The resolute and aggressive front thus displayed on Jackson's left induced the enemy to concentrate their main strength against his right, and, by a determined attack, attempt to turn that flank, and drive him from the hill. This design was speedily discovered by Jackson, and his whole disposable force was rapidly concentrated in that part of the field to resist it. Taliaferr and the 12th Georgia came quickly to the assistance of the right wing, now hard pressed by numbers; and observing that an elevated piece of woodland to the right and rear completely commanded the field, and afforded an excellent position to fall back to if necessary, Jackson hastened to occupy it with portions of the 25th and 31st Virginia regiments, which were hurried forward and rapidly placed in position. The interval between this force and the main body was filled by Campbell's brigade and the 10th Virginia which had hastened up from the left, and with this strong reserve posted in the woods near the base of the ridge, Jackson felt confident that the determined effort of the enemy to turn his right flank would be defeated.

His anticipations were correct, and his dispositions crowned with success. The Federal forces made a persistent attempt to break through this new line and obtain possession of the hill; but charge after charge was repulsed. General Johnson was wounded and forced to quit the field, but General Taliaferro took his place and led the troops with skill and gallantry. Many officers fell; among the killed and wounded were Colonel Gibbons of the 10th, Colonel Harman of the 52d, Colonel Smith and Major Higginbotham of the 25th, and Major Campbell of the 42d Virginia. The Confederate troops, however, held the position which they had occupied, and the battle raged along the wooded slopes of the mountain until after dark, when the Federal forces gave up the attempt to carry the hill, and retired.

General Milroy did not want to sustain the attack which he had every reason to expect would be made upon him on the ensuing morning; during the night he evacuated McDowell, set the woods on fire in his rear, and retreated toward Franklin.

The battle of McDowell took place between the hours of half

past four and half-past eight on the afternoon of the 8th of May, and thus lasted four hours. It was hotly contested, especially in the latter portion of the day, when the determined attempt was made by the enemy to turn the Confederate right, and some of the Southern regiments suffered severely. The Confederate loss in killed was 71, in wounded 390, making a total loss of 461. That of the Federal troops is not known, as they held their ground until night and bore off their dead. But 103 bodies are said to have been discovered, covered with brushwood, in a hollow of the mountain. At the village of McDowell a camp was found, with large bake ovens, cooking stoves, and every appliance of comfort. The camp equipage, some cases of fine Enfield rifles, and other public stores, fell into the hands of the Confederates.

Having announced his success to the authorities at Richmond by the brief despatch, "God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday," Jackson went in pursuit of General Milroy, and continued to press him until he had reached the neighborhood of the town of Franklin. The Federal troops, who had halted here, did not offer battle, but retiring to the mountains near at hand, planted their batteries, and set fire to the woods in front to conceal their position. The dense smoke which rose from the burning forest effectually accomplished this object, and night approaching Jackson made no attack. On the next morning he found that the enemy had taken up a very strong position, and as his own situation, with General Banks at Harrisonburg, was by no means safe, he prepared to retrace his steps.

Before leaving Franklin he determined, however, to formally return thanks to God for his success in the recent conflict. The scene which followed is said to have been affecting and imposing. Jackson drew up his men in a little valley about three miles north of Franklin, and after a few words, in his habitual curt tone, commending their gallantry at McDowell, appointed 10 o'clock on that day as the occasion of prayer and thanksgiving for the victory. "There, in the beautiful little valley of the South Branch," says an eye-witness, "with the blue and tower

ing mountains covered with the verdure of spring, the green sward smiling a welcome to the season of flowers, and the bright sun unclouded, lending a genial refreshing warmth, that army, equipped for the stern conflict of war, bent in humble praise and thanksgiving to the God of battles, for the success vouchsafed to our arms." During this scene, the artillery of the enemy rolled its threatening thunders from time to time through the gorges of the mountain; and if any there prayed, "from battle and murder and from sudden death, good Lord deliver us!" the words must have seemed to them exceedingly appropriate, and formed, as it were, for the occasion. Jackson stood as usual, motionless, with bent head and devout bearing, while the prayers were uttered by the chaplain; and the reader may fancy his erect figure either that of some pious cavalier, or devout Roundhead, performing his devotions on the field of battle.

