Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-12-09

be required at Richmond, I can be a,
Meacham's river depot, on the Central Il.
Road, the second days's march, part of the
command can reach there the first day, as
it is 25 miles. At present do not see that
can do much more than rest my command
and dcrote the time to drilling.
T. j. JACKSON,
Maj Gen.
On the Sth, the day after date of Gen.
Shields order to Gen. Carroll directing
him to capture five thousand of the enemy,
Gen. Lee replies to Jackson's dispatch to
Johnston:
"I congratulate you upon defeating and
then avoiding the enemy. lhope you
will be able to rest and refresh your troops
for few days. But should an op-
portunity occur for striking the enemy
successful blow, do not let it escape you.
I am, very respectfully, your obedlent ser
want, X. +. LEE.
On the same day (8th) Gen. Shields
writes to Mcdowell that Fremont had in
formed him that on the 9th jackson. was
about nine miles from Harrisonburg, that
his (Jackson's) men "are deserting in hun
reds. He (Jackson) crosses and burns
bridges after him. Ashby has Internal
activity and ingenuity in this way.
The head of Jackson retreating column
may be at Staunton this morning; the head
of my column is in Port Republic. If /
get to Waynesboro first, and l think I will,
the bridge will be burned and the railroad
cut up. This will arrest him and get him
between Fremont's command and ours
! think a0e hare Jackson. " Three
scouts have reached me this moment from
Fremont. He is at Harrisonbuurg. Jack
sons rear guard four miles on the road to
Staunton. The bridge across North River
turnpike has been burned by my cavalry.
n Thus you will see that he (Jackson)
is caught IF sapp0sitions and depoSitiOns
are all right. hold in my hand an order
issued yesterday by B. H. Green, commits
sary and major in EwelPs division, direct
ing privates to press horses and picket the
mountains, while they are removing gov
ernment stores. I could almost curse
such rubbish cavalry. One good regiment
now would cut them up on all sides. My
cavalry is an incumbrance. I have to take
care of them instead of their taking care of
me. I go forward to-day with
two additional brigades. think
we will FINISH Jackson"
The best commentary on the above, is
the following from Gen. Mcdowell
Brigadier King, Commanding Diuision:
Gen. Shields extreme advance getting
beyond supporting distance and attacking
superior force, has been repulsed with loss
of two pieces of artillery.
IRWIN MCDOWELL.
And again
Both Shields and Fremont's ad-
vance became engaged and have been
checked. IRWIN MCDOWELL.
On the 10th Gen. Shields was ordered by
Mcdowell to Luray, "till Gen. Banks Is
ready to assume charge of the line." This
order is acknowledged by Shields who
says:
81 am marching to Luray. for
ward, herewith, memorandum of our
wants. This command has been no overwork.
ed that it will take some time to reft it for
the field 1000 blankets. $500 caps, Il, 900
shoes, 10000 socks, $4,000 pants, 10000
blouses, $4,000 shirts, $4,000 drawers, s.
900 haversacks, 6, 100 canteens, 1,600 shelter
tents, 5000 rubber blankets, go drums, 6
bugles, 300 pants enforced, etc, etc. In
an engagement with the enemy at Port
Republic by my advance guard, which took
place yesterday morning, our artillery was
greatly damaged and some regiments suf-
fered severely. The conflict was maintain
ed for four hours, by about two Thousand
men, against the main body of Jackson's
command The loss on both sides is very
great. Gen Fremont and myself
were projecting combined attack upon the
enemy this morning which in alprobability
mast have destroyed him, when peremptory
orders reached me which l did not feel at
liberty to disobey."
What remarkable difference in the tone
of the above from Gen. Shields and those
preceding. One could not help feeling of
sympathy, but for the fact that though the
boasting tone of his previous utterances is
greatly modified, he still thought if Nc
Dowell had let him alone, that he would,
with Fremont's assistance, have annihilated
Jackson the next day. Col. Schriver, Nc
Dowell's chief of staff, comments on Gen.
Shields's report as follows:
''The above is sorry picture of Shelds's
division, but I do not think it overdrawn.-
The town is filled with so-called sick Off
GERS and men, who, it is said, will never be
of any use again. In any calculations as to
numbers do not rely on more than half the
returns call for. n There is nothing
but confusion and disorder"
While on his route to Luray, Gen. 8.
again writes Col Schriver, his cry being no
longer bread, bread::
stockings Our men fought like devils.
L
were overwhelming, n y the men behaved
nobly, left the ground in perfect order,
brought off everything but the guns, light
pieces abandoned. n had concerted
combined attack with Gen. Fremont the
next day, which utust have proved success
full"
Now let us sec what accounts reached
Washington and Richmond.
HEADQUARTERS SHENANDOAH.
WINCHESTER, June12, 1 80 a. NJ.
Hon. e.. NJ. Stanton:
Gen. Fremont's chief of staff reports that
they have beaten jackson in two engage
ments and that Shields has been beaten on
the other side of the river.
N. P. BANKS.
WARRINGTON CITY,
June 12, 1862.
Maj Gen. McDoaoeU::
The following dispatch has just been re-
ceived from Gen. McC Clellan:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY POTOMAC.
Hon. E. NJ. Stanton, Sec. Var:
The following is taken from the Rich
mond Whig, 10th inst:
Governor Letcher:
Gen Jackson has given Gen. Shields an
awful whipping, capturing one regiment
and his artillery and driven him for miles
down the Shenandoah. Fremont appeared
On the opposite bank of the Shenandoah
river.
Our victory over Shields to-day complete
Fremont is falling back and blockading
the river: Jackson pursuing Shields. X
EDWIN M. STANTON.
Gen. Mcdowell, in reply, telegraphs
Shields account of the fight, and says:
''That the odds were overwhelming, am
constrained to say, was owing to the neglect
of the division commander (Gen. Shields.)
From tho enemy's account the generals
troops fought we'll"
It seems that President Lincoln, not fully
satisfied with the official reports of affairs
in the Valley, had authorized Carl Schurz
to send him confidential account, and ac
cordingly on the 10 of June, Gen. Schurz
writes him that, "although Jackson's rear
guard might have been attacked with more
promptness and vigor, yet it, undoubtedly,
was very fortunate circumstances that
Gen. Fremont did not succeed in placing
himself across Jackson's line of retreat, las
the latter's force was SO much superior he
would probably have been beaten. The
i L L J. e IL