Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-02-15
From the told Guard"
The Battle Of Port Republic.
BY JNo. EsTEN COOKE.


The day of Port Republic dawned Il
was the 9th of june, 1862.
Two days before. General Mcclellan had
written to Washington: Il shall be in per-
feet readiness to move forward and take Rich
mond the moment Mccall reaches here, and
the ground will admit the passage of artille-
ry.
jackson was to have his say in that.
At night-fall on the Sth, this was the sit
uation of affairs Fremont had been repulsed,
and was held in check at Cross Keys; Shields
was rapidly advancing up the Luray Valley,
and had almost come in sight Of Port Repub-
lie; jackson had concentrated his main body
en- the east side of the Shenandoah, and was
ready to attack.
At sunrise he moved forward the Old
Stcnewall Brigade in front, and soon the
dropping fire Of skirmishers announced that
his advance had struck the enemy.
TWAS " day Of days." and no more beau
tiful spot could have been selected in all that
land Of lands, Virginia, for a decisive strug-
gle. The sun which rose over Austerlitz
was not more brilliant than this one whose
rosy beams lit up the fields of golden wheat,
the shining river, and the forests, echoing
with the. songs of birds. Those VINO died
that day were to fix their last looks on a sky
of cloudless blue--to fall asleep amid the
murmur of limpid waves. .s
General Shields had selected an admirable
position for his line. His right rested on
the river, bending here in the shape Of a
crescent; thence the line extended across a
field of wheat to a rising ground at the foot
Of Cole mountain, a spur of the Blue Ridge =;
there his left flank was protected by thea
clixity, and strengthened by artillery. 4fi
If Jackson attacked the enemy light flank
the river stopped him. If he attacked their
left, the steep side Of the mountain, crowned
with artillery, met him. If he assailed the
centre, to the infantry fire from the front
would be added the terrible enflade fire of
the guns upon the heights. ~ a
Any other General would have paused,
reconnoitred, and perhaps retired. Jackson
advanced and attacked. His plans required
an assault, and he assaulted a U'sd, h 7:
The sun had scarcely risen above the shag
gy summit of the Blue Ridge, when the SIC
Senaper banner of Virginia was seen bend
/ ing forward, ripping as it moved the rattle
| Of musketry resounded; cheers echoed from
the mountain side and the Virginians of the
Old Brigade threw themselves upon the foe
whom they had so often encountered.
In thirty minutes they were hurled back,
torn, bleeding, and leaving behind them,
dead and dying, some Of the best men of the
command. The enemy had met them with
veritable fen d enter. From the Federal
infantry in front had issued rolling volleys Of
musketry- this they could stand; but from
the activity to the right came fire of shell,
round shot, and canister, so furious that nc
troops could face it. The field was swept as
by the bosom of destruction. The veterans
Of the Stonewall Brigade, who had faced
unmoved the thunders Of Manassas, Kerns.
town, Mcdowell, and Winchester, recoiIed
from this terrible fire; and with the Seventh
Louisiana Regiment. under the daring Har.
ry Hays, fell back in disorder.
The repulsc seemed decisive. The Fed
eral troops rushed forward with wild cheers
the star-spangled Banner futtering in the
wind. Winder's guns went off at gallon
to escape the danger to which they were ex-
posed; and although two Virginia regiments
we're thrown forward, and fought obstinate.
II, the enemy still advanced. The earth was
Uttered with dead bodies N gray coats. A
gun of Poague's was overturned, and had tc
be abandoned. The enemy rushed on cheer
ing, and delivering volleys as they came
At that moment the battle of Port Republic
was lost. jackson sat his horse, looking
on with that grim flash Of the eye, which il
him BODIED no good to his opponents. The
stern q fighting jaw was locked +; the cheeks
| glowed. e
A rapid; glance revealed all, 1t was no.
the fire of the Infantry in front, that stopped
the troops. They had met that fire often
and were more than match for it. It was
the murderous enflade fire Of shell and can
lister which swept the field from the heights
on the right, tearing them to pieces whenev-
er they essayed to advance. In face of thai
fire, the bravest veterans were unwilling t6
move forward. Why do SOP they may
have said jackson is coming the day is