Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 34.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[205] result to him. His only reply was. ‘I wish you and your men to stay with me as couriers,’ and assigned me with four men to go with Colonel Baylor, commanding the Stonewall brigade, who was to make the advance on the works.

We advanced through the woods to the top of the same ridge I had been on in the morning, but further to our right, and came in full view of the heights, threw our troops in line of battle, with skirmishers well out to the front, and reported to Stonewall (who was back hurrying up troops) that we were ready to advance. The order came, ‘Advance.’ Colonel Baylor gave the order, ‘Forward!’ The skirmishers moved across the field, the line of battle following. The enemy were not yet seen, but we expected to meet them in the next field. Not a shot was fired. Just as our skirmishers got over the fence, and as we with line of battle got to the fence, here came a courier to Colonel Baylor from Jackson to halt. There we stood possibly fifteen or twenty minutes, when another courier came from Jackson ordering the line of battle to fall back to the ridge on which we had first formed, and the skirmishers to fall back over the fence. We remained during most of the day and built fires as if we were going into camp. That night the army was in full motion up the Valley.

I did not get back to my regiment until I got to Strasburg. Jackson slipped by Fremont a few days later, fought the battles of Harrisonburg, Cross Keys and Port Republic inside of four days, winding up his memorable Valley campaign of 1862. This was the opening of that great campaign, and led to the movement to Richmond.