The battle of Port Republic closed Jackson’s Valley Campaign, for Fremont finding it useless to attempt to cope with his wily antagonist in his mountain fastness, retired in the direction of Winchester.
Never in his previous or subsequent campaigns did Jackson’s military genius and daring show to greater advantage than in this of the Valley of Virginia. In less than six weeks he had beaten the army of Milroy, destroyed that of Banks, baffled that of Fremont, and annihilated that of Tyler, and all with less than twelve thousand men; besides capturing from the enemy millions worth of stores, &c.
From General Ewell’s official report of the Valley Campaign we take the following highly complimentary extract:
“The history of the Maryland regiment, gallantly commanded by Colonel Bradley T. Johnson during the campaign of the Valley, would be the history of every action from Front Royal to Cross Keys. On the 6th, near Harrisonburg, the Fifty-Eighth Virginia Regiment was engaged with the Pennsylvania “Bucktails,” the fighting being close and bloody. Colonel Johnson came up with his regiment in the hottest period, and by a dashing charge in flank drove the enemy off with heavy loss, capturing Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, commanding. In commemoration of this gallant conduct I ordered one of the captured “Bucktails” to be appended as a trophy to their flag. The action is worthy of acknowledgment from a higher source, more particularly as they avenged the death of the gallant General Ashby who fell at the same time. Four color bearers were shot down in succession, but each time the colors were caught before reaching the ground, and were finally borne by Corporal Daniel Shanks to the close of the action.
“On the 8th instant at Cross Keys they were opposed to three of the enemy’s regiments in succession.”
General Jackson, also, in his official report of the Valley Campaign, thus speaks of the First Maryland’s participation in the battle of Harrisonburg:
“Apprehending that the Federals would make a more serious attack, Ashby called for an infantry support. The brigade of General George H. Steuart was accordingly ordered forward. In a short time the Fifty-Eighth Virginia Regiment became engaged with a Pennsylvania Regiment called the Bucktails, when Colonel Johnson of the First Maryland Regiment coming up in the hottest period of the fire, charged gallantly into its flank, and drove the enemy with heavy loss from the field, capturing Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, commanding. In this skirmish our infantry loss was seventeen killed, fifty wounded and three missing. In this affair General Turner Ashby was killed. An official report is not an appropriate place for more than a passing notice of the distinguished dead; but the close relation which General Ashby bore to my command for most of the past twelve months will justify me in saying that as a partisan officer I never knew his superior. His daring was proverbial; his power of endurance almost incredible; his tone of character heroic, and his sagacity almost intuitive in divining the purpose and movement of the enemy.”