The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-08

wasted two days at Front Royal,
marching and conference.-the on diff
ferent roads. and finally was marching
sou'h"ard toward Liray in the Page
valley. which lis parallel with the main
valley OF Virginia up which Jackson
was retiring. Penetrating his purpose
10 cross the Massinutton Mountain,
which separates the two valleys, SO
as to Intercept him at New Market.
jackson had the White House and Co
lumbia bridges over the Shenandoah,
In the Page VALLEY, destroyed. which,
as the river was swollen by recent
rains. effectually prevented Shields.
who had no pontoon train from COM
ing over to the western side of it, and.
consequently, from crossing the noun
tatns to Cooperate with Fremont.
Ashby'a Last Days.
To the heroic Ashby. was now en-
trusted the responsibility of protecting
the Confederate rear" and he was as
usual, indefatigable in the discharge
of his allotted duty Indeed, his pro-
verbal daring was never more CON
spicuously displayed than in this cam
paign, which was destined to be the
last OF his brief and brilliant career,
Tor, poor fellow, he was killed in bat
tie on the following Friday, June 6,
and Virginia never lost a purer citizen,
Drawer soldier or more devoted SON
He was very dear friend of mine, I
got him his first gun and last com
mission, the little English Blakely with
which the gallant Chew did such sig
nal service under him. and the brig
adiershtp ne received ten DAYS only be-
foe his death. Some idea may be form
ed OF his arduous duties from an in
cidental remark made IL me in one
of his last letters that in twenty-eight
| successive days he had had no less
than thirty fights AS the incidents of
the retreat became each day more nu-
merous and exciting they cannot, of
course, be specified in the limited space
allowed for this article Suffice 1t,
therefore, to say that they eliminated
in those two browning events by which
Jackson effectually disposed of his an
tagon!ets in both the valleys-the bat
ties Of Cross Keys and Port Republic,
in the former OF which fought June
S, Fremont was defeated. and in the
battle fought on the following day,
June 0. Shields shared the same fate.
Effects of the Cumpais,n.
This closed Jackson's Valley cam
paign of 90. in which, according to
Major Dabney, his biographer and chief
marched 400 miles, fought four pitched
battles, defeating four separate armies.
with numerous combats and skirrnishes,
sent TO the rear $500 prisoners. killed
and wounded still larger number of
the enemy and defeated or neutralized
forces three times as numerous as his
own upon his proper theatre of war.
beside the corps OF Mcdowell. which
was rendered inactive at Fredericks-
burg BY fear OF his prowess"; in ad
dition to which he had at the same
time thwarted the plans of Mcclellan
at Richmond and made those of Lee
there practicable: all Of which was
done at loss of not more than 1900
men and with an army OF only IS many
thousand So II was no wonder that
/ found him In fine spirits when, on
my return from Richmond, Just after
the battle of Port Republic, I rejoined
him at his bivouac In Browns Gap. on
the Blue Ridge. from which, on the
18th Of June. we descended before dawn
/ TO the plains OF Mount Meridian on the
Middle Fork of the Shenandoah, hav-
| ing our headquarters near Wier's Cave.
Frank Talk by Jackson.
! on Friday. June 12, the day after we
! came down from Browns Gap, in ex-
( pressing to me his pleasure at the sue
| cess of my mission for more troops.
| he took occasion to remark that he
would be glad II I would return to
| Richmond and make q formal applca-
/ ton ID the government TO increase his
! command TO 10000 men, in order that
/ he might carry into effect the move
ment he had mentioned TO me at Hall
| town. by that means" said he. Rich
mond can be relieved and the campaign
| transferred to Pennsylvania" In the
| course of the conversation / asked him
/ what he would have done il Shields
| and Fremont had united their forces at
d 49, 1t
I retreat up the Valley? To which he
promptly replied II should have fallen
| back into Maryland for reinforce
/ nents" Then recurring TO the subject
which seemed uppermost In his mind
| he told me that in making the pro-
would advance toward the Potomac
along the Eastern side of the Blue
| Ridge. masking his uarch much as
| possible, and by rapidly crossing the
| mountain at the most available gap.
/ he could, by getting in the rear of
| Banks (who had returned TO Win
/ chester, readily dispose of him. and
| thereby open up the road to Western
| Maryland and Pennsylvania by way OF
/ Williamsport, etc. Ordinarily, Jack
son was exceedingly reticent in regard
to his plans and purposes, but on this
! occasion he spoke without reserve and
was more communicative than / ever
knew him 10 be- Our conversation oc-
CURED after dinner and in concluding
| it, he asked when 1t would suit me to
/ 90 again to Richmond and make the
| application he desired. / told him in
reply l would go at once; would ride
| that evening over TO Stanton, which
! was some fifteen miles from our en-
/ campment, and take the cars next
morning for the Confederate capital
This seemed 10 be satisfactory to him.
so I proceeded forthwith TO prepare
| for the journey. Arriving at Richmond
| the next evening after Office hours.
/ lost no time in seeing the Secretary
| of War at his residence. He referred
me TO President Davis. who, in turn
told me 20 submit the matter to General
Lee, whereupon. late as 1t was. L pro-
| cured a horse and rode out to the COM
manding generals headquarters on the
| lines below Richmond
General Lee had not yet retired for
the night. and after listening to what
! had to say, with the kindly courtesy
! which SO eminently characterized his
! intercourse with every one, replied b.