Two statements of the strength of our army under General J. E.
Johnston during the month of May--in which General McClellan testified that he was greatly in need of McDowell"s corps--give the following results: First, the official return, 21st May, 1862, total effective of all arms, 53,688; subsequently, five brigades were added, and the effective strength of the army under General Johnston on May 31, 1862, was 62,696.[38]
I now proceed to inquire what caused the panic at Washington.
On May 23d, General Jackson, with whose force that of General Ewell had united, moved with such rapidity as to surprise the enemy, and Ewell, who was in advance, captured most of the troops at Front Royal, and pressed directly on to Winchester, while Jackson, turning across to the road from Strasburg, struck the main column of the enemy in flank and drove it routed back to Strasburg. The pursuit was continued to Winchester, and the enemy, under their commander-in-chief, General Banks, fled across the Potomac into Maryland. Two thousand prisoners were taken in the pursuit. General Banks in his report says, "There never were more grateful hearts in the same number of men, than when, at mid-day on the 26th, we stood on the opposite sh.o.r.e."
When the news of the attack on Front Royal, on May 23d, reached General Geary, charged with the protection of the Mana.s.sas Gap Railroad, he immediately moved to Mana.s.sas Junction. At the same time, his troops, hearing the most extravagant stories, burned their tents and destroyed a quant.i.ty of arms. General Duryea, at Catlett"s Station, becoming alarmed on hearing of the withdrawal of Geary, took his three New York regiments, leaving a Pennsylvania one behind, hastened back to Centreville, and telegraphed to Washington for aid.
He left behind a large quant.i.ty of army stores. The alarm spread to Washington, and the Secretary of War, Stanton, issued a call to the Governors of the "loyal" States for militia to defend that city.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Lieutenant-General T. J. Jackson.]
The following is the dispatch sent to the Governor of Ma.s.sachusetts:
"WASHINGTON, _Sunday, May 25, 1862._
"_To the Governor of Ma.s.sachusetts._
"Intelligence from various quarters leaves no doubt that the enemy in great force are marching on Washington. You will please organize and forward immediately all the militia and volunteer force in your State.
"EDWIN M. STANTON, _Secretary of War_."
This alarm at Washington, and the call for more troops for its defense, produced a most indescribable panic in the cities of the Northern States on Sunday the 25th, and two or three days afterward.
The Governor of New York on Sunday night telegraphed to Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and other cities, as follows:
"Orders from Washington render it necessary to send to that city all the available militia force. What can you do?
"E. D. MORGAN."
Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, issued the following order:
"(GENERAL ORDER, No. 23.)
"HEADQUARTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA,
"Harrisburg, _May 26, 1862._
"On pressing requisition of the President of the United States in the present emergency, it is ordered that the several major-generals, brigadier-generals, and colonels of regiments throughout the Commonwealth muster without delay all military organizations within their respective divisions or under their control, together with all persons willing to join their commands, and proceed forthwith to the city of Washington, or such other points as may be designated by future orders. By order:
"A. G. CURTIN,
"_Governor and Commander-in-Chief._"
The Governor of Ma.s.sachusetts issued the following proclamation:
"_Men of Ma.s.sachusetts!_
"The wily and barbarous horde of traitors to the people, to the Government, to our country, and to liberty, menace again the national capital. They have attacked and routed Major-General Banks, are advancing on Harper"s Ferry, and are marching on Washington. The President calls on Ma.s.sachusetts to rise once more for its rescue and defense.
"The whole active militia will be summoned by a general order, issued from the office of the adjutant-general, to report on Boston Common to-morrow. They will march to relieve and avenge their brethren and friends, and to oppose, with fierce zeal and courageous patriotism, the progress of the foe. May G.o.d encourage their hearts and strengthen their arms, and may he inspire the Government and all the people!
"Given at headquarters, Boston, eleven o"clock, this (Sunday) evening. May 25, 1862.
"JOHN A. ANDREW."
The Governor of Ohio issued the following proclamation:
"COLUMBUS, Ohio, _May 26, 1862._
"_To the gallant men of Ohio._
"I have the astounding intelligence that the seat of our beloved Government is threatened with invasion, and am called upon by the Secretary of War for troops to repel and overwhelm the ruthless invaders. Rally, then, men of Ohio, and respond to this call, as becomes those who appreciate our glorious Government! ... The number wanted from each county has been indicated by special dispatches to the several military committees.
"DAVID TOD, _Governor._"
At the same time the Secretary of War at Washington caused the following order to be issued:
"WASHINGTON, _Sunday, May 25, 1862._
"_Ordered:_ By virtue of the authority vested by an act of Congress, the President takes military possession of all the railroads in the United States from and after this date, and directs that the respective railroad companies, their officers and servants, shall hold themselves in readiness for the transportation of troops and munitions of war, as may be ordered by the military authorities, to the exclusion of all other business.
"By order of the Secretary of War:
"M. C. MEIGS,
"_Quartermaster-General_."
At the first moment of the alarm, the President of the United States issued the following order:
"WASHINGTON, _May 24 1862_.
"Major-General MCDOWELL.
"General Fremont has been ordered by telegraph to move to Franklin and Harrisonburg to relieve General Banks and capture or destroy Jackson"s and Ewell"s forces. You are instructed, laying aside for the present the movement on Richmond, to put twenty thousand men in motion at once for the Shenandoah, moving on the line or in advance of the line of the Mana.s.sas Gap Railroad. Your object will be to capture the forces of Jackson and Ewell, either in cooperation with General Fremont, or, in case want of supplies or transportation has interfered with his movement, it is believed that the force which you move will be sufficient to accomplish the object alone. The information thus far received here makes it probable that, if the enemy operates actively against General Banks, you will not be able to count upon much a.s.sistance from him, but may have even to release him. Reports received this morning are that Banks is fighting with Ewell, eight miles from Harper"s Ferry.
