and accompanied by Jackson in person. They had encountered and driven off the Federal pickets about a mile and a half from Port Republic; and as they now swept forward, the 2d and 4th Virginia on the right, the 5th and 27th on the left, toward the river, they immediately became a target for the Federal batteries near the Lewis house, which swept the plateau in front and the field over which the Virginians were advancing, with a storm of shell. General Winder immediately brought forward his own batteries, and posted Captain Poague, with two Parrott guns, on the left of the road, with orders to open on the Federal artillery, and, if possible, silence it. Captain Carpenter was also sent to the right with similar orders; but the dense undergrowth upon the ridge rendering it impossible to drag the guns through it, he returned to the left and coöperated with Poague. A rapid and determined fire was now opened from the Southern guns, but their adversaries had the advantage in position and weight of metal. The Federal artillery opposed to Poague consisted of three guns from Captain Clark's battery, three from Captain Huntington's, and one of Captain Robinson's, nearly all rifles.* It was soon obvious that the Confederate batteries were no match for those of the enemy, and Winder determined to stop this long-range engagement, and charge the Federal artillery with his infantry. At the word, his brigade, now reënforced by the 7th Louisiana, under Colonel Harry Hays, advanced at a double quick; but encountering a fire of shell, canister, and smallarms so heavy and murderous that nothing could stand before it, the men fell back in disorder, and Winder was forced to abandon his design.

This first repulse gave the enemy renewed spirit, and they now rushed forward and made a vigorous attack upon the brigade, which retired before them. Jackson's artillery was, in consequence, obliged to retreat in haste from its position, and the ground which his lines had occupied was now in possession of the Federal forces. They continued to push their

*Report of General Tyler.

advantage and press forward against the reënforcements hurried to the front. The 54th and 58th Virginia, directed by General Ewell, and led by Colonel Scott, made a determined attack upon the flank of the advancing line, and for a short time held it in check; but they were outnumbered by their opponents, whose attack was supported by a hot fire of artillery, and were finally compelled to retire into the woods, with the loss of one of Captain Poague's six-pounders, and a considerable number of men.

This inauspicious commencement of the action was disheartening, but a new aspect was speedily given to the face of affairs. Jackson soon perceived that the wooded ridge near the Lewis house, on the Federal left, was the key of the whole position, and that, unless the artillery there posted was captured or silenced, it would continue to sweep the entire ground in front, and render an attack upon the Federal centre or right wing impossible. But any attempt to take the guns seemed desperate. They were on commanding ground, supported by a heavy force of infantry, and the charge must be made in the face of a "fire of hell." Jackson gat on his horse, looking at the guns belching forth their showers of iron hail, and then, turning to General Taylor, who was near him, said briefly, "Can you take that battery? It must be taken." Taylor galloped back to his brigade, and pointing with his sword to the enemy's guns, called out in a voice which rang like a clarion, "Louisianians! can you take that battery?" The answer was a deafening shout, and, placing himself at the head of the column, Taylor gave the order to charge the guns.

The men swept forward at the word. They were the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Louisiana, Wheat's battalion of "Tigers," and a Virginia regiment. The ground over which they moved was en the acclivity of the mountain, and they were obliged to penetrate a rough and tangled forest, which it was almost impossible to pierce. But nothing could oppose the ardor of the men; they rushed forward with ranks broken by the inequality of the ground, and at that moment the loud cheering of the enemy on the left indicated their entire success in that portion of the field.

A response came from the right. It was Taylor's Louisianians, who had re-formed their broken ranks, emerged from the woods, and now charged across the low grounds in front of the Federal batteries with deafening cheers. The low grounds were passed; they were now ascending the slope. As they did so, the Federal batteries directed upon them their most fatal thunders. The advance was made, says an eye-witness, in the midst of " one incessant storm of grape, canister, and shell, literally covering the valley." The men were mowed down like grass-dead and wounded were seen on every side; but the Louisiana Brigade still rushed on, determined to take the battery or die in front of it. The Federal guns were loaded and fired with extraordinary rapidity, and the wails of agony from men torn to pieces by fragments of iron, mingled wildly with the loud shouts of triumph as the troops still continued to press on up the hill. All at once, to the raking fire of canister from the Federal artillery was added a destructive fire from their infantry. The enemy's 3d brigade, under General Tyler, which was posted in the rear and on the flanks of the batteries, opened a determined fire, and men and officers went down before it in one indiscriminate mass. Colonel Hays, of the 7th Louisiana, fell severely wounded. His lieutenant-colonel, De Choiseul, was shot through the lungs, and, while waving his sword, staggered and fell insensible, and was borne from the field. Of 308 men of the regiment who went into the charge, 158 were either killed or wounded. The troops, however, continued to rush forward, regardless of peril; for an instant the gun-muzzles belched their iron contents in their faces, and then the crest was attained; with loud cheers the Confederates came in contact with the enemy. As the cannoneers turned to fly, many were transfixed with the bayonet, the horses were shot, and the guns were turned upon the retreating infantry.

