CHAPTER XIV.
The march on Waynesboro'. — Two brigades encounter Jackson at Port Republic, and after five hours' fighting are compelled to fall back.
Nearly the entire corps of General McDowell followed the division of General Shields. The latter took the direction of Manassas Junction, and from there passed down the railroad, through Manassas Gap, arriving at Front Royal on Friday noon, after a sharp engagement with a small force of rebels.
Soon after, Shields stationed one brigade on the Luray road, another to watch the fords of the Shenandoah, another was sent out on the Strasburg road, while the remaining one occupied the town. On McDowell's arrival, Shields, with his entire division, was ordered out on the road to Strasburg, for the purpose of intercepting the retreat of the enemy. But, instead of taking the road which he was ordered to take, he crossed over the north branch of the Shenandoah River on the road to Winchester. It then being too late to repair the mischief, and get ahead of Jackson, Shields was permitted to go in the direction of Luray, and follow up Jackson as far as he thought advisable, with the single instruction, that, in no event, should his division be separated; so that each brigade would be in supporting distance of all the others.
On the second day we arrived in the vicinity of Columbia Bridge, and pitched our tents for the purpose, as we supposed, of enjoying a night's rest; but towards evening an order was received to fall back six miles. Arriving at this new camp, we again pitched our tents; but just at dark we received an order to move forward to the camp we had but just left. We arrived about midnight, and slept on the ground; thus wasting the strength of the command in a needless march of twelve miles.
On the following morning, June 7th, the Third brigade, by an order to move on Waynesboro', took up the line of march, arriving in early evening on the banks of Naked Creek, where it went into camp. Colonel Carroll's Second brigade had passed over the road some time before.
The command had nothing but flour and beef for supper, and nothing for breakfast on the following morning; but being assured that some hard bread was in waiting, some six miles ahead, it cheerfully pressed forward at four o'clock A.M., and at about two o'clock the same day, reached the vicinity of Port Republic, where Colonel Carroll's brigade had met with a repulse the day before.
Port Republic is situated at the junction of two forks of the south branch of the Shenandoah River. Jackson's whole army was in the vicinity of the place, the most of it occupying the west bank of the river. In rear of Jackson's position, at Cross Keys, were General Fremont's forces. At the latter place, on the previous day, Fremont had defeated Jackson, with heavy loss to the latter.
Jackson having thus failed to beat back Fremont, was compelled to cross the river at Port Republic, and, defeating Shields' command, pass through a gap in the mountain to Gordonsville.
When General Tyler's command arrived on the field, Lieutenant-Colonel Daum, chief of artillery, advised an immediate attack; but the general wisely concluded to await the order of General Shields. Selecting a good position for defence, the command bivouacked for the night.
Early in the morning of June 9th, the enemy was seen to debouch into the plain in our front, when our artillery, under Captains Clark, Robinson, and Huntington, opened a heavy fire upon him. This force moved into the woods on our left, and passing up a spur of the Blue Ridge, threw themselves rapidly forward, with a view of turning that wing of the army. Two companies of skirmishers and two regiments of infantry were sent into the woods to counteract this movement. The skirmishers having become warmly engaged, two more regiments were sent forward to their support. The enemy now abandoned his intention, and coming out of the woods, swept across the field to our right, uniting with a column which was advancing to the attack.