Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/268

68 on the flank. Almost the entire loss was suffered by the regiments named, mainly by Johnson's army, which lost 388 of the total 498. The gallantry of these regiments was particularly commended by Jackson, and it is but justice to say that here the army of the Northwest, so long condemned to suffer the hardships and none of the distinction of war, won at last a permanent title to fame by gaining for Jackson his first victory in the campaign which established his place as one of the world's greatest generals. Ac the previous battle of Kernstown, the other division of the old army, Burk's brigade (the Twenty-first, Forty-second and First battalion), and Fulkerson's brigade (the Twenty-third and Thirty-seventh), had also fought with great distinction.

Thus in a blaze of glory the old Army of the Northwest passes from history. During the remainder of the Valley campaign its regiments were incorporated in the divisions of Jackson and Ewell, and the cavalrymen shared the adventures of Ashby. The story of that campaign is elsewhere told, and we return to the consideration of events beyond the Alleghanies.

General Loring had been assigned to the department of Southwest Virginia, and General Heth had gathered near Lewisburg a little force of good fighters called the "Army of New River." His First brigade, under Col. Walter H. Jenifer, included the Forty-fifth Virginia infantry, Lieutenant -Colonel Peters, the Eighth cavalry (Jenifer's) and Otey's battery, while Col. John McCausland, returned from the Fort Donelson campaign, commanded the Second brigade, including his own Thirty-sixth regiment and Col. George S. Patton's Twenty-second.

Early in May, Scammon's brigade of Cox's army was moving toward Princeton, threatening the Virginia & Tennessee railroad. The advance guard of Col. R. B. Hayes' regiment, the Twenty-third Ohio, upon reaching Camp Creek, Mercer county, was attacked and severely