Life and campaigns of JJackson, (Stonewall Jackson) . s enemies,must have the advantage, if it strikes them in detail whileseparated. The two Federal Commanders had neglected a junc-tion below Strasbourg. By burning the Columbia and WhiteHouse Bridges, General Jackson had prevented their union atNew jlarkct; and he was now prompt to make them continuetheir error. Shields was still east of the Shenandoah, and^ thereremained but two bridges, above or below, by which he couldcross to the west side, to reach Fremont. One of these was atPort Republic, and was in Jacksons possession
Life and campaigns of JJackson, (Stonewall Jackson) . s enemies,must have the advantage, if it strikes them in detail whileseparated. The two Federal Commanders had neglected a junc-tion below Strasbourg. By burning the Columbia and WhiteHouse Bridges, General Jackson had prevented their union atNew jlarkct; and he was now prompt to make them continuetheir error. Shields was still east of the Shenandoah, and^ thereremained but two bridges, above or below, by which he couldcross to the west side, to reach Fremont. One of these was atPort Republic, and was in Jacksons possession; the other wasat the mouth of Elk Run valley, fifteen miles below. TliisGeneral Jackson now sent a detacluncnt of cavalry to burn ;when there occurred one of those manifest interpositions ofProvidence, which from time to time shewed the answer to hisprayers for the divine blessing. A quarter of an hour before theConfederate troopers reached the bridge, the advanced guard ofGeneral Shields arrived there, sent by him to ascertain wliether BATTLE OP PORT EEPUBLIC. 40^. BATTLE OF PORT REPUBLIC. 40G LIFE OP JACKSON. the structure was still standing; for lie liad now awakened tosome conception of its importance to him. They found it safe;but hearing that there was a corporals guard of Confederatesoldiers a few miles above, watching a parcel of stores, theydashed off to capture them, instead of remaining to guard thebridge, or else returning to report its condition to their com-mander. The stores were captured, and the guard escaped;but when the head of Shieldss main column reached the bridge,the Confederates had arrived, and the work was hopelessly in-volved in flames. The Shenandoah, still swollen by the rainsof a late and ungcnial spring, was nowhere fordable, and theconstruction of a bridge in the presence of such a foe as Jack-son was not an inviting enterprise. lie was now master of thesituation: ho had comprehended all the conditions of the criticalproblem upon
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Keywords: ., bookauthordabneyro, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookyear1866
