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[295] was moving a large column on his left, did not advance at once; but subsequently ascertaining that no attack was designed by the force referred to, he advanced, drove in the enemy's skirmishers, and, when night closed, was in position on ground previously held by the enemy. During this fight Brigadier-Generals Elzey and Stewart were wounded, and disabled from command.

This engagement with Fremont has generally been known as the battle of Cross-Keys, in which our troops were commanded by General Ewell. I had remained at Port Republic during the principal part of the eighth, expecting a renewal of the attack. As no movement was made by General Shields to renew the action that day, I determined to take the initiative and attack him the following morning.

Accordingly, General Ewell was directed to move from his position at an early hour, on the morning of the ninth, toward Port Republic, leaving General Trimble with his brigade, supported by Colonel Patton with the Forty-second Virginia infantry and the First battalion of Virginia regulars, to hold Fremont in check, with instructions if hard pressed to retire across the North-River, and burn the bridge in their rear. Soon after ten o'clock, General Trimble with the last of our forces had crossed the North River, and the bridge was destroyed. In the mean time, before five in the morning, General 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 General Shields. Advancing a mile and a half, he encountered the Federal pickets and drove them in.

The enemy had judiciously selected his position for defence. 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 General Winder moved forward his brigade, a rapid and severe fire of shell was opened upon it, Captain Poague, with two Parrott guns, was promptly placed in position on the left of the road to engage, and if possible dislodge the Federal battery. Captain Carpenter was sent to the right to select a position for his battery, but finding it impracticable to drag it through the dense undergrowth, it was brought back, and part of it placed near Poague. The artillery fire was well sustained by our batteries, but found unequal to that of the enemy. In the mean time, Winder being now reenforced by the Seventh Louisiana regiment, Colonel Hays, seeing no mode of silencing the Federal battery, or escaping its destructive missiles, but by a rapid charge and the capture of it, advanced with great boldness for some distance, but encountered such a heavy fire of artillery and small-arms as greatly to disorganize his command, which fell back in disorder. The enemy advanced across the field, and, by a heavy musketry fire, forced back our infantry supports, in consequence of which our guns had to retire. The enemy's advance was checked by a spirited attack upon their flank, by the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-fourth Virginia regiments, directed by General Ewell and led by Colonel Scott, although his command was afterward driven back to the woods with severe loss. The batteries were all safely withdrawn except one of Captain Poague's six-pounder guns, which was carried off by the enemy.

Whilst Winder's command was in this critical condition, the gallant and successful attack of General Taylor on the Federal left and rear, directed attention from the front, and led to a concentration of their force upon him. Moving to the right along the mountain acclivity, through a rough and tangled forest, and much disordered by the rapidity and obstructions of the march, Taylor emerged with his command from the wood, just as the loud cheers of the enemy had proclaimed their success in front; and although assailed by a superior force in front and flank, with their guns in position within point-blank range, the charge was gallantly made, and the battery, consisting of six guns, fell into our hands. Three times was this battery lost and won in the desperate and determined efforts to capture and recover it. After holding the batteries for a short time, a fresh brigade of the enemy advancing upon his flank, made a vigorous and well-conducted attack upon him, accompanied by a galling fire of canister from a piece suddenly brought into position, at a distance of about three hundred and fifty yards. Under this combined attack, Taylor fell back to the skirt of the wood, near which the captured battery was stationed, and from that point continued his fire upon the advancing enemy, who succeeded in recapturing one of the guns, which he carried off, leaving both caisson and limber. The enemy, now occupied with Taylor, halted his advance to the front. Winder made a renewed effort to rally his command, and succeeding, with the Seventh Louisiana, under Major Penn, (the Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel having been carried from the field wounded,) and the Fifth Virginia regiment, Colonel Funk, he placed part of Poague's battery in the position previously occupied by it, and again opened upon the enemy, who were moving against Taylor's left flank, apparently to surround him in the wood. Chew's battery now reported, and was placed in position, and did good service. Soon after, guns from the batteries of Brockenbrough, Courtnay, and Rains, were brought forward and placed in position. Whilst these movements were in progress on the left and front, Colonel Scott, having rallied his command, led them, under the orders of General Ewell to the support of General Taylor, who pushing forward with the reenforcements just received, and assisted by the well-directed fire of our artillery, forced the enemy to fall back, which was soon followed by his precipitate retreat, leaving many killed and wounded upon the field. General Taliaferro, who the previous day had occupied the town, was directed to continue to do so with part of his troops, and, with the remainder, to hold the elevated position on the north side of the river, for the purpose of


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