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John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., Stuart's ride around McClellan in June, 1862. (search)
the left a Federal success; and General McClellan drew back, marshalled his great lines, darkening both the northern and southern banks of the Chickahominy, and prepared for a more decisive blow at the Confederate capital, whose spires were in sight. Before him, however, lay the Southern army, commanded now by Lee, who had succeeded Johnston, wounded in the fight of Seven pines. The moment was favourable for a heavy attack by Lee. Jackson had just driven before him the combined forces of Shields and Fremont, and on the bloody field of Port Republic ended the great campaign of the Valley at one blow. The veterans of his command could now be concentrated on the banks of the Chickahominy against McClellan; a combined advance of the forces under Lee and Jackson might save the capital. But how should the attack be made? In council of war, General Stuart told me he proposed an assault upon General McClellan's left wing from the direction of James River, to cut him off from that base.
John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., chapter 3.32 (search)
seemed-so obstinately did the eagles of victory continue to perch upon the old battle flag. The men of the Old Stonewall Brigade marched on, and fought, and triumphed, like war machines which felt no need of rest, food, or sleep. On the advance to Romney they marched --many of them without shoes-over roads so slippery with ice that men were falling and guns going off all along the line, and at night lay down without blankets or food upon the snow, to be up and moving again at dawn. When Shields and Fremont were closing in on Jackson's rear, they marched in one day from Harper's Ferry to Strasburg, nearly fifty miles. On the advance in August, 1862, to the Second Manassas, they passed over nearly forty miles, almost without a moment's rest; and as Jackson rode along the line which was still moving on briskly and without stragglers, no orders could prevent them from bursting forth into tumultuous cheers at the sight of him. He had marched them nearly to death, to reach a position wh
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 8: winter campaign in the Valley. 1861-62. (search)
hat he was moving his troops up the northern bank of the Potomac, and effecting a junction with General Lander, by boats constructed at Cumberland and brought down the stream. But this movement, if it was not a feint, was speedily reconsidered. On the 25th of February he crossed at Harper's Ferry with 4000 men, and by the 4th of March had established his Headquarters at Charlestown, seven miles in advance. The remainder of his force was brought over, from time to time, until he, with General Shields, had now collected about 36,000 men at that place, Harper's Ferry and Martinsburg. A General of less genius than Jackson would have certainly resorted to laborious entrenchments, as an expedient for repairing the inequality of his force. But he constructed no works for the defence of Winchester. To an inquiry of General Hill, he replied, I am not fortifying; my position can be turned on all sides. Knowing that, if he enclosed himself in forts, the superior forces of the Federalis
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 9: General view of the campaigns of 1862. (search)
waiting the first drying suns of March, to move his gigantic army forward to that triumph, for which he had been so assiduously preparing them for eight months; and General Johnston was watching for the same juncture, to retire to a more interior line of defence. The goal of the Federal advance was, of course, to be Richmond; and to its capture, every movement was to converge. General McClellan was to drive back the left wing of the Confederate army at Winchester, by — the forces under Shields and Banks, to insulate and overpower the right wing resting on the Potomac at Evansport, and to surround and crush General Johnston at Manassas, or else to force him toward Richmond, and pursue him. The army on the Peninsula, setting out from Fortress Monroe, was to press back General Magruder, and assail the capital from the East. The forces in the Valley, having beaten General Jackson, were either to converge towards the rear of Manassa's Junction, by crossing the Blue Ridge, or else to
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 10: Kernstown. (search)
although his force present on the field was fourfold, and preferred to await the arrival of General Shields with his reserves. The Confederates, therefore, returned in the evening to their camp arou in profound silence, to begin a fierce attack upon him at the small hours of the morning. General Shields had not yet come within a supporting distance; but by the next day he would be united with were convinced that, had the night attack been made, they would have been utterly routed. General Shields's troops were so far in the rear, that they did not begin to arrive until 2 o'clock, P. M.,shington to boast of his bloodless conquest, leaving the remainder of his army in charge of General Shields. Upon receiving the orders of his Commander-in-Chief, the Confederate General prepared forster. The rapidity of this movement took them by surprise. The troops which remained with General Shields were encamped below the town, and Ashby found only a feeble force in his front. With these
