3io

FIGHTING JACKSON AT KERNSTOWN.

Milroy. Meeting General Milroy at McDowell and checking Milroy’s advance,Jackson again returned to our front. Both sides claimed success in the affairat McDowell on the 8th of May [see p. 286].

The operations against “Stonewall Jackson ” were successful, with the valleyof Virginia in our possession, and Jackson’s army held in check beyond theShenandoah by Banks and Shields. General McDowell, with his army, heldFredericksburg and the line of the Rappahannock, General Fremont movingtoward Staunton from the west, and General McClellan , with the Army of thePotomac, was advancing up the peninsula, confronting the Confederate armyunder Johnston. Thus was Washington protected, and the ruin of the Confed-eracy imminent, when a blunder in the management of our armies in Virginia was made. The order directing Shields’s division to join General McDowell’sarmy at Fredericksburg was most unfortunate. The divisions were indig-nant in contemplation of the results, knowing the situation as they did. Onreceipt of the order General Banks said:

“ Kesults are not for us to consider, and orders are received to be obeyed. I regret it becauseI feel that the policy of which this order is a part is to end in allowing the grand army of therebels to escape unharmed from Virginia , and add another year to the war. It is impossible toanticipate what work lies before us ; I feel the imperative necessity of making preparations forthe worst.”

And by this order the worst came, and the opportunity was given to Stone-wall Jackson for the display of his peculiar strategic ability.

On the 12th of May General Shields moved from New Market for Fal-mouth, and General Banks moved down the valley to Strasburg, thus open-ing the way for Jackson [see map, p. 284]. With Shields’s division far away atFredericksburg, \ and Fremont beyond the Shenandoah mountains, Jackson,on the 23d, with his army of about 1500, dashed down upon Banks ’s 9000,mostly stationed in detachments at Strasburg and Front Royal , nearly 20miles apart, by the route Banks was forced to take.

But not until after three days of hard fighting did he force the heroic sol-diers of Banks ’s division from the valley, it With the information of this

\ Colonel Franklin Sawyer, in his history of the8th Ohio , of Kimball’s brigade, records the follow-ing incident, which took place at Falmouth, oppo-site Fredericksburg :

“ Kimball's brigade was ordered into a newly fencedfield for its camp, and no sooner were the men dismissedfrom ranks than the entire fence disappeared. GeneralKing, who was in command at this place, seeing thismovement from his quarters at the Phillips Mansion,sent down an aide-de-camp to arrest all of our officers,and compel the men to rebuild the fence. Officerslaughed and the men jeered at him. The rails were soonon fire, and our dinners cooking. King called up his ad-jutant, Major Barstow, who had been General Lander’sadjutant when he commanded us, and ordered him todetail sufficient troops to arrest our whole division, ex-claiming : ‘ Who are these vandals % ’ * Why,’ said Barstow,‘they are Lander’s old troops from Western Virginia ;you had better keep your guards here at headquarters,for you’ll be devilish lucky if they don’t steal yourhouse-roof before morning!’ King was dumfounded,but his fence was never rebuilt.” EDITORS.

Jackson made his attack at Front Royal on the23d, and, after a stubborn resistance, captured the

command of Colonel John R. Kenly , composed ofthe 1st Maryland Cavalry, and a section of Knops’sPennsylvania Battery, acting as guard to Banks ’scommunications. The latter was warned by thisdash of Jackson’s purposes. He says in his report:

“ The extraordinary force of the enemy could no longerbe doubted. It was apparent also that they bad amore extended purpose than the capture of the bravelittle band at Front Royal . This purpose could be noth-ing lees than the defeat of my own command or its pos-sible capture by occupying Winchester, and by thismovement intercepting supplies or reenforcements, andcutting off all possibility of retreat. ... It was deter-mined, therefore, to enter the lists with the enemy in arace or a battle, as be should choose, for the possessionof Winchester, the key of the valley, and for us the posi-tion of safety.”

Jackson pushed his advance rapidly from FrontRoyal to Middletown, and on the 24th interceptedBanks ’s column, meeting, however, with repulse.At Newtown another Confederate force was met anddriven off by Banks ; his rear-guard also repulsedan attack near Kernstown.