Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-01-16

the trains pas + for each was at times
the theater Of alternating success, and
again for each the fields of defeat.
At this period, the CELEBRITY of move
meut on both sides of the valley al
most rivaled the trains which hourly
rush through it. Banks fell back to
the Potomac, jackson attacked Charles
ton, took it, and pushed on to Ilarper's
Ferry. Next came fifteen thousand
men from Mcdowell at Fredericks-
burg, through Manassas Gap, whose
mission was to bag Jackson" The
latter Withdrew in great haste to
Strasburg. 1t was a race to save his
army. Fremont was closing in from
the west, Shields from the east and
Mcdowell waited at Front Royal to
seize his prey. There was immense
| stir and activity on all sides, but Jack
son won, and reached the upper valley
~unscathcd. Over every step of this ad-
vance aud retreat, the blood of the
union veteran who looks upon the IA
miliar places will run fast under the
quickening of memory.
Port Republic, Cross Keys and Har-
risonburg are close to Staunton and
Waynesboro. There were hot battles
near the latter place. At Port Rcpub,
lie, Jackson fell upon Shields and
avenged Kernstown. At Cross Keys
he defeated Fremont. Both were
famous engagements. He captured the
union garrison at Front Royal, and
drove Banks across the Potomac.
These were stirring months-the
three which made up the spring of
1862. They ended Jackson's operations
for the time in the valley. He sudden
ly and secretly withdrew and aston
ished Mcclellan by appearing on his
flank at Cold Harbor
From these most general statements,
and space does not admit of details, it
will be seen that there was no other
spot during the early periods of the
war where movement and fighting was
so sharp and constant as on the She
nandoah.
With the autumn of 1862, the valley
began to witness campaigns on a great
er scale.
In September, there came Lees first
invasion Of Maryland, and while his
columns moved along east of the Blue
Ridge, the valley was alive with sup
ply trains, and all the varied accom-
panimcnts of a great army's advance.
Through the valley he soon after re-
treated from his defeat at Antietam,
and in it he gave his army rest and re-
plenished his stores. The next year,
after defeating Hooker at Chancellors-
vile, Lee sweeping over into the val
ley marched north to Gettysburg.
Through it, he came back with his
shattered columns and pitched his camp
for recuperation along the Opequon.
When 1864 opened it had been de-
cided that no campaign against Rich
mond or Gen. Lees army could be sue
cessful unless the Shenandoah could
be cleared of confederate troops and
firmly held by the union forces.
Gen. Hunter succeeded Sigel in May
of that year. He moved with great
energy and came to battle close along
the line of the Chesapeake & Ohio at
Piedmont, near to both Staunton and
Waynesboro. Thence he pushed south
to Lexington, and fought his way to
the Entertainments around ~Lynchburg,
Here Early, from Lees army, by a
rapid march via Trevilian station,
further to the eastward on the Chcsa-
peakc e Ohio, had joined Brcckin-
ridge. Hunter tlrn began "A rapid re-
treat, and Guiding these forces, instead
of attempting to withdraw down the
valley which would have exposed him
to the dangers of movements in his