The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-15
MODERN SHENANDOAH
A Pleasant Revisit to the Old
Battlefields.
BY LAWRENCE WILSON, NJ. D.,
Sergeant, Co. d. 9TH Ohio, Shields's Division
Washington, D. c.


To understand the battle of Port Re
public we must remember that Stonewal
jackson, having been defeated at herns
town and pursued to beyond Harrisonburt
toward Conrad's Store, on the South
Branch of the Shenandoah River, leaving
Gen. Ewell to watch our forces under Gen
Banks, marched rapidly via Port Republic
and Staunton and in conjunction with the
Confederate forces under Gen Edward
johnson, moved against Gen MIirOy at
Mcdowell, started MiirGy and Schenck
toward Franklin, and then with the en-
tire command returned to New Market.
Gen Banks's command having been re-
duced about one-half by the withdrawal
OF ShieIds's Division to Fredericksburg,
moved back to StrasEurg and began to
strengthen his position BY fort1fyIng. ~
New Market jackson, having united with
EweIl, his entire command was estimated
at 10000 men, Leaving portion Of his
cavalry 10 make FrsteESe CT a general at
tack on Gen. Banks from EeiGw SSras-
burg, jackson moved across the AIaSSa-
nUtran Range to Luray, marched Gown
to Front Royal, where he dispersed the
garrison at that point, ard pushing over
to the StauIt0l and Winchester pike ct
Middleton fell upon the rear CT BANKS g
forces, now thoroughly alarmed and in
rapid retreat toward the Potomac. Al
though during this movement Barks's
forces were scattered from StraSburg 70
the Potomac EiYer, and lest many waS-
onS and stores en- route, the wonder Is
that the Whole command was not sacri-
feed. Gen Jackson, however, partly e1-
plains why he was not more successful
when he states the Federal forces upon
falling back preserved their organization
remarkably WE'LL and tells how some of
his cavalry gave up the pursuit for the
purpose of plundering the captured wag-
ons and individually securing horses,
which they took to their homes ere they
again returned to duty. Gen. Winder,
however, having advanced az far as Hall
town, our forces at Charlest0wn fled to
Harper's Ferry, greatly alarming the au-
thorities in Washington. TO arrest Jack
sons advance, Gen. Fremont, with 1900
men, was ordered to intercept him at
Strasburg. and Gen. Mcdowell, with
q, 600, at Front Royal; but before these
columns could unite, Jackson, by that
rapid and continuous marching for which
his command was noted, passed by with
out any considerable loss.
FREMONT DISAPPOINTED.
Deeply chagrined at the failure to in
tereept and destroy Jackson's command,
Fremont gave pursuit along the main pike
toward Stanton, while Shields, with all
the energy CT an enthusiastic 1rishman,
made haste up the Luray Valley to reach
the bridges on the South Branch Of the
Shenandoah River, over which he sup
posed the enemy would seek to escape.
Finding that the White House and Co
lumbia Bridges, and one near
Conrad's store, near and above Luray,
had been burned by order of Jackson, he
ordered Col. Carroll, with his brigade,
some cavalry and artillery, to go some 10
miles farther TO save the bridge at Port
Republic" Although Shields's Division
had been on the march from New Mar
ket TO Fredericksburg and return, cover
ing hundreds of miles in very rainy
season OF nearly four weeks duration,
and the command was greatly fdtigued
and in need of shoes and clothing, as well
as short on bareback and bacon, CARROTS
Brigade, followed by Col. E. B. Tyler's,
by almost superhuman effort dragged
along over the toughest of roads and
reached Port Republic June 8, nearly
capturing Gen. Jackson himself, while he
and his staff were resting in the village.
At sight of the Yankees the rebels seat
tered. Jackson and part Of his staff
crossed the bridge. and with great prompt
ness ordered up infantry and artillery and
drove CAROLS troops off. holding the
bridge intact. While Shields's order TO
Carroll states he must 90 to Port Re
public ''to save the bridge" yet in his
official report he said Carroll WANTED the
good sense to burn it." While this little
affair was on at Port Republic, the battle
at Cross Keys was being fought, some
six or eight miles away, between Ere
mont and Ewell. When Tyler's Brigade
came up, CAROLS Brigade was some
three miles below Port Republic in a
Carroll advised that our forces make an
orderly retreat while they could; but Ty-
Ter and Daum (the latter our Chief of Ar
tillery) had not seen the enemy in force
as Carroll had, and were disposed to re-
new the attack. However, night came on,
and with strong photographs out, the
command went to rest.
Cen Jackson said that as Shields did
not renew the attack on the Sth of June,
1862, he decided to take the initiative in
the morning. With Fremont up against
his rear and Shields threatening in front,
the condition Of affairs required vigor-
Gus action. Maj. r. s. Dabney, of Jack
sons staff, is authority for the statement
that Jackson expected to brush ShieIds's
troops away and get back to fight Ere
mont by 10 O'Clock a. m. He accordingly
ordered EweN to withdraw from FIRE.
mont's front. leaving Trimble's Brigade,
lars, to hold him in check while the rest
OF his entire command moved down on
900 OF Shields's boys. in the little val
ley below. Listen 10 Gen. Jackson a mo-
ment: Before ) in the morning Gen.
Winder's Brigade was in Port Republic,
and having crossed the South Fork by
a temporary wagon bridge placed there
for the purpose. was moving down the
river road to attack the forces of Cen
Shields. Advancing one and a half miles
he encountered the Federal pickets and
drove them in. The enemy had judicious-
ly selected his position for defense. Upon
a rising ground near the Lewis house he
had planted six guns. which commanded
the road from Port Republic and swept
the plateau for a considerable distance
IN front. As Gen. Winder moved forward
his brigade. q rapid and severe fire Of
shell was opened upon it. Capt. Pogue
with two Parrot guns. was promptly
placed in position on the left OF the road
TO engage and if possible disIodge the
Federal battery. Capt. Carpenter was
sent TO the right 70 select n position for
his battery. but finding Il impracticable
TO drag il through the dense underground
it was brought back and part of it placed
near PoGue. The artillery fire was we'll
sustained by our batteries. but found IN
equal to that Of the enemy. In the mean
time, Ninder. being now reinforced by the
9Th La, seeing no mode of silencing the
Federal battery or ESCAPING its dpstruct-
i've missiles but by a rapid charge and the
capture of il, advanced with great bold
ness for some distance. but encountered
such 4 heavy fire Of artillery and small