Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/248

228, the trains rolled in with the advance of Jackson's army, all of which was there concentrated by the afternoon of the 5th. Taking the next day for rest and to settle with the Lord of the Sabbath for the day that had, of necessity incurred from bad roads, been taken for a march, Jackson was ready to move against the enemy on the morning of the 7th. During the afternoon of the previous day Johnson marched his brigade from his camps at West View, through Buffalo gap and up the eastern slope of Big North mountain, and at dusk rested his advance, in bivouac, in Dry Branch gap or Notch, of that mountain, 15 miles west of Staunton. Milroy's advance was encamped near the eastern foot of Shenandoah mountain, across the Big Calf Pasture valley, in sight of Johnson's pickets. Jackson's engineers had previously conferred with Johnson, after a reconnoissance of the Federal advance, and it had been agreed that Johnson should send a flanking party, by a detour to the left, in advance of his front attack, to fall upon the rear of Milroy's camp.

Learning from his spies that a junction had been made between the forces of Jackson and Johnson, Milroy ordered his detachments to concentrate at McDowell, and calling for reinforcements from Fremont, who was advancing up the South Branch valley, he prepared to make a stand. When Johnson's flanking party reached Milroy's previous camp they found there only a picket, the most of which was captured. Jackson, by rapid riding from Staunton, was early on the ground at Rodgers', at the foot of the Shenandoah mountain, 23 miles from Staunton, and under his personal direction the pursuit was continued across that mountain to Shaw's Fork, the Federal artillery opposing a further advance from the crest of Shaw's ridge. The march was resumed early on the morning of the 8th, Johnson's regiments still in advance. The enemy had retreated during the night, and Jackson met with no opposition in crossing Shaw's ridge, the Cow Pasture valley and the western slope of Bull Pasture mountain, the summit of which was reached early in the forenoon. From a projecting rock on the right of the road Jackson was enabled to see the camp and the position taken by the enemy across the Bull Pasture river, on the terraces and bottoms of that valley in the vicinity of McDowell; while his engineer, who was