and down it to near New Market, taking up Ewell's command in passing, he crossed the Massanutton mountains, marched rapidly down the Page valley, and on the 24th fell on Banks' line of retreat, which his attack on Front Royal, on the 23d, had forced from Strasburg, whither he had retired on learning that Ewell had reinforced Jackson at Conrad's store (Elkton). Defeating Banks in a pitched battle at Winchester on the 25th, capturing many prisoners and great quantities of stores, he drove the remnant of Banks' army across the Potomac at Williamsport, and made a demonstration at Harper's Ferry from the 28th to the 31st, as if he would move on Washington. Thus he threw the Federal government into consternation, causing it to order McDowell, who with 40,000 men had reached Fredericksburg on his way to join McClellan, to turn from his course and march to the Valley to oppose him; to order Fremont to withdraw from his advance toward Staunton, to co-operate with McDowell in blocking Jackson's way out at Strasburg, and to order a formidable force to Harper's Ferry, until more than 60,000 men were on the march to contend with his 16,000. Keeping up his threatening attitude until his converging foes were but a day's march from a junction at Strasburg, he then, having saved his captures and his prisoners, fell rapidly back and safely escaped those gathering to entrap him; divided this great force by calling to his aid the great topographic bulwarks of the Valley, and drew a portion of his foes under Fremont again to Harrisonburg, and to a chosen field of engagement at Cross Keys, where he dealt Fremont a staggering blow which caused him to halt and hesitate, while on the next day, June 9th, he met McDowell's advance coming up the eastern valley, which by his precautions he had kept from joining Fremont, and drove it back in total defeat. These two armies, which he had so successfully outgeneraled, halted not in their retreat until they were again safe in the lower valley.

During these three months Jackson had marched more than 500 miles, fought five pitched battles, and had numerous engagements with the armies of his enemy. On June 11th, General Lee wrote to Jackson from Richmond: "Your recent successes have been the cause of the liveliest joy in this army as well as in the country. The admiration excited by your skill and boldness has

been constantly mingled with solicitude for your situa tion."

The time had now come when it was necessary for General Lee to concentrate all his forces at Richmond to meet the threatened attack of the great army of the Potomac, which was now in position to the north and northeast of Richmond, within sight of the spires of its churches. Jackson's brilliant Valley campaign had delayed McClelIan's attack by drawing to the Valley the 40,000 men under McDowell that the Federal commanding general expected to place on his right before proceeding, by one grand movement, as he confidently expected, to seize the Confederate capital. It was important that this force that had been withdrawn should be kept away, and this could best be done by again exciting the fears of the Federal authorities for the safety of Washington. To accomplish this, large reinforcements were hurried, by rail, to the Valley, most of them to Staunton, but Lawton's six Georgia regiments joined Jackson at his encampment near Weyer's cave. Federal prisoners, on their way from the Valley to Richmond, met these reinforcements in passing. These, promptly paroled, carried the news to Washington. The cavalry in Jackson's front, by various devices, spread the intelligence that Jackson, with 50,000 men or more, would soon again march down the Valley to fall on the Federal army there collected. Intelligent escaped "contrabands" reported the arrival of large numbers of troops at Staunton. All these tactics, allowable in time of war, had their effect, not only in persuading Fremont to retreat until he reached Banks at Middletown, but caused the latter to telegraph to the Federal authorities at Washington, on the 12th, "Jackson is heavily reinforced and is advancing," and on the 19th, "No doubt another immediate movement down the Valley is intended, with a force of 30,000 or more." On the 22d he was still on the lookout for Jackson and Ewell, and on the 28th, when Jackson had joined Lee and was actually fighting McClellan before Richmond, Banks still believed "Jackson meditates an attack in the valley." McDowell had been ordered on the 8th of June to collect his forces and resume his march, by way of Fredericksburg, to join McClellan, but the victories of Cross Keys and Port Republic, and the fears of Banks and Fremont as to what Jackson might again do, delayed him in the Valley, and

when he did move, it was toward Manassas, and not Richmond, and Ricketts' division did not leave Front Royal for Manassas until the 17th of June, when Shields followed him into Piedmont Virginia.

