George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

[155] stand at Rude's Hill, but that at ten o'clock--two hours at least before we began our grand flank movement — he had passed through New Market, which is four miles farther south than the point to be turned by our flanking march. There was then nothing for us to do but join the main column by a diverging dirt road, which, first crossing the Shenandoah at a ford, led us into the main pike at the town. After a scanty breakfast, the river was reached, the passage effected, and afterwards described as follows:--

“The passage of the Shenandoah was a ludicrous sight. The river was very swift, waist-deep, and very rocky; the Massachusetts men generally held up their coat-skirts, and went in as they were; the Indiana boys went in in a uniform of boots, shirt and coat carefully tucked up to be out of the water. An individual is a funny-enough-looking spectacle in such a dress, or rather undress, but a whole regiment, officers and men alike the same, makes a sight that is quite overpowering. Every one came over safely, but a few guns were lost. The current was so strong that it took the legs out from under several of the men, and gave them a good washing, an operation that long abstinence rendered sadly necessary.” ¹

Having forded the Shenandoah safely, we marched through New Market, and went into camp just beyond the town. The resistance we had met was weak,--weaker than we expected,--and was a disappointment, both to our own men and the Rebel inhabitants of the valley, who had as yet no cause to praise Jackson for the results of the battle of Kernstown, or for retaining our forces in the valley, if that was his motive.

From Harper's Ferry to New Market I have thus given a faithful narrative of the opposition we encountered from General Jackson and his army. At Charlestown, at