. Life and campaigns of Thomas J. Jackson, (Stonewall Jackson) . n its 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 Market; 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 Eepublic, and was in Jacksons po
. Life and campaigns of Thomas J. Jackson, (Stonewall Jackson) . n its 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 Market; 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 Eepublic, and was in Jacksons possession; the other wasat the mouth of Elk Run valley, fifteen miles below. ThisGeneral Jackson now sent a detachment of cavalry to burn;when there occurred one of those manifest interpositions ofProvidence, wliich from time to time shewed the answer to hisprayers for the di\ine blessing. A quarter of an hour before theConfederate troopers reached the bridge, the advanced guard ofGeneral Shields arrived there, sent by him to ascertain whether BATTLE OF IOitT liLTUBUC. 4i-. BATTLE OP POUT BEPUBLI 406 LIFE OF JACKSON. the structure was still standing; for he had 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 ungenial spring, was nowhere fordable, and theconstruction of a bridge in the presence of such a foe as Jack-son was not an inviting enterprise. He was now master of thesituation: he had comprehended all the conditions of the criticalproblem upo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1866