But the struggle was not over. It was absolutely necessary for the Federal commander to recover, if possible, the lost ground. For that battery to remain in the hands of the Southerners, was to lose possession of the ridge-to lose the day-to be defeated, and driven from the field. Heavy reënforcements were hurried

forward; a fresh brigade took the place of that which had been repulsed, and a gallant charge was made to regain the guns. The Louisianians were in turn driven back by the destructive fire poured upon them, and the enemy dashed forward and recovered the pieces. But before they could be turned upon them, the Confederates again charged, and a second time drove the Federal troops from the guns. The battery was thus three times lost and won in the determined effort on the part of the Louisianians and the best troops of the enemy, concentrated in this part of the field, to recover the guns and hold the ridge. Victory finally decided for the Confederates. The enemy were driven back; the guns were again turned on them with destructive effect, and the Confederate lines continued to advance.

Taylor had won the position on the ridge, after a heavy loss, but he could not hold it, and he could not be reënforced. General Shields was pressing the Confederate left wing with such heavy masses, that all their disposable force was necessary in that portion of the field. His heavy reserves were now brought up and thrown upon Taylor-a fresh brigade advancing rapidly and attacking the latter in flank, while a piece of artillery, which had been posted within three hundred and fifty yards, opened a galling fire of canister on his front. Under this combined attack Taylor was compelled to fall back to the skirt of woods near which the captured battery was stationed, and from that point continued his fire upon the advancing enemy. They had now reënforced their left by withdrawing troops from their centre, and Taylor was in imminent danger of being outflanked and enveloped by the enemy. They made a determined effort to turn his left flank, which forced him to fall back; and in the haste of this movement they recaptured one of the guns, though without the caisson or limber. But this advantage over Taylor had only been gained by dangerously weakening the Federal right wing and centre. Winder had now rallied his brigade, and, placing the batteries of Poague and Chew in position, opened a hot fire on the Federal left. The batteries of Brockenbrough, Courtney, and Raines were also hurried forward; and with

these guns pouring a destructive fire into their centre, the Federal lines began visibly to waver.

Jackson saw his advantage, and now made a corresponding movement to that of the Federal commander, rapidly throwing his left wing to the support of his right. Colonel Connor's brigade arrived first, and, thus reënforced, Taylor turned savagely upon his assailants and forced them back. This was the decisive moment of the battle, and Jackson's generalship secured the result at which he aimed. The Confederate lines advanced with loud cheers, a roll of musketry extended from end to end of the line, and into the Federal right flank was poured a rapid fire from the artillery of General Winder. Before this hot fire in front and flank the Federal lines wavered more and more, and soon they were seen to break in disorder. The next moment saw them retreating, panic-stricken, from the field, with the Confederate infantry pursuing and firing upon them as they fell back. The infantry and artillery continued the pursuit for five miles, when the cavalry took it up, continuing to press the rear of the retreating column. One piece of artillery, about 800 muskets, and 450 prisoners were the immediate result of the action. General Shields was defeated.

Whilst the forces of General Shields were thus in full retreat, General Fremont appeared on the northern bank of the Shenandoah, and is said to have been furious at the manner in which he had been outwitted and General Shields defeated. The bridge over the river had been burned when Trimble and Patton retreated; and as the Shenandoah was greatly swollen, it was utterly impossible for General Fremont to come to the assistance of his coadjutor. He was compelled to look on while General Shields was being defeated; to witness his rout, and to observe every circumstance attending the pursuit. It is to be hoped that General Fremont did not direct the artillery fire which now took place upon the ambulances full of wounded, and the parties of men engaged in burying the Federal as well as the Confederate dead. The Rev. Mr. Cameron, chaplain of the 1st Maryland regiment, was standing near a row of graves in which the Federal dead