William Swinton, Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac

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[127] the west, and McDowell from the east, upon Strasburg. The two columns moved rapidly; they had almost effected a junction on the 31st; but that very day Jackson, falling back from Harper's Ferry, slipped between the two, and made good his retreat up the Valley, leaving his opponents to follow in a long and fruitless Chevy Chase, all the time a day behind.

The pursuers did their best: they pushed on, Fremont following in the path of Jackson up the Valley of the Shenandoah; while McDowell sent forward Shields' division by the lateral Luray Valley, with a view to head him off when he should attempt to break through the gaps of the Blue Ridge. Jackson reached Harrisonburg on the 5th of June; Fremont the next day. There Jackson diverged eastward to cross the Shenandoah at Port Republic, the only point where there was a bridge. Shields was moving up the east side of the river, was close at hand, and might prevent his crossing, or might form a junction with Fremont. Both results were to be prevented. Jackson threw forward his own division to Port Republic (June 7) to cover the bridge; and left Ewell's division five miles back on the road on which Fremont was following—the road from Harrisonburg to Port Republic. Next day Fremont attacked Ewell's five brigades, with the view of turning his right and getting through to the bridge at Port Republic to make a junction with Shields. At the same time Shields attacked the bridge on the east side, to make a junction with Fremont. The result was that Ewell repulsed Fremont, while Jackson held Shields in check. Early next morning, drawing in Ewell and concentrating his forces, Jackson threw himself across the river, burned the bridge to prevent Fremont from following; fell upon Shields' advance, consisting of two brigades under General Tyler, and repulsed him, capturing his artillery. The former of these affairs figures in history as the battle of Cross Keys, and the latter as the battle of Port Republic.

In this exciting month's campaign, Jackson made great captures of stores and prisoners; but this was not its chief