This scene took place on the 14th of May, and on the same day Jackson marched his troops back to McDowell. On the next day he crossed the Shenandoah Mountain and halted at Lebanon Springs, where the army was permitted a brief rest from its fatigues, and an opportunity was afforded them to attend religious services, and observe the day appointed by President Davis as one of fasting and prayer. On the 17th the troops were again in motion, and Jackson proceeded in the direction of Harrisonburg.

General Banks had fallen back to Strasburg, eighteen miles from Winchester. This sentence sums up the results achieved by Jackson, in his advance against Milroy. The importance of the success at McDowell could scarcely be estimated too highly. General Banks had nearly consummated his plans to drive Jackson from the valley, and was nearly in sight of Staunton, with Milroy approaching from the west, when, at the moment of greatest peril for the Confederate cause, appcared suddenly the Deus ex machina. Jackson advanced swiftly upon Milroy, and struck a heavy blow at that portion of the programme. He then returned toward Harrisonburg to assail his more powerful adversary there; but General Banks did not await his coming.

He fell back to Strasburg, and even this distant point, it will be seen, was only the "half-way house" on his retreat to the Po

tomac.

CHAPTER IX.

JACKSON FLANKS HIS ADVERSARY.

THE designs of Jackson now required energy, nerve, rapidity of movement, and all the greatest faculties of the soldier. Upon him depended, in no small degree, the fate of the campaign in Virginia.

Events had hurried on. While he was marching and countermarching in the valley-advancing to attack his adversary, or retreating before him-the plans of the Federal Government in other portions of the field of operations had been urged on with the most untiring energy. The great outline of the Virginia campaign, devised in the closet at Washington, had been translated into action, and the Federal forces steadily pressed on toward Richmond. McClellan had forced Johnston to evacuate the Peninsula, and withdraw his army behind the Chickahominy; and when Jackson began to move in pursuit of Banks, the Northern forces were dark on the fields of New Kent. narrow and insignificant current of the Chickahominy, at some points approaching within a few miles of Richmond, was all that now protected the front of Johnston from the attack of 156,000 Federal troops, under the ablest general of the United States Army.

The

This was only a portion of the peril. At Fredericksburg, General McDowell, who had displayed such good generalship in the great flank movement at Manassas, was stationed with about 40,000 troops, and his preparations were nearly complete for an advance upon Richmond from the north. McClellan only waited for his arrival on the Chickahominy, to unite his right wing with McDowell's left, when the great assault on the Confederate capi

tal would follow. With nearly 200,000 troops hurled against it, the city, it was supposed, must be evacuated or destroyed, and the "Rebellion" terminated.

To prevent this junction between the forces of McDowell and McClellan-to alarm President Lincoln, and induce him to withhold further reënforcements for the defence of his capitalsuch was now the design of Jackson. If he could drive General Banks before him across the Potomac, he would accomplish this; for the Federal authorities could not be at all sure that, in such an event, he would not cross into Maryland, and, taking advantage of the absence of McClellan's army, advance to the assault of Washington.

The Federal authorities seem to have realized their danger. President Lincoln's despatches teem with allusions to the suspected designs of the Confederate commander. On the 17th of May, when, having defeated Milroy, Jackson commenced his march upon Harrisonburg, Lincoln writes to General McClellan :

"In order, therefore, to increase the strength of the attack upon Richmond, at the earliest moment, General McDowell has been ordered to march upon that city by the shortest route. He is ordered-keeping himself always in a position to cover the Capital from all possible attack—so to operate as to put his left wing in communication with your right.

The specific task assigned to his command, has been to provide against any danger to the Capital of the nation. At your earliest call for reënforcements he is sent forward to coöperate in the reduction of Richmond, but charged, in attempting this, not to uncover the City of Washington; and you will give no orders, either before or after your junction, which can put him out of position to cover this city."

On the 21st of May, Lincoln writes to McDowell, at Fredericksburg:

"General Fremont has been ordered by telegraph to move from Franklin on Harrisonburg, to relieve General Banks, and capture or destroy Jackson's or Ewell's forces. You are instructed, laying aside for the present the movement on Richmond, to put