ARMY OPERATIONS. 



Ill 



on the next morning, Tuesday, June 3. The 

 advance to Edinburg was made without inci- 

 dent. A military bridge constructed by Gen. 

 Banks across Stony Creek, a swift, wide stream, 

 was half burned by the flying enemy. The de- 

 lay in repairing the bridge and crossing gave 

 the enemy time to move to Mt. Jackson, eight 

 miles beyond Edinburg, where he halted until 

 noon of "the next day, the 4th, when he was 

 a^ain in motion, owing to the approach of Gen. 

 Fremont's advance. One mile beyond Mt. 

 Jackson, is a long bridge over the Shenandoah, 

 a river too swift and deep to be forded. Gen. 

 Jackson left his artillery in position long enough 

 to delay the advance of Gen. Bayard's cavalry, 

 then crossed the bridge before the" guns of his 

 pursuers could be brought up, and burned the 

 bridge in face of their cavalry. The bridge was 

 rebuilt by noon of the next day, the 5th, and 

 the army of Gen. Fremont was again in motion. 

 At three o'clock the advance entered New Mar- 

 ket, a distance of seven miles, and encamped 

 two miles beyond. On the 6th, Friday, the ad- 

 vance reached Harrisonburg about two o'clock 

 p. M. None of the enemy were seen on the 

 way. Almost every bridge, however small, 

 was found to have been burned. Information 

 was immediately received that a body of Con- 

 federate cavalry was near the town. Cannon 

 were planted on the highlands north, and a 

 force of cavalry, under Col. Wyndham, was 

 sent out to reconnoitre, with instructions to en- 

 gage the enemy if the force was only two or 

 three companies, but not if it was in force 

 and supported by infantry. Some three miles 

 beyond the town, Col. Wyndham discovered 

 the Confederate cavalry and made an effort 

 to oppose them, but unfortunately came upon 

 a large force of infantry, which opened such a 

 volley upon him that his troops were thrown 

 into confusion, and suffered severely, and he 

 himself was taken prisoner. Later in the day 

 Gen. Bayard and Col. Cluseret with a force of 

 cavalry and infantry encountered the enemy. 

 One regiment, the Bucktail rifles of Pennsylva- 

 nia, numbering one hundred and twenty-five, 

 under Col. Kane, suffered a severe loss of fifty- 

 five men. This small force was rashly led 

 asainst an overwhelming Confederate mass. 

 The Union forces were finally withdrawn, and 

 the enemy subsequently disappeared. Among 

 the killed of the Confederate force was Col. 

 Ashby, a brave and dashing cavalry officer. 

 The forces of Gen. Fremont remained at Har- 

 risonburg on Saturday, the 7th of June. A re- 

 connoissance was made by Gen. Milroy, about 

 seven miles on the road to Port Republic, 

 where the enemy was found in a position well 

 protected by woods. It seems that Gen. Jack- 

 son, before reaching the final bridge across the 

 Shenandoah, determined to fight Gen. Fremont, 

 and thereby check his pursuit. For this pur- 

 pose he had chosen his position as above stated, 

 at a spot called Cross Keys, near Union Church. 

 At six o'clock on Sunday morning, June 8, 

 the army of Gen. Fremont began to move, and 



at half past eight his advance opened upon the 

 enemy. Gen. Fremont says : 



" The battle began with heavy firing at 

 eleven o'clock, and lasted, with great obstinacy 

 and violence, until four in the afternoon, some 

 skirmishing and artillery firing continuing from 

 that time until dark." 



The right wing was under Gen. Schenck, 

 the left under Gen. Stahl, and the centre under 

 Gen. Milroy. The right wing was not assailed, 

 except by skirmish fighting. The contest was 

 hot on the centre, and Gen. Milroy forced the 

 enemy back from point to point. He had pen- 

 etrated the centre, and almost reached the en- 

 emy's guns, when the order to retire was given. 

 This filled him with indignation, but he obeyed. 



Gen. Stahl's brigade was all engaged. Of 

 this, the 45th New York and the 27th Penn- 

 sylvania first met the enemy, and being threat- 

 ened by superior numbers, the 8th New York 

 was sent to support them on the left, and the 

 41st New York on the right. These regiments 

 were soon all engaged, and the enemy appeared 

 to be bearing heavily upon this wing of the 

 army. It finally gave way, and the whole line 

 was ordered back to a more favorable position. 

 The enemy did not advance, but commenced a 

 retreat. The army encamped that night on 

 the ground where their line was first formed 

 in the morning. They drove the enemy's pick- 

 ets and skirmishers over it at first, for no at- 

 tempt was made on the other side to support 

 them. The place where the fighting occurred, 

 and the dead and wounded were strewn over 

 the field, was in the enemy's possession all night. 



The loss was very severe on both sides. In 

 Gen. Stahl's command the loss was 69 killed, 

 wounded 254, missing 79. The total loss was 

 estimated by Gen. Fremont, immediately after 

 the battle, "at 125 killed and 500 wounded. 

 The enemy's loss was less than this, owing to 

 the shelter of their forces. 



The despatch of Gen. Fremont to the War 

 Department, dated on the next morning, says : 

 " There was no collision with the enemy 

 after dark last night. This morning we renew- 

 ed the march against him, entering the woods 

 in battle order ; his cavalry appearing on our 

 flanks. Gen. Blenker had the left, Gen. Milroy 

 the right, and Gen. Schenck the centre, with 

 a reserve of Gen. Stahl's and Gen. Bayard's 

 brigades." 



Port Republic is a small town on the south 

 fork of the Shenandoah river, near which is 

 the bridge by which the river is crossed. It is 

 a few miles distant from Cross Keys, where the 

 conflict between Gens. Fremont and Jackson's 

 forces took place. It has already been stated 

 that Col. Carroll, in command of the advance 

 of Gen. Shields's division up the east side of 

 the Shenandoah, arrived at Port Republic in 

 advance of Gen. Jackson. This means, in ad- 

 vance of the main force of the enemy. On 

 Saturday, the 7th, Col. Carroll received orders 

 to move forward to Waynesborough, distant 

 some thirty-five or thirty-seven miles, by the 



