The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-04-18

caiteu themselves conservatives, ana VINO
studied safety almost exclusively, as well for
their persons as the army, and who made it a
point to lose as little rest as possible. To begin
with, he did not rise early that morning, when,
of all mornings, it seemed the most necessary.
AS late as 1880 o'clock Shields considered it
expedient to respectfully request in writing,
through his Chief of Staff, "that Maj. Gen. Nc
Dowell would give orders to relieve his detaeh-
ments aud permit him to make prompt move
ment," but with little success. Then he wasted
a good part of the day in examining prisoners,
including Belle Boyd notorious female spy,
for information as to Jaekson's numbers and
the vicinity and numbers of other troops.
Then, too, the day before he was hurrying up
Kings Division to reinforce him, and perhaps
thought it safer to wait for their coming be-
fore advancing, though as yet it was hardly all
up at CatIetts. 1t seems clear that he hoped
Jackson would succeed in leaving the neigh
borho0d, and the sooner the better, to save him
from any hostile and disagreeable relations
with him and, besides, it would tend towards
proving his sagacity, for he had given it as his
opinion that any attempt to intercept him was
useless which opinion he seemed, in his way,
to be trying to make good. Scarcely by 3
o'clock were any troops in motion, when Gen.
Bayard, with his cavalry. supported by the
Bucktails and two pieces of artillery, proceeded
toward Strasburg.
Bayard says: Heavy masses. of infantry
artillery and cavalry were all plainly discerni-
bic, drawn up in commanding positions around
the town-a force SO largely exceeding mine
that an attack was utterly out of the question.
The enemy threw couple of shells at me, and
! withdrew my forces from the Strasburg side
of the Shenandoah and encamped before dark
about five miles from the town, and that even
ing was Joined by Capt. James A. Hall with
four of Griffins guns from Gen. Ricketts's
Brigade"
The parts of Shields's and Ricketts's COM
mands that were in motion-and only about 3
o'clock, as stated-could hardly have been more
than In motion, if Ricketts's was started at all
when Mcdowell, on the strength of an alleged
report, suspended all further movement and
late that night, in response to an inquiry from
Secretary Stanton, informed him that "the
positive accounts" were that Jackson had
passed through Strasburg with his army the
night before, and also said: "The firing we
heard was not at Strasburg, but was in the di-
rection Of Middletown, aud is supposed to have
been an attack by Gen. Banks on Jackson's rear
guard" Banks was still north of the Potomac
At 3 o'clock Mcdowell had telegraphed to Sec
retary Stanton: Heard firing this a. m. in
the direction of Strasburg. Ord's Division
came up this q. M, and is considerably aroused
by the excitement of an approaching BATTLE
and is now moving forward, replacing Shieds's
Division, who is on the march to Strasburg
with that part of his division nearest to that
place. am directing Gen. Ord's Division (noW
with Ricketts) to move on the Winchester
road" 1t was very soon after this that all
movement toward Strasburg ceased, and which
in reality amounted to no more than pre-
tense. In q dispatch to Secretary Stanton,
30 minutes later concerning the compara-
lively unimportant successes before he arrived,
in which he seemed to take pride, he is silent
as to any movement toward Strasburg, and says
that
"GEN. FRENtoNT's FORCES HAVE NOT YET
MADE THEIR APPEARANCE"
The President might pertinently have asked
in his case as he did in Gearys, if he had been
over to see whether Fremonts forces had made
their appearance; he was certainly not expect
ing them at Front Royal. He could have had
no intention to cooperate with Fremont. at
least not until the arrival of his other division
with King; and he seems to have concealed
from Shields the Presidents positive instruc-
tions to him, and deluded him into the belief
that he was forbidden to interfere in Fremont's
temporary department; for otherwise Shields
could not surely have been mad enough to write
the next day, as he did, to Secretary Stanton ::
"We would have occupied Strasburg, but dare
not interfere with what was designed for Fre-
mont" This view receives strength by what
appears further on.
Doubtless, had Mcdowell used the common
est ability, energy and earnestness in executing
the Presidents ORDERS Fremont would have
been encouraged to action, and between the
two Jackson could not have escaped great dis
aster-Winder at least, must have been cut off,
and either captured or dispersed.
Thus this part of President Lineoln's cam
paign, which gave such brilliant promise, failed.
chiefly through McDowel's incompetency, OF
an insubordnate and premeditated dereliction
of plain military duty.
The facts could not be known at the time at
Washington, and amid the great events crowd
ing one upon the other, McDowell's conduct
was not rigidy scrutinized. He succeeded, in
great measure, in hiding the enormity of his
shame, aud even excited some sympathy by his
cool assurance, self-suificiency, and mendacious
assertion, and by dishonesty imputing the
blame to his subordinates-Sh Shields, Ord and
Ricketts, and, in conjunction with the other
General, on the Peniusula, to Lincoln and
Stanton, and to those whom they and their
prototypes termed the Washington author
tiles" Even until resent wears there seems to
have been but little suspicion as to the facts in
Jackson's Shenandoah campaign and its out
come, and to this day, judging by the histories
we meet, they have been known to but few,
with those who have taken the pains to dig for
a solution of what has long seemed a mystery,
if not miracle. However, McDowelFs dere-
LECTION of duty soon after at Bull Run was so
court, when the President-and probably hav-
ing become somewhat aware of his previous
shortcomings, believing that his retention in
active command would be more preiudicial
than otherwise to the
SUCCESS OF THE UNION ARMS
with that forbearance he usually extended to
those whose legs would not permit them to face
the enemy, removed him from active service
to one more congenial to his nature-a peaceful
one. Many soldiers will recall the strong per-
sonal repugnance he excited in the army, and
not without strong grounds. The feeling was SC
| strong as to induce a dying officer, at second
Bull Run, to impute the loss of his life to Nc,
Dowells treaehery," and charges of treason
were quite general among the men, and q cour;
ofinquiry was granted him to relieve himself oi
the stigma. 1t is impossible to believe that he
was in league with the enemy; but his shrink
ing and evasive action was such as to have, foi
the time, an effect almost equally fatal.
II Providence were kind to Stonewall Jack
son at Strasburg, He was soon scourging him
for his trials and tribulations were far from be
! ing over. The same night, Mcdowell some