110 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



vance of Gen. Fremont's force on Sunday, June 

 1, encountered the enemy three or four miles 

 from Strasburg, on the road to Winchester. 

 Gen. Jackson had arrived in Strasburg on the 

 previous day, and tarried to secure the safe 

 arrival and departure of all his force. This 

 encounter of the advance of Gen. Fremont was 

 with the rear of Gen. Jackson. Col. Cluseret, 

 with the 60th Ohio and 8th Virginia and a bat- 

 .tery, formed this advance. The contest was 

 with artillery, and was continued by Col. 

 Cluseret until about noon, when he was order- 

 ed to retire under the hope of drawing Gen. 

 Jackson on to attack the position which Gen. 

 Fremont had in the meanwhile taken. He had 

 formed a line of battle in a strong position, with 

 Gen. Milroy on the left, Gen. Schenck on the 

 right, and Gen. Stahl in the centre, with Blen- 

 ker's division in reserve. In this affair five of 

 the 8th Virginia and two of the 60th Ohio were 

 wounded. While Gen. Jackson's rear was thus 

 engaged with the advance of Gen. Fremont, the 

 main body of his troops was pushing on 

 through Strasburg, which was accomplished on 

 Sunday. Thus Gen. Jackson reached Stras- 

 burg just in time to pass between Gen. McDow- 

 ell on the one side, and Gen. Fremont on the 

 other. The advance of Gen. McDowell reached 

 Strasburg soon after the advance of Gen. Fre- 

 mont. The afternoon wore away without any 

 appearance of Gen. Jackson. The truth was 

 that the attack on the ad vance of Gen. Fremont 

 was made to divert his attention from the 

 retreating movement Gen. Jackson was then 

 making. A reco.nnoissance was made during 

 the night beyond Strasburg. On Monday 

 morning, June 2, Gen. Fremont pushed on to 

 Strasburg only to find that Gen. Jackson was 

 on his way to Woodstock unchecked and un- 

 injured. The advance of Gen. Fremont's main 

 force as it entered Strasburg met the 1st New 

 Jersey and the 1st Pennsylvania cavalry under 

 Gen. Bayard, then just coming in, as a part of 

 Gen. McDowell's force. 



Meanwhile the force of Gen. Shields which 

 had been ordered to cooperate, had left Ma- 

 nassas Junction, and halted at Haymarket on 

 Tuesday, the 27th of May, as has been stated. 

 On the 28th this division, followed by other 

 troops from Gen. McDowell's corps, advanced 

 as far as Rectortown, thirteen miles, having 

 passed over steep and rocky roads through 

 Thoroughfare Gap. On Thursday, the 29th, it 

 started at five o'clock P. M., with orders to be 

 in Front Royal, twenty-eight miles distant, on 

 the next day at noon, at which time Gen. 

 Fremont was to reach Strasburg. Their entire 

 train was left behind and at the appointed time 

 their advance brigade, under Gen. Kimball, 

 struck the enemy at Front Royal, completely 

 routing them and taking a number of prisoners 

 and a large amount of commissary and quarter- 

 master's stores. On the next day a party of 

 eighteen cavalry entered the outskirts of Stras- 

 burg. Finding that the enemy had retired 

 before Gen. Fremont, and that he was follow- 



ing them, Gen. Shields moved up the east side 

 of the Massanutten range of mountains to 

 Luray, while Gen. Fremont advanced on the 

 west side. Gen. Shields was in hopes of strik- 

 ing the enemy at New Market, but finding the 

 Whitehouse and Columbia bridges burned, he 

 resolved to push on further up the east side of 

 the Shenandoah, to intercept the enemy at 

 Conrad's Store (Miller's Bridge), Port Repub- 

 lic, or Waynesborough on the railroad eleven 

 miles east of Staunton. Col. Carroll, in com- 

 mand of the 4th brigade, moved rapidly fur- 

 ward with one regiment, followed by the re- 

 mainder of the brigade. A violent rain on the 

 night of the 3d caused a delay, and various 

 portions of the command were separated by 

 rapid streams overflowing their banks. He, 

 however, reached Port Republic in advance of 

 the enemy. 



At this time forces were gathering in other 

 quarters. The 5th New York cavalry, Col. De 

 Forrest, left Williamsport on Friday night, the 

 30th, at the time the attack at Harper's Ferry 

 was made, and advanced to Martinsburg on Sat- 

 urday morning, the 31st, and occupied the town. 

 On the 2d of June Gen. Banks, having recrossed 

 the Potomac, reached Bunker Hill, twelve miles 

 from Winchester. Also by special train from 

 Baltimore, Gen. Sigel arrived at Harper's Ferry 

 on Sunday evening, June 1. During the next 

 forenoon, he inspected the positions of the 

 forces, and ordered a march at four o'clock in 

 the afternoon. The next morning the advance 

 of his division, consisting of Gen. Cooper's bri- 

 gade, was beyond Charlestown, pushing forward 

 to Winchester, where a junction was formed, 

 with Gen. Banks. 



Meantime Gen. Fremont was in full chase of 

 the swift-footed foe. Finding that the enemy 

 had escaped him at Strasburg, and being joined 

 by an advance of Gen. McDowell's, consisting 

 of Gen. Bayard's cavalry, he ordered the cav- 

 alry and artillery to the front, and pursuit to 

 be given. 



A stand was made several times by the re- 

 treating enemy, during Monday, the 2d. A 

 mile and a half beyond Strasburg, at a narrow 

 and defensible pass called Fisher's Hill, the 

 road, after crossing a bridge, turns abruptly to 

 the right, and curving to the left passes the 

 base of a thickly wooded hill with a deep ra- 

 vine on the right, and continues up the hill 

 through a deep and densely wooded defile. 

 Here the first stand was made by the rear 

 guard under Gen. Ewell. His artillery occu- 

 pied elevated positions overlooking the road 

 on his front for a mile, and commanding a 

 range of hills adjacent to the road on the right 

 of Gen. Milroy. Finding it to be impossible to 

 drive the enemy's centre, Gen. Milroy chose 

 other elevated positions for his guns on the 

 right, and a fierce contest ensued for several 

 hours. The enemy at night encamped three 

 miles beyond Woodstock, while the forces of 

 Gen. Fremont occupied the town. 



The pursuit was commenced at seven o'clock 



