104 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



McDowell. This is a small town on the Bull Pas- 

 ture river at the foot of mountains bearing the 

 same name, and about forty miles distant from 

 Harrisonburg in the Shenandoah Valley, where 

 Gen. Banks's forces then were. To prevent the 

 junction of these forces, or to cut them up 

 before Gen. Milroy could be reenforced, Gen. 

 Jackson collected all the Confederate forces in 

 the region, and marched against him. On the 

 7th he attacked the 32d Ohio, which fell back 

 with the loss of their camp equipage and bag- 

 gage, through lack of transportation. At the 

 same time the force west of the mountain fell 

 back in order to McDowell, where a stand was 

 determined upon. Gen Milroy at the earliest 

 moment sent despatches to Gen. Schenck, who 

 was thirty miles distant, to hasten to his assist- 

 ance. In the afternoon the enemy appeared 

 in large force on the tops of the mountains in 

 the rear of the town, arranging for an attack. 

 A force was immediately sent forward by Gen. 

 Milroy to occupy the hilltops adjacent to the 

 ones upon which the enemy appeared, more for 

 the purpose of skirmishing and reconnoitring 

 than for bringing on a battle. A fierce con- 

 test ensued, which was increased by the arrival 

 of Gen. Schenck with his brigade, and con- 

 tinued until night. The forces of the enemy 

 being manifestly greatly superior, Gen. Milroy 

 determined to retreat. The march was com- 

 menced at midnight, and at daybreak they 

 had retired thirteen miles. After a halt of two 

 hours it was continued with the enemy press- 

 ing upon them. Upon reaching the camp of 

 Gen. Schenck, arrangements were made for pro- 

 tection. Every hill was surmounted with can- 

 non, and ten different regiments were placed 

 to support them, and for over thirty hours the 

 artillery by a constant fire kept the enemy at a 

 distance. On the morning of the 14th all of 

 the enemy had disappeared, which was subse- 

 quently explained by the arrival of Gen. Fre- 

 mont with Blenker's division. The Federal 

 loss in this conflict was twenty killed, one 

 hundred and seventy-seven wounded, and two 

 missing. The Confederate loss was forty 

 killed, and two hundred wounded. It was 

 nearly a flight of the Federal forces, and only 

 the arrival of Fremont probably saved it from 

 final capture. The Federal loss in tents, bag- 

 gage, and stores was great. The enemy were 

 present in much superior numbers. 



Gen. Fremont now made his headquarters at 

 Franklin, eighty miles south of New Creek, 

 twenty-four miles from Monterey, and sixty- 

 five from Staunton. Here he remained quietly, 

 reorganizing and refreshing his forces for ten 

 days. This repulse of his advance, with his 

 withdrawal to Franklin, now gave Gen. Jack- 

 son the opportunity to carry out the plans 

 against Gen. Banks as soon ns the moment 

 came for their execution. Consequently no 

 further movement of importance was made on 

 the pffrt of Gen. Fremont until he was ordered 

 to hurry to the relief of Gen. Banks. This 

 order was received by him on Saturday, the 



24th of May, under the form of a despatch 

 from the Secretary of War, directing him to 

 fall back with his entire command to the sup- 

 port of Gen. Banks. That evening the order 

 was given to be ready for a movement early on 

 the following morning. As early as half past 

 three o'clock on Sunday morning the noise of 

 preparation was heard, and at six o'clock the 

 army was in motion. 



It seems that when Gen. Fremont was order- 

 ed to go to the relief of Gen. Banks, the order 

 prescribed the route by which he should go. (See 

 p. 109.) This route, thus specified by the Presi- 

 dent, would have brought Gen. Fremont in the 

 rear of Gen. Jackson ; whereas that taken by 

 Gen. Fremont brought him in front of Gen. Jack- 

 son. But Gen. Fremont, judging it to be an im- 

 practicable route, took the responsibility of go- 

 ing by another. The President telegraphed to 

 him, saying : " You are ordered to go so and so. 

 I hear of you elsewhere. What does this mean ? " 

 To which Gen. Fremont replied, giving the 

 reasons, viz. : that he knew of a shorter and 

 easier route by which he could more effectual- 

 ly perform the service desired, and on which 

 his half-famished troops would meet their 

 transportation and supplies. He also stated 

 that when one is " in the field," it is essentially 

 difficult to obey literally orders transmitted 

 from one necessarily unaware of present exi- 

 gencies, but that if it was expected of him so 

 to do, he would do it. To this the President, 

 with characteristic simplicity, replied that )u> 

 was satisfied. 



The first six miles of the road were inde- 

 scribably bad, owing to the recent rains and 

 the heavy wagons that had been passing over 

 it. Wounded and sick had been left at 

 Franklin, but the entire train of wagons was 

 taken. At night the army bivouacked about a 

 mile beyond the upper crossing of the South 

 Branch of the Potomac on the road to Peters- 

 burg. The distance marched was fourteen 

 miles. On Monday, the 26th, the advance 

 reached Petersburg after noon, having marched 

 sixteen miles, and halted until the next morn- 

 ing. Orders were here issued that knapsacks, 

 tents, and baggage of every description, which 

 could possibly be dispensed with, should be 

 left behind. - Five days' rations of hard bread 

 were given to the troops, and on Tuesday, the 

 27th, after marching twelve miles, they halted 

 on the highlands east of the village of Moore- 

 field. On Wednesday, the 28th, the army ad- 

 vanced ten miles, passing over Hunting Ridge, 

 and about two o'clock halted to rest and await 

 supplies. The roads continually grew worse, 

 and the rain fell steadily. Thursday, no move- 

 ment was made. A small force under Col. 

 Downey, on a reconnoissance, encountered a 

 small body of Confederate cavalry. On Friday, 

 the 30th, an advance of twenty miles was made, 

 and the army bivouacked at Wardensville. A 

 heavy rain fell during the afternoon. On Sat- 

 urday, the 31st, the last of the intervening 

 mountain ranges was crossed, and the western 



