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the column get well into the defile or gorge, when, from a position of perfectsafety to themselves, they poured a deadly volley into the close column. Theattack being unexpected, and coming from a foe of unknown strength, theFederal column halted and hesitated to advance. Another volley and the“ rebel yell ” from the cliffs turned them back, never to appear again. Fre-mont took the road to Moorefield, and thence to Strasburg, though he hadbeen peremptorily ordered on May 24th by President Lincoln to proceeddirect to Harrisonburg. It shows how close had been Jackson ’s calculation ofchances, to state that as his rear-guard marched up Fisher’s Hill, two milesfrom Strasburg, Fremont’s advance came in sight on the mountain-sideon the road from Moorefield, and a sharp skirmish took place. Jackson con-tinued to Harrisonburg , hotly pursued by Fremont, but avoiding a conflict.
The news of Banks ’s defeat created consternation at "Washington, andShields was ordered to return from east of the Blue Ridge to the Luray Val-ley in all haste to cooperate with Fremont. Jackson was advised of Shields’sapproach, and his aim was to prevent a junction of their forces till he reacheda point where he could strike them in quick succession. He therefore sentcavalry detachments along the Shenandoah to burn the bridges as far as PortRepublic, the river being at that time too full for fording. At Harrisonburg he took the road leading to Port Republic, and ordered me from Staunton,with a mixed battery and battalion of cavalry, to the bridge over North Rivernear Mount Crawford, to prevent a cavalry force passing to his rear.
At Cross Keys, about six miles from Harrisonburg , he delivered battle toFremont, on June 8th, and, after a long and bloody conflict, as night closedin he was master of the field. Leaving one division—Ewell’s—on the ground,to resist Fremont if he should return next day, he that night marchedthe rest of his army to Port Republic,which lies in the forks of the river,and made his arrangements to attackthe troops of Shields’s command nextmorning on the Lewis farm, just belowthe town.
On the day of the conflict at CrossKeys I held the bridge across NorthRiver at Mount Crawford with a bat-talion of cavalry, four howitzers, anda Parrott gun, to prevent a cavalryflank movement on Jackson ’s trains atPort Republic. About 10 o’clock atnight I received a note from Jackson,written in pencil on the blank marginof a newspaper, directing me to reportwith my command at Port Republicbefore daybreak. On the same slip,and as a postscript, he wrote, “ PoorAshby is dead. He fell gloriously.
BATTLE OF
CROSS KEYS
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Rodeheffcr
Confederate Lines.
Scale of Miles