“The knightliest of the knightly race,
Who since the days of old
Have kept the lamp of chivalry
Alight in hearts of gold.”
There was mourning in the camp that night, and every face wore a look of gloom as if in the calamity which had just befallen them, the soldiers felt that a harbinger of still greater desolation had been given them, and when Gen. Jackson appeared in the morning, all eyes looked eagerly to see how he felt the loss of the great cavalier, but in that calm and steady eye was an inscrutable look, and no man could form an idea of what were the feelings of the commander by the expression of the face that never changed, either in the glory of triumph or the gloom of defeat.
The army lay quiet all day, and the next moved towards Port Republic, encamping near the old Church at Cross Keys. Some of the men became very impatient at the constant and rapid marching, and one of them asked Gen. Jackson, as he passed along the column, where he was going to fight the Yankees. The General, with a half smile, replied, "We’ll fight them in Brown’s Gap," and the soldiers at once became exceedingly interested in that place, continually asking each other “how[“how] far it was to Brown’s Gap. Would the Yankees follow them there?” &c., little imagining that the ground upon which they then stood was to be their battle-field for the morrow.
Sunday morning, June 8th, broke bright, clear and hot, and by 8 o’clock every one knew that Ewell was going to match his division against the advancing columns of Fremont, for the cavalry, now commanded by Col. T. T. Munford, slowly retired before the Yankee infantry, and Gen. Ewell’s brigades moved out quietly and formed their battle lines. The scouts and couriers now had plenty of work again, and Lieut. Barrett, with a part of the company, was ordered to act as provost guard again, while Gen. Ewell ordered Lieut. Myers and Ed. Wright to scout on the right, and let him know when the enemy made any demonstration in that direction. The remainder of the boys were on duty as couriers with the Generals. The battle opened with some artillery firing, but pretty soon Taylor’s brigade met and whipped a line of Yankees that advanced upon Ewell’s centre, and all was quiet again for an hour, when Elzey’s men became engaged, and at the same time Myers and Wright discovered a heavy force moving by the flank to Ewell’s right. Gen. Trimble was the first man they met on their return with this important information, and communicating it to him, that officer promptly moved his brigade forward, and attacking the flanking party in flank, they were very soon driven off with heavy loss in men and all their artillery. About the time Trimble’s guns opened, General Taylor advanced, and for a while the battle raged with great fury, but General Trimble’s movement exposed the enemy’s left flank, and they fell back along the whole line.
This ended the battle of Cross Keys, with the exception of some cannonading on the left about sundown, and although some horses of the couriers had been struck, only one of White’s men was touched, and he very slightly, by a bouncing grape shot.
That night they slept upon the battle-field, but with the dawn everything moved rapidly towards Port Republic, for Shields, with his army, was moving up the river, and Gen. Jackson was going to "fight in Brown’s Gap" again.
On Monday morning “Stonewall” crossed the bridge almost alone, and rode into the town, but on his return found a Yankee Major with two pieces posted at the mouth of the bridge, and, without a moment’s hesitation, rode up to the officer, saying, “Turn your guns, sir, turn your guns; the enemy is coming from that direction,” pointing at the same time down the river, and without a question, the unsuspecting Major had his pieces wheeled about, in order to command the approach of the enemy, which to him was no enemy at all, and without waiting to explain any further, Gen. Jackson dashed rapidly across the bridge to his own people, but he had not a moment to spare, for the baffled Yankee had his guns going on him before he cleared the bridge.