The object of his delay in the Valley being accomplished, Jackson left it on the night of the 17th of June, ordering his cavalry to continue its demonstrations down the Valley; and by rail and march, the "ride-and-tie" way, as it was called, he reached the vicinity of Richmond on the 26th day of June, and was in line of battle and ready to fall on McClellan's rear and participate in the bloody engagement of Gaines' Mill on the 27th, and become a potent factor in winning the victory of that great day of the Seven Days of battle around Richmond. Swinton, the Federal historian of the army of the Potomac, in writing of Jackson's Valley campaign, says:

In this exciting month's campaign, Jackson made great captures of stores and prisoners; but this was not its chief result; without gain ing a single tactical victory he had yet achieved a great strategic victory, for by skillfully maneuvering 15,000 men he succeeded in neutralizing a force of 60,000. It is perhaps not too much to say that he saved Richmond; for when McClellan, in expectation tha. McDowell might still be allowed to come and join him, threw forward his right wing under Porter to Hanover Court House on the 26th of May, the echoes of his cannon bore to those in Richmond who knew the situation of the two Union armies, the knell of the capital of the Confederacy.

CHAPTER XV.

THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN OF 1862 ·

Τ

YORKTOWN,

WILLIAMSBURG AND SEVEN PINES.

HE advance of McClellan's army, moved from Washington by transports, reached Fort Monroe the latter part of March, and on the 2d of April, McClellan in person ordered an advance up the Peninsula of 58,000 men and 100 guns. General Magruder, of the Confederate army, with 11,000 men, opposed his progress nearly at its beginning, from Fortress Monroe to between the mouths of the Warwick and Poquosin rivers, where the divide between these opposite flowing estuaries is narrow; then on a line extending from the James to the York, 13 miles in length, behind Warwick river on the southwest and covering Yorktown on the northeast, which had been admirably fortified throughout its length. Gloucester point, opposite Yorktown, was embraced in these defenses, thus guarding the entrance to the York. Marching his army by two nearly parallel roads, McClellan appeared before this line of defense on the 5th of April, and his left at once made a vigorous attack on the right of Magruder's center, which was promptly repulsed. On the 6th and 7th, after a personal reconnoissance, the Federal commander prepared for a regular siege of the Confederate works; distributing his near 100,000 men along their front, with his numerous batteries in favorable positions. Magruder, with his little army of 11,000, bravely maintained his ground for ten days, keeping back his engineering antagonist and vigilantly watching his regular approaches. By maintaining this bold front he gave Johnston time to bring his forces from the Rappahannock and concentrate them on the Peninsula, and thus effectually bar the way of McClellan's host to Richmond.

The famous Confederate ram Virginia still threateningly stood guard at the mouth of the Elizabeth, and held back the Federal naval forces from moving up the James when McClellan began his movement from Fort Monroe;

at the same time the Confederate fortifications at Yorktown and Gloucester point barred the entrance to the York.

On the 16th of April, McClellan again made a vigorous attack near the center of Magruder's line, which he broke, but this was repulsed with severe loss by the Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana troops of Cobb's and Anderson's brigades. A second attempt satisfied McClellan that he could not carry the Confederate line by assault, so he proceeded to besiege it by regular approaches, especially the lines in front of Yorktown. General Johnston took command on the Peninsula the 17th of April, having concentrated there about 50,000 men to oppose McClellan's 100,000 or more with heavy siege trains. Looking over the situation, Johnston thought it advisable to retreat, but the authorities at Richmond directed him to hold his position as long as he could. On the 3d of May, when satisfied that McClellan was about ready to make his grand assault, and recalling what had happened to Cornwallis on the same historic field, Johnston secretly evacuated Yorktown, leaving his heavy guns behind, and fell back to a line in front of Williamsburg, Virginia's ancient capital, which had also been partially fortified, having gained a month of precious time, which had been of great value in making preparations for the defense of Richmond.

McClellan, on the morning of the 4th of May, finding his enemy gone, moved a large force in pursuit by the two roads leading, the one from his right and the other from his left, toward Williamsburg. Two brigades of cavalry and two divisions of infantry with artillery moved on the road leading from Yorktown, and three divisions of infantry by the direct road, up the Peninsula. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, with his cavalry, covered Johnston's retreat, aided by the muddy roads, which had been dreadfully cut up by the moving of the Confederate army and its trains. The Confederates reached the Williamsburg earthworks by noon. The evacuation of Yorktown not only opened the York to the Federal navy for co-operating with McClellan, but it also necessitated the evacuation of Norfolk, which Johnston ordered General Huger to make, on the 9th of May.

Knowing the advantages that the opening of the rivers to his naval power had given his foe, and that he could