Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/286

264 baffled at every turn, fell back to Harrisonburg on the morning of that day and continued his retreat down the valley on the 11th and 12th, followed by Munford's cavalry, which crossed North river and reached Mt. Crawford the night of the 11th, and the next day took possession of Harrisonburg and of the 200 wounded which Fremont had left there. The latter did not halt, owing to "significant demonstrations of the enemy," as he says, until he joined Banks and Sigel (Saxton's command) at Middletown, in the lower valley, to which point they had advanced, respectively, from Williamsport and Harper's Ferry. Shields continued his retreat to Luray, which he reached on the 13th.

On the 12th of June, as soon as he could cross South river by fords made passable by his engineer, Jackson moved his army from Brown's gap into the noble, park-like oak forests between the forks of the Shenandoah, in the vicinity of Weyer's cave and Mt. Meridian, where, for five days of splendid June weather, he rested, recuperated and refitted his army, and where, as he proclaimed in general orders, "for the purpose of rendering thanks to God for having crowned our arms with success and to implore His continual favor," divine service was held in the army on the 14th, during which the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered. Jackson issued another inspiring order to his men, June 13th, in these words: "The fortitude of the troops under fatigue and their valor in action have again, under the blessing of Divine Providence, placed it in the power of the commanding general to congratulate them upon the victories of June 8th and 9th. Beset on both flanks by two boastful armies, you have escaped their toils, inflicting, successively, crushing blows upon each of your pursuers. Let a few more such efforts be made, and you may confidently hope that our beautiful valley will be cleaned from the pollution of the invaders' presence. The major-general commanding invites you to observe to-morrow evening, June 14th, from 3 o'clock p. m., as a season of thanksgiving, by a suspension of all military exercises, and by holding divine service in the several regiments."

It is interesting to review this Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, which closed with the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. It occupied just three months—from the evacuation of Winchester. March 11th, when