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 12: Winchester. (search)
e embarrassed Confederates, Banks detached the best brigades he had,--those of Shields and Kimball, containing seven thousand men,--and sent them on the 14th of May, him. And he completed the chapter of errors in this, that by sending away General Shields he evacuated the New Market Gap, and gave to General Jackson the fatal optThis was the position which Banks deserted without cause, when he detached General Shields to Eastern Virginia. As the traveller proceeds northeast down the county nverging towards the great Valley Turnpike as it approaches the town. When Shields evacuated New Market, Colonel Ashby advanced his quarters to it, and extended kened by its disasters, to a portion of sense and activity, gave orders to General Shields, to move upon General Jackson's communications from tie Rappahannock, and was in motion, retreating upon Strasbourg, the point at which it was expected Shields and Fremont would attempt their junction. General Winder was ordered to recal
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 13: Port Republic. (search)
us eluded the combination designed by him and Shields, in his rear. On the evening of June 1st, he, and the guard escaped; but when the head of Shields's main column reached the bridge, the Confedele between the waters and the mountain, where Shields was approaching, the country stretches out in manifest that good generalship should select Shields as the victim of the first blow. His force wggressive against Fremont, after disposing of Shields, should his success in assailing the latter pry were detached to watch the approach of General Shields, of which one was sent to reconnoitre, anrpose to risk his first decisive blow against Shields, for the reasons which have been explained; air flight successfully. It was said that General Shields was fifteen miles in the rear with his re General Jackson had cannonaded the troops of Shields the previous day, and swept the whole field, pied by the Federalists, to the fact that General Shields's brigades fought better than Fremont's, [21 more...]
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 14: the Richmond campaign. (search)
followed by a long train of surgeons and ambulances bringing a demand for the release of their wounded men. Colonel Munford had required the train to pause at his outposts, and had brought the major, with one surgeon, to his quarters at Harrisonburg; where he entertained them with military courtesy, until their request was answered by the commanding General. He found them full of boasts and arrogance: they said that the answer to their flag was exceedingly unimportant, because Fremont and Shields were about to effect a junction, when they would recover, by force, all they had lost, and teach Jackson a lesson which would cure his audacity. When Colonel Munford received the instructions we have mentioned, he called for Mr. William Gilmer of Albemarle, a gentleman of infinite spirit and humor, who was serving with his young kinsman as an amateur trooper, and gave him his cue. He silently left the village, but presently returned, in very different fashion, as an orderly, with despatche
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 15: Cedar Run. (search)
ight was attached to it, is unknown; but the campaign soon after took the direction which he had indicated. He was extremely anxious to leave the unhealthy region of the lower James, where his own health, with that of his command, was suffering, and to return to the upper country. He longed for its pure breezes, its sparkling waters, and a sight of its familiar mountains. Events had already occurred, which procured the speedy gratification of his wish. After the defeat of Fremont and Shields, the Washington Government united the corps of these Generals, of Banks, and of McDowell into one body, under the name of the Army of Virginia. These parts made an aggregate of fifty or sixty thousand men, who were now sent, under Major-General John Pope, upon the mission of making a demonstration against Richmond by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and thus effecting a diversion which would deliver McClellan from his duress. The former was directed to seize Gordonsville, the point at
Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Commands of Lieutenand- General Thomas J. Jackson, Chapter 18: Fredericksburg. (search)
ography be correctly conceived. It will then be seen, that while the position of General Lee was good as a whole, and on his left strong, it gave him no advantage whatever upon his right (save a slight superiority of elevation for his batteries), which was not matched by at least equal advantages in the position of the enemy. The ground which Jackson so successfully held against the double numbers of Franklin and Hooker in the coming battle, was no stronger than that which he wrested from Shields at Port Republic, and not near so strong as that which he and Longstreet stormed at the Chickahominy, with inferior forces. When the battle of Fredericksburg was fought, General Jackson had not a yard of entrenchment in his front; indeed his corps only came upon their ground during the night, and the early morning preceding the struggle. The elaborate lines which the military tourist saw afterward, were all the work of subsequent weeks, provided by General Lee against the possibility of f
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