at the town of Front Royal, you have reached the northern terminus of the Massinutton Mountain, and are directly on the flank of Strasburg.

Leaving a small force of cavalry to hold the turnpike and conceal the movement of the main body, Jackson directed that every thing, even the knapsacks of the men, should be left behind, and set out by the route above indicated-his force amounting to 18,000 or 20,000 men. On the night of the 22d, his advance, under Ewell, bivouacked within ten miles of Front Royal. With such secrecy and celerity had the march upon Front Royal been made, that the army was nearly in sight of that place before a single inhabitant of the region suspected its presence. At dawn on the morning of Friday the 23d, Jackson resumed his rapid march, and, diverging to the right by a steep and rough bypath so as to strike across into the Gooney Manor road, came in view of the town about two in the afternoon. At this pointnot more than a mile and a half from the place-he encountered the enemy's pickets, and drove them iu; when an instant advance was ordered upon the town. The troops responded with cheers, and the 1st Maryland, under Colonel Johnson, rushed forward and encountered their namesakes, the 1st (Federal) Maryland, Colonel Kenley, whom they saluted with a volley and then charged impetuously, forcing them to fall back in confusion.

The cavalry, sweeping down at the moment when they broke, took a large number of prisoners; and Taylor's brigade, the reserve of the advance force, coming rapidly up, the rout of the Federal forces was complete, and the town was in the possession of the Confederates. The attack had taken the Federal forces completely by surprise. "When our guns opened on the enemy, they had no idea who was hammering at them," says a contemporary letter. "Thinking that Jackson was a hundred miles away from them, they were completely surprised and panicstricken by the suddenness of the attack; they surrendered to us by hundreds, allowing all their stores of every sort, and in the greatest quantities, to be captured, without an effort to defend or destroy them." Among the stores thus captured were about

five hundred excellent revolvers; and a soldier expresses the joy which all felt at finding a wagon load of coffee, which was a "perfect God-send," as their rations of that article had been stopped for some days. The appearance of the Confederates was joyfully hailed by the inhabitants. Men, women, and children ran through the streets, laughing and cheering. Every house was thrown open, and every window waved with handkerchiefs. But the men were not permitted to stop and accept the hospitalities of the inhabitants. They were rushed through the town at a double-quick, and a strong force thrown forward toward a commanding height on the right of the turnpike, where the Federal forces had taken position with the apparent intention of resisting the Confederate advance. As the latter approached they were met by a fire of rifled artillery; but Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's chief of artillery, placed some pieces in position; the. 6th Louisiana was moved through the woods to flank their battery, and Wheat's Battalion and the 1st Maryland regiment drove in their skirmishers in front. Thus threatened on their flank and pressed down the turnpike, the Federal force retreated across both forks of the Shenandoah, closely followed by the Confederates. They attempted to burn the bridge over the north fork of the river, but before they could do so the Confederates arrived. The flames were extinguished, and, pushing after the Federal forces at full speed, the Confederates poured into them a hot fire of musketry and artillery.

During this scene the Confederate cavalry had moved to intercept the enemy's retreat. A force under Ashby and Flournoy had, before the assault on the town, crossed the south branch of the Shenandoah above Front Royal, and struck across toward the northern shoulder of the Massinutton, to get between this body of the enemy and their main force at Strasburg. Their orders were to destroy the railroad and telegraph line between the two places, so that Jackson's movement on his flank might be concealed from General Banks as long as possible, and to guard against the advance of reënforcements from Strasburg, or the retreat of the enemy from Front Royal. Having executed his

