The National tribune., 1903-05-07
THE BATTLE OF CROSS KEYS.
Why Fremont Failed to Capture stonewal
Jackson.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Gen. Ere
monts campaign in the Shena ndosL Val
ley seems never to have been fully under
stood or properly appreciated. l have al
ways thought that had a certain officer not
failed to obey an order, Gen. Fremont
would have annihilated OF. captured Stone
wall JackSOns army.
Three armies had been sent to capture
Jackson. Fremont's march from the vicini-
ty of Franklin, W. Va. to intercept Jack
son, who was retreating up the Valley.
was delayed by reason of the rugged coun-
try through which his route lay. How
ever, Notwithstanding his column was thus
belated, Fremont arrived at Strasburg in
time to encounter Jackson's rear, June /.
1867. In the running fight that enSued
we captured between 800 and 400 men.
the Confederates leaving their dead un-
buried. From that point to Cross Keys
our advance and Jackson's rear We're
spiritedly engaged nearly everyday. the en-
counters at Strasburg, Mount Jackson,
New Market and Harrisonburg being con-
fiicts resembling regular battles The
Union cavalry had destroyed the bridge on
the main road up the Valley, leaving but
one way for Jackson's escape-the bridge
at Port Republic.
Therefore the Confederates left the
main Valley turnpike, at Il point just south
of HarrisOnburg. and pushed for Port Re
public. Fremont, however. pressed them
so vigorously that at Cross Keys he forced
Jackson to fight battle.
According to my recollection the situa-
ton was rs follows: Jackson had about
22.OOO men, while Fremont had some 49,
COO. There was, however. another Fed
eral force on the other side of the South
Fork of the Shenandoah River. just be-
yond the Massanutten Range. This army,
some 5000 or 5000 strong, was command
l.,-f l.. NJ.
When Fremont attacked Jackson he ey-
pected assistance from this force. which
never came. In case Fremont should he
repulsed, Shields could have come to his
aid by way of the gap at New Market, and
that, think. had been the understanding
between the Generals.
Fremont had ordered Shields. who was
marching up the Luray Valley, parallel
with Jackson's line of march. to send Il
force rapidly forward to burn the bridge
at Port Republic. Complying with his or
der. Gen. Shields sent forward Col. Car
roll with about 2JGO men and battery
of artillery. Carroll arrived at the bridge
in time to destroy it, but noting that his
position was an excellent one, especially
for artillery, he proceeded to use his own
discretion, and, in doing so, neglected to
burn the bridge. Seemingly he thought
he was monarch of all he surveyed" and
Corners.
Having been badly battered at Cross
Keys, where in fact he got the worst of
the battle, principally because of the eff
cheney of our artillery, "Stonewalr' saw
that his only hope of escape lay in forcing
the passage of the river at Port Republic.
This he did on the following morning, June
.. Carroll was brave enough. but his judg-
ment was similar to that of Taurus stand
inc ha h,
locomotives right of way, and, like the
valiant Taurus, Carroll paid for his
temerity by being almost annihilated.
When it was too late, he attempted in vain
to burn the bridge. When Fremont ar
rived at the river, JacksOns wagon train
was disappearing beyond the hills on the
other side. Thus great opportunity was
lost, attributable to Col. CarrOlls over
confidence in his prowess. Had he SIM
ply obeyed orders and burned the bridge,
Jackson would have been delayed and
compelled to fight the combined forces of
Fremont and Shields, superior to him in
numbers, and notably supplied with eff
cient artillery. Being practically surround
ed, Jackson could hardly have done other
wise than surrender his army. With
Stonewall Jackson out of the way. the
whole course of the war would doubtless
have been changed, as he was at that time
the Confederate army, remaining such I'M
til he received his death wound at Cham
cellorsville.
The battery to which l belonged-Bat-
terry l, 1st Ohio-received hot baptism of
fire at Cross Keys. Our only previous ex-
perence having been in inconsequential
engagements around Shaw's Ridge and
Mcdowell. At the beginning of the bat
tie. we had to advance threefourths of a
mile under the heavy fire of rebel batter
les, before We gained our position, which
was in the edge of a woodland. having Il
clear field in our front. the distance from
the rebel batteries being about 400 yards.
There we fought them until our ammuni-
ton had become Enthusiastically four
hours.
Our place was taken by an Indiana bat
terry. In passing over the field the next
morning, l counted A dead horses where
the rebel batteries had been in position,
and saw many dead men, how many l can
not say.
During the fight was hit and severely
bruised on my right side, but, being warm
and excited, l stayed with my gun. l
confess that when we were going into the
battle of Cross Keys l was scared. That
of mile dash for position.
under heavy fire, was exceedingly trying.
especially as We could not reply to the
enemy's fire. When we became actively
engaged our fears yanished.-JoHN
WADELL, list Ohio L. A.