklin, where they were within reach of
reinforcement from Fremont. Here they
took position of defense, and Fremont
moved to their aid. But before he arrived
Jackson, fearing 10 his turn to makeau at
tack. retired. Moving on toward Winches-
ter, he fell upon Banks, and compelled him
to make that masterly retreat, with little
loss, for which he deserves, whether he gets
,it or not, reputation for coolness, cour-
age. aniiall soldierly qualities.
jackson was on the Potomac when
Fremont was ordered to omarch upon Har-
risonburg to intercept his retreat Had
he done so, the Rebel General would,
instead of going up the Valley, have tur-
ned upon his rear, fallen upon franklin,
and have cut off all his supplies of fprovi-
sions and ammunition. Acting, there
fore, on his own judgment, Fremont made
forced marchto Moorfeld, crossed the
mountains in the face of incredible diff
culties, got in the rear OF Jackson, and
forced him to fly for his life up the Val
ley. Hadshe been properly supported he
would, without doubt, have overtaken the
retreating Rebels, who never paused or
considered themselves safe from pursuit
till they had put a deep rigerand a bur-
ming bridge between themselves and their
pursuers. sIf.this can be construed into
n 'tdefeat of Fremont, then facts are
valueless and words without meaning.
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