Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-14
WAR HISTORY.
JAcEsoNs VALLEY FIGHTS

Vie tefftck some OF fht >tatemfuts IN
General smsodsn's Arue,e.
McDoNoGH, Mn, June 10, 1885.
10 ne Editor of the Dispatch.
I; is to be regretted that General I'M
boden's very readable articles in the
Century have bat little value as contri-
buttons to the history OF the war.
Some Of his mistakes in the May article
have been already corrected in your
columns. His errors Of omission and
commission in his description Of Jack
sons campaign in the Valley tsee Cen
fury for June) are so numerous as to
destroy any historical yalae in the ar
ticle. The story about the engines
taken from the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road and Of Jackson's part IN Sc
curing them is inaccurate. But,
as compared with other matters,
il is hardly worth correcting. In
his narrative Of the Valley campaign
from March TO June, 1862, General I'm
boden seems TO have relied solely upon
his recollections, and these have played
HIM queer freaks. We will note a few
Of his mistakes as a sample Of the rest
ON page 2S7 he says "In March
General Mcclellan withdrew from
Johnston's front at Manassas" 1t was
Johnston who withdrew from McClel-
lan's front. Again " jackson, whose
entire army did not exceed $4,000, re-
tired up the Valley" Jackson did not
have 5000 men at any time during
March. lie fought the battle of Kerns-
town (which General lmboden thinks
unworthy Of mention) on the Odd Of
March, with about $500 men, and this
battle had as much TO do with the dis
arrangement of McClellan's plans as
the " interference from Washington
On page 2sS General Imboden says:
d" Milroy, with near 10000 men, was
on the Staunton and Parkersburg road
at Mcdowell, less than forty miles from
Stanton, about the LIST Of May. FIRE.
mont, with a force reported then as
10000 men, was at Franklin, only fifty
miles northwest Of Staunton and in
close supporting distance of Milroy.
Banks, with over 10000 men, was forth
fed at Strasburg. and Shields was on
the east side Of the Blue Ridge, so as
TO be ready to move either to Fred
ericksburg OF to the Luray Valley.
This force, aggregsting about $4,000
men, was confronted by Jackson with
barely 1900. General Mcdowell
was at or near Fredericksburg with
q reputed force Of 10000 men," Mil
ROY. at the time stated, was
near Mcdowell with $500 men, in
stead Of 10000. Schenck was in the
region about Franklin with 5000 men.
Fremont had not come mp at that time
from the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
Blenker'S division, which was to con-
siitu,e the main body Of his forces, did
not reach Fremont until the llth Of
May, at Petersburg, at which time the
battle Of Mcdowell had been fought.
" About the lst of May" Banks, with
near %. 600 men. was at lIarrisonburg,
from which point he fell back to New
Market between the LIST and 9th of May.
Shields. whose division constituted
rather more than the half Of Banks's
force, was not east Of the Blue Ridge,
bat was with Banks until the 18th Of
May, when he was transferred to Nc
DOwell at fredericksburg. The Fede-
raj forces under Banks and Fremont
were about $4,000, instead Of
G4,000. Jackson's OWE division
numbered about 5000; but at this
time General Ewell'S division from
Gordonsville and Johnston's brigade
west Of Staunton had been placed under
Jackson's command. Ewell had about
! 800 men and Johnston about 5000,
so that JacksOn's entire force was be-
tween $4,000 and 10000. OF this,
however, Ewell's division had been left
at Swift-Run Gap to watch Banks,
while jackson united his own division
and Johnstoa's brigade to attack Mil
roy and Schenck. General Imboden
speaks Of jackson flying to the east
side Of the Blue Ridge through
Browns and Srid-Rm Gap" Jack
son left the west base of the mountain
at Swift-Run Gap, marched to Port
Republic, and then crossed through
BrOrn's Gap to Mediums river. No
part Of his forces went to Z" Charlottes-
vile, &C.; they took the railroad at
Mediums river.
On page $50 it is stated, speaking of
the battle of Mcdowell, that Mlroy
was routed and fed precipitately to
Franklin to unite with Fremont. One
would hardly suppose from this that
Mllroy was not the senior Federal Off
Ger in command at Mcdowell, yet such
was the case. MilrOy and Schenck
commanded the two Federal briga1es
at that battle, and Schenck was the
senior officer. Milroy's brigade, under.
his leadership, did most Of the fighting.
lie was defeated, but not routed.
Schenck then made good his retreat to
Franklin, where he was joined some
time later by Fremont. Again, it is
said, Jackson ordered Ashby to pur-
sue as vigorously as possible" Ashby
was not with jackson at this time at all,
having been left near liarrisonburg with
General Ewell to watch Banks. On
this same page ESQ is an illustration
Of the singular tricks that memory will
play after the lapse of twenty years.
After giving an account Of the prepare
ton Of the famous message in which
Jackson announced his victory at Me-
DOwell, General Imboden states that
within two days afterwards Jackson
telegraphed TO the Secretary Of War,
- think | ought to attack Banks, but
under my orders do not feel at liberty
to do so. Then follows General John
ston's reply cautioning him only against
attacking Notifications. General limbo
den says that Banks had then fortified
himself at Strasburg. The General
continues, that his courier sent to Nc
Dowell with this dispatch for Jackson
found him twelve miles from Staunton