"ABRAHAM LINCOLN."
When the panic thus indicated in the headquarters of the enemy had disseminated itself through the military and social ramifications of Northern society, the excitement was tumultuous. Meanwhile, General Jackson, little conceiving the alarm his movements had caused in the departments at Washington and in the offices of the Governors of States, in addition to the diversion of McDowell from cooperation in the attack upon Richmond, after driving the enemy out of Winchester, pressed eagerly on, not pausing to accept the congratulations of the overjoyed people at the sight of their own friends again among them, for he learned that the enemy had garrisons at Charlestown and Harper"s Ferry, and he was resolved they should not rest on Virginia soil. General Winder"s brigade in the advance found the enemy drawn up in line of battle at Charlestown. Without waiting for reenforcements, he engaged them, and after a short conflict drove them in disorder toward the Potomac. The main column then moved on near to Harper"s Ferry, where General Jackson received information that Fremont was moving from the west, and the whole or a part of General McDowell"s corps from the east, to make a junction in his rear and thus cut off his retreat. At this time General Jackson"s effective force was about fifteen thousand men, much less than either of the two armies which were understood to be marching to form a junction against him. We now know that General McDowell had been ordered to send to the relief of General Banks in the Valley twenty to thirty thousand men. The estimated force, of General Fremont when at Harrisonburg was twenty thousand. General Jackson had captured in his campaign down the Valley a very large amount of valuable stores, over nine thousand small-arms, two pieces of artillery, many horses, and, besides the wounded and sick, who had been released on parole, was said to have twenty-three hundred prisoners. To secure these, as well as to save his army, it was necessary to retreat beyond the point where his enemies could readily unite. The amount of captured stores and other property which he was anxious to preserve were said to require a wagon-train twelve miles long. This, under the care of a regiment, was sent forward in advance of the army, which promptly retired up the Valley.
On his retreat, General Jackson received information confirmatory of the report of the movements of the enemy, and of the defeat of a small force he had left at Front Royal in charge of some prisoners and captured stores--the latter, however, the garrison before retreating had destroyed. Strasburg being General Jackson"s objective point, he had farther to march to reach that position than either of the columns operating against him. The rapidity of movement which marked General Jackson"s operations had given to his command the appellation of "foot cavalry"; and never had they more need to show themselves ent.i.tled to the name of Stonewall.
On the night of the 31st of May, by a forced march, General Jackson arrived with the head of his column at Strasburg, and learned that General Fremont"s advance was in the immediate vicinity. To gain time for the rest of his army to arrive, General Jackson decided to check Fremont"s march by an attack in the morning. This movement was a.s.signed to General Ewell, General Jackson personally giving his attention to preserving his immense trains filled with captured stores. The repulse of Fremont"s advance was so easy that General Taylor describes it as offering a temptation to go beyond General Jackson"s orders and make a serious attack upon Fremont"s army, but recognizes the justice of the restraint imposed by the order, "as we could not waste time chasing Fremont," for it was reported that General Shields was at Front Royal with troops of a different character from those of Fremont"s army, who had been encountered near Strasburg, _id est_, the corps "commanded by General O. O. Howard, and called by both sides "the flying Dutchmen."" This more formidable command of General Shields therefore required immediate attention.
Leaving Strasburg on the evening of June 1st, always intent to prevent a junction of the two armies of the enemy, Jackson continued his march up the Valley. Fremont followed in pursuit, while Shields moved slowly up the Valley via Luray, for the purpose of reaching New Market in advance of Jackson. On the morning of the 5th Jackson reached Harrisonburg, and, pa.s.sing beyond that town, turned toward the east in the direction of Port Republic. General Ashby had destroyed all the bridges between Front Royal and Port Republic, to prevent Shields from crossing the Shenandoah to join Fremont. The troops were now permitted to make shorter marches, and were allowed some halts to refresh them after their forced marches and frequent combats. Early on the 6th of June Fremont"s reenforced cavalry attacked our cavalry rear-guard under General Ashby. A sharp conflict ensued, which resulted in the repulse of the enemy and the capture of Colonel Percy Wyndham, commanding the brigade, and sixty-three others. General Ashby was in position between Harrisonburg and Port Republic, and, after the cavalry combat just described, there were indications of a more serious attack. Ashby sent a message to Ewell, informing him that cavalry supported by infantry was advancing upon his position. The Fifty-eighth Virginia and the First Maryland Regiments were sent to his support. Ashby led the Fifty-eighth Virginia to attack the enemy, who were under cover of a fence.
General Ewell in the mean time had arrived, and, seeing the advantage the enemy had of position, directed Colonel Johnson to move with his regiment so as to approach the flank instead of the front of the enemy, and he was now driven from the field with heavy loss. Our loss was seventeen killed, fifty wounded, and three missing. Here fell the stainless, fearless cavalier, General Turner Ashby, of whom General Jackson in his report thus forcibly speaks:
"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 purposes and movements of the enemy."
The main body of General Jackson"s command had now reached Port Republic, a village situated in the angle formed by the junction of the North and South Rivers, tributaries of the South Fork of the Shenandoah. Over the North River was a wooden bridge, connecting the town with Harrisonburg. Over the South River there was a ford.