Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/281

Rh he took in the situation of affairs and brought into action the forces which had encamped there ready for such an emergency. Three batteries were quickly brought into position, and fire was opened through the bridge, followed by volleys from the infantry of Taliaferro's brigade, which was promptly available as it was just then drawn up for inspection. The Thirty-seventh Virginia charged through the bridge and captured the gun, and Carroll's force was rapidly driven back across South river, abandoning another gun. His infantry advance, coming up the river road to his support, was soon routed by the concentrated fire of three batteries from the bluff on the north side of the river, and the whole Federal force was quickly obliged to retreat, first toward the Blue ridge along the Brown's gap road to get out of range of Jackson's artillery, and then back toward Lewiston, but still subjected to the fire of the Confederate batteries that followed along the bluff on the opposite side of the river for over two miles, and shelled the retreat until it got out of range. This affair lasted about an hour; Carroll reported his loss as 40 men, two guns and 14 horses. Jackson's cavalry that was picketing the road toward Lewiston, had failed to do its duty and disgracefully fled when Carroll advanced, and so Jackson had no warning of his approach. This affair over, Jackson stationed Taliaferro's brigade in the village, covering the fords of South river, and marched the Stonewall brigade, with artillery, to opposite Lewiston, to watch any further advance of Shields' column, still holding a force in reserve along the Cross Keys road to aid Ewell, if necessary, in his contention with Fremont.

At this time Shields was still at Luray and writing to Fremont, at 9:30 a. m., that he thought that at that hour there would be 12 pieces of artillery opposite Jackson's train at Port Republic, and two brigades of infantry; also that some artillery and cavalry had pushed on to Waynesboro to burn the Virginia Central railroad bridge, and that he himself would follow with two other brigades. He wished to know if Jackson changed direction and hoped Fremont "will thunder down on his rear" if he attempted to force a passage eastward, concluding, "I think Jackson is caught this time."

Carroll remained quietly in the woods on the bluff below Lewiston, to which he had retired on the morning