Page:EB1911 - Volume 24.djvu/869

 hours' battle Jackson was able to claim his first victory. The Confederates lost 500 out of 6000 men and the Federals 250 out

of 2500 men. Jackson's pursuit of Milroy and Schenck was profitless, and he returned to his camp at McDowell on the 14th of May. Meanwhile General Banks had been ordered by President Lincoln to fall back from Newmarket, to send Shields's division to reinforce General McDowell at Fredericksburg, to garrison Front Royal and to entrench the remainder of his command at Strasburg: and in this situation the enemy found him on the 22nd of May. Jackson's opportunity had come to destroy Banks's force completely. The Confederates numbered 16,000, the Federals only 6000 men. Jackson availed himself of the Luray Valley route to intercept Banks after capturing the post at Front Royal. He captured the post, but failed to intercept Banks, who escaped northwards by the turnpike road and covered his retreat across the Potomac by a rear-guard action at Winchester on the 25th of May. Jackson followed and reached Halltown a few days later. But his stay there was of brief duration, for McDowell was moving westward from Fredericksburg and Frémont eastward from Franklin under instructions from Washington to intercept him. On the 31st of May Frémont had reached Cedar Creek, McDowell was at Front Royal and Jackson had retired to Strasburg, where he was compelled to wait for a detachment to come in. This rejoined on the evening of the 1st of June. Ewell's division held Frémont back until Jackson was on his way to Newmarket. McDowell had sent Shields up the Valley by the Luray route But Jackson gained Newmarket in safety and destroyed the bridge by which Shields could emerge from the Luray Valley to join Frémont, who was left to cope with Jackson single-handed. Jackson's rearguard destroyed the bridges and otherwise impeded Frémont's advance, but a week later (June 7th) Frémont at Harrisonburg located his enemy at and next day he attacked with 10,500 men. Shields was still at Luray. Jackson held Fremont with Ewell's division (8000) and with the remainder proceeded to the left bank