Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/278

256 Sunday morning, June 8th, and attack the Confederates. Ewell had made an excellent disposition of his division on opposite sides of the road, on rising ground behind a creek that ran along his front, and with his flanks extending into forests on either side, placing batteries in the road in his center, which swept the open country between him and the Keezletown road, which ran nearly parallel to his line of battle, and along which Fremont deployed his five brigades of infantry, a regiment of cavalry and several batteries. Another brigade followed his trains as rear guard. Bayard's cavalry, left as a guard at Harrisonburg, subsequently joined him. His entire force present for duty on the field of battle was about 11,500 men. To resist these, Ewell had Trimble's brigade of North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi regiments; Elzey's, of three Virginia and one Georgia regiment; Steuart's, of one Maryland and three Virginia regiments; Taylor's, of four Louisiana regiments and a Louisiana battalion; besides five companies of artillery; about 5,000 present for duty on the field of action.

Ewell's first position was nearly at right angles to Fremont's; his right rested on the road to Port Republic, about a mile from Cross Keys, thence his line extended nearly parallel to the Port Republic road to within half a mile of Cross Keys, with his left retired. Fremont advanced his left, turning on his right, and brought his whole line into position, parallel to Ewell's, on the hills northeast of Mill creek, protecting his right with batteries and a detached brigade. This movement, which was boldly and skillfully executed, brought his whole line into a dangerous position, which he, apparently, did not comprehend in his ignorance of the topographic conditions of the field, but it gave Ewell an opportunity to detach Trimble's brigade from his right, move it through a forest, and reform it opposite Fremont's left. This disposition made and reinforced with two Virginia regiments of Elzey's brigade, under Col. James A. Walker, on his right, he pressed forward and drove Blenker, of Fremont's left, from his position, and forced him to retreat to the Keezletown road, Walker advancing still further on the right and by his desperate courage adding to the success of Trimble's movement. During this time Fremont advanced Milroy against the Confederate center, and a fierce artillery duel followed, but with no results.