112 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



way of Port Republic, for the purpose of de- 

 stroying the railroad depot, track, and bridge, 

 at that place, and to seize Gen. Jackson's train 

 and throw his force upon Gen. Jackson's flank. 

 Col. Carroll marched in obedience to these 

 orders, on Saturday afternoon. His infantry, 

 cavalry, and artillery had in the mean time 

 come up, and he started for Conrad's Store 

 with less than a thousand of the former, with 

 one hundred and fifty cavalry, and with a sin- 

 gle battery of six guns. 



Halting, in the night, six miles before reach- 

 ing Port Republic, Col. Carroll sent forward a 

 party of scouts, who returned with the informa- 

 tion that Gen. Jackson's train was parked near 

 Port Republic, with a drove of beef cattle 

 herded near by, and the whole guarded by 

 about two or three hundred cavalry. On learn- 

 ing this he pushed forward, with the design 

 of capturing the train and cattle, as his orders 

 directed. He halted some two miles from the 

 town, made a reconnoissance, and received 

 further information confirming the report of 

 his scouts, and then dashed into the town with 

 his cavalry and two pieces of artillery, driving 

 the enemy's cavalry out and taking possession 

 of the bridge. He halted there for his infantry 

 to come up, and disposed his pieces and little 

 force to prevent a repulse from the train guard, 

 when, before he had occupied the village any 

 length of time, he was attacked by a force of 

 the enemy superior to his own, and forced to 

 retire and abandon his further march to 

 Waynesborough. Thus the enemy recovered 

 possession of the bridge and held it. 



Col. Carroll brought his forces to a stand at 

 the first defensible position, about two miles 

 north of the town. At this time the conflict 

 was going on between Gens. Fremont and 

 Jackson at Cross Keys, several miles distant, 

 and it was over this bridge that Gen. Jackson 

 must retreat or be placed between the forces 

 of Gens. Fremont and Shields. At two o'clock 

 in the afternoon Gen. Tyler arrived to the aid 

 of Col. CarroL. As commanding one of the 

 brigades of Gen. Shields's division, he had also 

 been ordered to proceed to Waynesborough. 

 He left Columbia Bridge on the Vth, and 

 reached Naked Creek on the same day, and 

 went into camp under orders to march at four 

 A.M. When within six miles of Port Republic he 

 learned of the engagement of Col. (acting brig.- 

 gen.) Carroll, and pressed forward immedi- 

 ately with infantry and artillery to his sup- 

 port, and reached him at two P. M. 



Gen. Tyler in his report thus explains his 

 proceedings : " From Col. Daum I learned the 

 enemy had eighteen pieces of artillery, planted 

 so as to completely command all the ap- 

 proaches to the town, and from the engage- 

 ment with Gen. Carroll that morning, had ob- 

 tained the range of the different points. Im- 

 mediately on the arrival of my command, Col. 

 Daum urged an attack with the combined force 

 of infantry and artillery, to which I so far con- 

 sented as to order the infantry into position 



under cover of a thick wood which skirted the 

 road, and commenced observing the enemy's 

 position myself, which appeared to me one to 

 defy an army of 50,000 men. I at once sent 

 for Col. Carroll, Lieut.-Col. Schriber, Capts. 

 Clark and Robinson, who had been over the 

 ground; they all agreed in the opinion that 

 an attack would result in the destruction of 

 our little force." 



The infantry was ordered back to bivouac for 

 the night, and early in the morning Gen. Tyler 

 was informed that the enemy were advancing 

 evidently with the intention of outflanking 

 him on his left. Forces were ordered up to 

 counteract this movement, which was sucess- 

 fully done. The enemy retired into the woods, 

 and a part crossed over and joined the forces 

 attacking the right wing. The engagement 

 now became very heavy on the right, addi- 

 tional troops having been brought up on both 

 sides. Under cover of this conflict, the enemy 

 threw another force into the woods, pressed 

 down upon the battery on the left, and with a 

 sudden dash captured it. The contest con- 

 tinued until Gen. Tyler, perceiving additional 

 reinforcements for the enemy approaching, 

 about ten o'clock ordered his troops to fall 

 back, with a view of retreating until he should 

 meet reinforcements. The retreat, he says, 

 " save the stampede of those who ran before 

 the fight, was as orderly as the advance." The 

 number of his force is stated at three thousand, 

 and that of the enemy much larger. This was 

 evidently the rear guard of Gen. Jackson's 

 army, which had been engaged, and some re- 

 enforcements were sent back to it. Gen Jack- 

 son retired from before Gen. Fremont on Sun- 

 day night, and on Monday morning crossed the 

 bridge at Port Republic, and while the main 

 body continued to retreat, Gen. Tyler waa 

 thus held in check. 



Meanwhile Gen. Fremont, as has been stated, 

 commenced his march for Port Republic that 

 morning, with his army in battle array. Dur- 

 ing the afternoon his whole army reached the 

 river opposite the town, and he learned that a 

 portion of Gen. Shields's division had engaged 

 the enemy on both Sunday and Monday on the 

 other side of the river. During the march of 

 Gen. Fremont's forces from the battle field of 

 the preceding day to the river, they could hear 

 brisk cannonading, and see the heavy volumes 

 of smoke arising from the valley where the 

 contest was going on. When they arrived the 

 Confederate force was gone. Thus closed the 

 pursuit of Gen. Jackson with a portion of the 

 forces of four major-generals of the U. 8. army 

 on his line of retreat, beside those of Brig.-Gen. 

 Shields. The loss of men on both sides occa- 

 sioned by this expedition was not very great 

 either in killed, wounded, or prisoners. No ac- 

 curate details are at present accessible ; but 

 the destruction of Federal stores was vast. 



On the night of the arrival of Gen. Fremont's 

 forces at the river, an alarm was raised in 

 camp. Horses were harnessed, and men placed 



