The Seventh Regiment: A Record

by George L. Wood

About the 1st of April the command left Strasburg, under command of General Banks, driving the rear-guard of the enemy through the little village of Woodstock, and taking a position on the banks of Stoney Creek, four miles beyond the latter place. It remained here until the 17th, during which time the enemy kept up an artillery fire across the creek, which resulted in the killing of several men in the division of General Williams.

On the morning of the 17th the command crossed the creek, and stormed the enemy's battery on the opposite shore. The early dawn was brightening up the eastern horizon with tints of red; and, as the command emerged from the bridge, and ascended the steep hill beyond, their bayonets glistened and sparkled. After firing one volley, the rebels fled in haste, leaving the Federal forces to advance without opposition. After falling back beyond the north branch of the Shenandoah River, they made a stand, and endeavored to burn the bridge, but were prevented by the Union cavalry. A flank movement being ordered, and partly executed, the rebels again abandoned their position. The Federals now pressed on to within a short distance of New Market, where they encamped.

Here the command remained ten days, when it moved two miles south of the town, and on the 3d of May advanced to within a few miles of Harrisonburg, but on the following day fell back about five miles to a good defensive position.

The tents were now ordered to be turned over to the quartermaster; and on the following Monday we wound our way through Brook's Gap, in the Massanutten Mountains, towards the smoky tops of the Blue Ridge, and thus leaving forever the beautiful valley of the north branch of the Shenandoah. Towards evening we crossed the south branch of the same river at Columbia Bridge, and moved on in the direction of Luray, encamping near that place. The next morning the command moved on down the river until night, when it encamped. In the evening a hard rain storm came up, which continued for several days. In early evening of the following day the command reached Front Royal, a small village situated at the base of the Blue Ridge, near the junction of the two branches of the Shenandoah River. The following morning we crossed the Blue Ridge, and immediately encountered the enemy's cavalry, which annoyed us for several days. On the 17th we arrived at Warrenton, a delightful village in Fauquier County. We remained in this camp until Monday morning, when we again took the line of march for Fredericksburg. We reached Falmouth, on the north bank of the Rappahannock River, on the 23d of May. The corps of McDowell was in the immediate vicinity, numbering thirty thousand men, and one hundred pieces of artillery.

When we arrived on the Rappahannock, we learned that this force of McDowell's, now numbering forty-one thousand men, was ordered down to Richmond, to form a junction with the right wing of the grand army under McClellan. There were then only about twelve thousand of the enemy in front of Fredericksburg. It was about fifty miles to the extreme right of the army in front of Richmond.

On Saturday the President and secretary of war came down for the purpose of arranging the details. Shields' division was greatly in need of shoes and clothing, while the ammunition for the artillery had been condemned, and another supply, which had been ordered, had been very much delayed. It was therefore arranged that the force should start early on Monday morning, both the President and McDowell being averse to starting on Sunday.

That evening the President and secretary of war left for Washington. Very soon after, General McDowell received a telegram, to the effect that Jackson was making a raid down the Shenandoah Valley, with a prospect of crushing the forces under General Banks. Soon after this dispatch, another arrived from the secretary of war, by order of the President, containing instructions to send a division after Jackson. Here was the fatal blow to the campaign against Richmond. McDowell promptly ordered General Shields' division to move, and at the same time telegraphed the President that it was a fatal blow to them all.

Little things control momentous events. Jackson's army of twenty thousand veterans checkmated an army of one hundred and fifty thousand men. In defending Washington, we lost Richmond; but Jackson risked his own communication to break ours. Results more than realized his expectations. Without risk there is little gain. Jackson adopted this adage into his tactics, and endangered his army to save it. Events proved his sagacity.

In time of war the capital of a country, unless far removed from the seat of war, is in the way. The City of Washington was a fatality. It stood between the army and victory. Jackson knew this, and profited by it. When this general menaced Washington, our army let go its hold on the Confederacy, to make it doubly safe. The campaign against Richmond was abandoned, but Washington was endangered still. The valleys and swamps of the Chickahominy were paved with the bodies of heroes—the little rivulets were swollen with the best blood of the land—an army of cripples were given to charity;—and for what? That the City of Washington might be safe. We have since then fought the ground over again from Washington to Richmond; another graveyard has been planted; and this time for a purpose. Washington has been set aside by the new commander, and Richmond made the objective point.