orders, Colonel Flournoy pushed back to the bridge over the north fork above mentioned; but finding some difficulty in passing it from the partial destruction of the framework by fire, he hastened on with four companies of the 6th Virginia cavalry, and came up with a body of Federal troops near Cedarville, five miles from Front Royal. This force consisted of two companies of cavalry, two pieces of artillery, two companies of Pennsylvania infantry, and the 1st (Federal) Maryland regiment, which had been rallied and posted there to check Jackson's advance. A charge was at once made on them by the four companies of Confederate cavalry, Captain Grimsby leading the advance, and the whole force was driven from the position which it held. They re-formed in an orchard on the right of the road, but a second charge threw them into confusion, and the whole force surrendered. Ashby was meanwhile scouting along the base of the Massinutton, and clearing out the country as he swept it with his cavalry. At Buckton he came upon a body of the enemy, posted as a guard at that point, in a strong position, and protected by the embankment of the railroad. Ashby charged and dispersed them, gaining possession of the place and capturing a train of cars; but this insignificant skirmish lost him some of his best officers, among them Captains Sheets and Fletcher. Captain Sheets was an officer of conspicuous gallantry, greatly esteemed by Jackson and beloved by the army. At Kernstown he had seen a Confederate lieutenant retreating alone, and hotly pressed by the enemy. So great was the exhaustion of the officer, that, coming to a fence, he climbed it with difficulty, and rolled over upon the ground. It was at this moment that Captain Sheets reached the spot; and though he had with him only a small detachment of men, while the force of the enemy's infantry was very considerable, he violently exclaimed, "I will never see a Southerner captured before my eyes," and charged them, rescuing the officer. He had been highly valued by Ashby, to whom he is declared to have been only second in fame and efficiency;" and here he fell, shot through the head.

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As night came on, both the cavalry and infantry ceased from further pursuit, and the weary troops went into camp. The first day had thus been decidedly successful. A section of rifled artillery, 700 prisoners, among them 20 officers, and large quantities of public stores, had been the result of the opening of the campaign. But the advantages secured did not stop here. Jackson had turned General Banks' position at the town of Strasburg, and the road was now open for him to press straight forward upon Winchester. When he had once struck the line of the valley turnpike he would be completely in rear of the Federal commander, and able to intercept his retreat.

CHAPTER X.

GENERAL BANKS RETREATS.

On the next morning, May 24th, the troops were moving at daylight, and Jackson hastened forward to the accomplishment of his designs, which nothing but the exhaustion of the men had prevented him from pursuing during the night.

The time thus lost, as will be seen, was precious; but the delay could not be avoided. The men had marched from above Luray, a distance of nearly thirty miles, under a burning sun, and many had fallen out of the column overcome by heat and weariness. These it was necessary to collect before advancing further, and the march was delayed until morning. At the first dawn, the column was again in motion. General George H. Steuart, in temporary command of the 2d and 6th Virginia cavalry regiments, was sent northward to Newtown, about nine miles from Winchester. Ewell, with Trimble's brigade, the 1st Maryland regiment and Courtney's and Brockenbrough's batteries, was directed to move on the main Front Royal turnpike toward Winchester; and Jackson proceeded, in personal command of the main body of the army, in the direction of Middle

town, with a detachment of Ashby's cavalry moving on his left flank and keeping a close look-out for any attempt of the enemy to retreat toward Front Royal.

On coming in sight of Middletown, Jackson saw the turnpike from Strasburg to Winchester black with long columns of Federal cavalry in rapid retreat. No time was lost in bringing up the artillery. The guns of Poague and Chew were rushed into position, supported by Taylor's infantry, and a hot fire was opened on the retreating column, which at once threw them into confusion. A few additional rounds finished the work. The cavalry broke in wild disorder, scattered over the adjoining fields, and disappeared like phantoms in the woods. "The turnpike," says Jackson in his report," which had just before teemed with life, presented a most appalling spectacle of carnage and destruction. The road was literally obstructed with the mangled and confused mass of struggling and dying horses and riders." About 200 prisoners were captured, but the great body of the Federal cavalry made good their retreat.

The column had been followed by a park of artillery and about three regiments of infantry. The former now opened a rapid fire on the Confederates, and tried to force a passage through. But the guns were effectually cut off. The Confederate batteries engaged them, and Taylor's infantry at the same moment advanced, when the Northern artillery and infantry retreated rapidly upon Strasburg. There the infantry aban'doned their knapsacks and other accoutrements, and, with the artillery, retired precipitately through the western mountains to the Potomac.

It was now obvious that General Banks had already passed Middletown with his main body in the direction of Winchester, and the infantry which had been halted was pushed forward rapidly in pursuit. Ashby had already followed, with cavalry, artillery, and a supporting force of infantry, a long train of wagons which was seen disappearing in the distance. The scene which followed is said to have been indescribable. The whole road was strewed with broken-down wagons, guns, knap