Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/279

Rh Schenck's brigade, of four Ohio regiments and two batteries, arrived at 1 p. m, when Fremont placed him on his right and advanced him cautiously through the woods to attack the Confederate left. Detecting this movement, Ewell strengthened that part of his line with his reserves, extending it more to the left, and by so doing delayed Schenck's aggressive movement, which Fremont abandoned when his left was driven back by Ewell's flank movement on Blenker. Ewell's skirmishers followed closely the Federal lines as they fell back to their original position, but his inferior force and the approach of night rendered it prudent for him to rest on his arms and make no further aggressive movement, being well assured that Fremont, after the experiences of the day, would make no further advances. Ewell's loss was 287; Fremont's, 664; small losses to either army considering the issues involved, as this battle of Cross Keys, or Union Church as the Federals call it, not only defeated but paralyzed Fremont's army, so that for the time being it ceased to be a very important factor, in so far as Jackson was concerned, in the field of action.

Taking a backward look, the movements of Shields during those of Fremont just described, demand attention. Marching up the Luray valley, when he reached Columbia bridge, 8 miles above Luray, he found that destroyed, so he could not follow the turnpike which there crossed the river, and found himself condemned to follow the muddy common road, which made his progress not only difficult, but extremely slow; but he hastened forward his advanced brigades to harass Jackson's flank, which he expected to reach by the bridge at Conrad's store, which he supposed his cavalry had held, and with orders to go as far as Waynesboro and break the Virginia Central railroad. Carroll's cavalry regiment led the advance. It reached Conrad's store on the 4th, when Shields ordered it to move rapidly forward and capture the bridge at Port Republic; but he could not follow in consequence of the condition of the streams, swollen by heavy rains, which crossed his road at right angles, descending with rapid flow from the Blue ridge and breaking up his command into fragments along the road, his infantry support, on that day, being held back at Naked creek, five miles below Carroll; a fact which Captain Hotchkiss had communicated to General Jackson