The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-22

STANFORD, Conn.
Fremonts Campaign Against jackson.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
have for years been an interested reader of
your excellent paper and especially the per-
sonal "reminiscences of General Howard
have also been careful reader of Saving the
Nation" and like Thomas Stevenson in your
issue of May /, am not satisfied with Carrie
toms" history OF the campaigns of Banks and
Fremont in the Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Ste
phenson is correct in what he says of this
matter, but | beg leave for little space for the
purpose of posting your boys and girls upon
what believe to be true history of this cam
paign. Sometime in March the +" Independent
Mountain Brigade" Of General Millroy-the
" Gray Eagle" as the boys were pleased to call
him-broke camp at Beverly and Huttonsville
and launched boldly forth into the eDemy's
country. The portion of this brigade of which
your servant was member, under the COM
mand of Major Webster, of the 25th Ohio.
passed over the mountains by the way of the
Dry Fork of Cheat River, thence striking the
Seneca Branch followed it to the South Fork
of the Potomac near CircleviIle-the home of
Guerrilla Chief John Harper--and after an in
efectual scout through the mountains after
him and his band, in company with the
PendletOn county Snake Hunters" entered
Monterey, on the Parkersburg and Staunton
turnpike. BY the way, does any of your read
ers recollect the tall mountaineer that was
bunking with us in vacant house at Circle
vile when the pickets were fired upon, and
how he sprang to his feet and hallooed at the
top of his voice, two shoots, fall in Z" Pranc-
ing over us as he did as We lay on the floor
lucky was the man that did not gesea rap on
the head with his long 9-foot deer rife when
he attempted TO rise. At Monterey We were
Joined by Milroy, and soon after advanced to
Mcdowell on the Bull Pasture River Here,
on the 9th of April, 1862, is where Stonewall
Jackson struck the two brigades of Milroy and
Sehenck. In the whole history of our old bri-
gade no harder fighting or more brilliant
charge was ever made by it than on that day
as it drove the Confederates from the crest of
Bull Pasture Mountain. | feel confident that
the 18th Georgia and sth Virginia remember
well the difference they found that day be-
tween the two ounce metal of our new Belgian
rifles and round ball and three buckshot of the
old Harper's Ferry smooth bores that they had
faced before. The forces of Milroy fell back to
Franklin, on the South Potomac, where for
DAYS we held Jackson at bay Then Jackson
retired to Staunton and fell upon Banks in
the valley. Fremont, in the meantime taking
command of our forces, vigorous forced march
was made back to Moorfield, thence across the
| mountains via Romney TO Winchester. Here
Fremont succeeded in throwing his forces be-
| tween Jackson and Banks, and then the chase
began up the valley, Jackson working beauti-
fully in the lead and every day under fire from
our guns. Strasburg, Cedar Creek, Mount
Jackson and Cross Keys all were marked by
the proves of Fremont's men, and the only
thing that kept this from being one of the
most brilliant campaigns Of the war was the
fatal order to save the Port Republic bridge,
thus allowing Jackson to cross, burn the bridge
behind him and fall upon Shields without the
fear of interference from Fremont.
III. +. DANFoRD
DENVER, Mo. Co. Fl, 25th o. v. ].
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In THE TRIBUNE of May 1, Comrade
| Thomas Stevenson of the 25th Ohio calling
attention to Fremont's command in the cam
| paign against Jackson, says Fremont was not
driven back towards the Kanawha, and but for
the failure to burn the bridge at Port Republic,
would have captured Jackson. / suppose il is
true that Jackson slipped away from Fremont
after the battle of Cross Keys, June s. That
| day, Tylers brigade, Shields command, was
| well in behind Port Republic, and it was re-
ported that Colonel Carroll, commanding a
| brigade, was ordered to burn the bridge: al
| least, his command had brisk skirmish at
at that place, though he was there in time to
| have finished his work. Rebels told US that
| General Jackson had crossed the river but a
/ few minutes before Carrolps forces came in
| On account of this failure lit was said Carroll
| was after star, and tried to hold, instead OF
burn, the bridge we were compelled to fall
back, though the rebels went back on d full
| run towards the bridge. The wagon train was
sent far to the rear, and we were made to feel
that we were not IN the safest place possible.
jackson burned the bridge June 8, and persons
| there reported that it was done In haste and
| that number of his men persisted in the flames
Our pickets were driven in while we were try
| ing to get some breakfast, which act made
8 ~ ~ e L
all the morning.
We gave them the very best we had, walking
right up into their faces, when they went
back, suffering great loss. Our little army was
| outnumbered, and, while driving the enemy in
front, were fanked and forced to retreat
though good many of US did not go back
with the general. The enemys list of killed
| was heavy, and those of US who were
| left among them were complimented by hear.
ing it frequently said that they had never met
any Yankees before who would fight; they could
not help being spiteful on being told that
Shields men knew nothing but marching and
fighting
Even when the day was lost the rebels did
not seem to rest easy. A general stopped IN
der tree near where I lay, to eat his dinner
when an of1cer rode up IN a great hurry, and
in an excited tone, said: General, are we nee
essarily cut Off" And was answered with
No; not as long as Browns Gap is open.''
He did not appear sociable, and did not ever
ask whether we had had our dinner, but hur
ried through as though anxious to get away.
Fremonts artillery shelled the field about
snndown, from the opposite side of the river
Surgeons were brought over from his command
by citizens to care for some of the wounded O.
Shields command. A tobacco barn belonging
to General Lewis "a militia general, guess hi
had BEEN was filed full of wounded Of both
armies The surgeons here carried on tn,
work OF ampntating limbs. They seemed de
termined to make as many unfit for service al
they possibly could
GEO. G. CLOUDS,
Company K, 9Th o. w.
METAMoRA, IND.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE: