- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
Jackson greets Maj. Rob Wheat, center, in the midst of a captured Union battery at the Coaling in the climax of the battle, as pictured by Bradley Schmehl in The Grim Harvest of War.
After leaving Richard Ewell's Division nearby at Cross Keys Tavern to shield his withdrawl, the Stonewall Divison continued on toward the hamlet of Port Republic which sits in the forks where the North and South Rivers join to become the South Fork of the Shenandoah. Once Jackson's entire force crossed this waterway, he would be safe from the pursuing Federal force commanded by John C. Fremont. Jackson arrived with his staff before any of his troops, and paid last respects to his former chief of cavalry, Brig. Gen. Turner Ashby, who had been killed on June 6, and was laid out in state in the front room of the Frank Kemper House, below.
Jackson and his staff went on to the south edge of town where they established headquarters in Madison Hall, the home of George Kemper, which stood on a slight elevation back from the river and overlooking the town; the early Twentieth Century foursquare seen below stands on the site. It was then that disaster threatened, in the form of Union cavalry led by Col. Samuel S. Carroll, who dashed past a weak provost guard and into town.
Fortunately, it being a Sunday, June 8, Jackson and his staff were preparing for church services, their horses already saddled and waiting. Jackson dashed across the North River bridge to bring the 37th Virginia of the Stonewall Brigade to drive off the cavalry, who meanwhile briefly captured Dr. Hunter McGuire who was busy setting up a field hospital inside the local church. Other staff members had scattered, but soon the town and all-important bridge between the two halves of Jackson's army were again secure. Meanwhile, back at Cross Keys Ewell successfully repelled Fremont's weak probe. Below is the site of the bridge, burned during the battle by Jackson's men once Ewell's Division had completely crossed over it, leaving Fremont stranded impotently on the north side a mere spectator to the battle at Port Republic.
Following the repulse of Carroll's cavalry and Fremont's withdrawl at Cross Keys, the scene was set for what the next day, June 9, 1862, became the final and largest battle of the entire Valley Campaign, here on the fields north of Port Republic, as Shields' Federal division finally made its appearance. Marching south through the Luray Valley east of Massanutten Mountain, Shields had hoped to trap Jackson between his force and that of Fremont. Shields remained in the rear during the battle, leaving tactical control to Brig. Gen. Erastus Tyler, who prepared a formidable line with one flank anchored securely on the North Fork of the Shenandoah and the other on a prominence known as the Coaling, a hill or plateau that had been cleared for charcoal burning. Here Tyler established a strong battery position that controlled the road and fields leading to it from the village. Below, The Coaling position is now protected, thanks to early work by The Civil War Trust and affords views of most of the battlefield.
The Stonewall Brigade attempted to confront the Union line, but was driven back with severe loss by musketry and enfilading artillery fire coming from the Coaling. Jackson's Division, led by Maj. Gen. Charles Winder, pulled back and waited for support from brigades of Ewell's Division as they crossed the bridge from Cross Keys. Entering the battle piecemeal, the Confederate units had so far made no coordinated attack on the Federals in their strong position behind a fence line. Finally, the Louisiana Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Richard Taylor was sent on a flanking maneuver through thick woods to surprise the Federal artillery at the Coaling. Though the surprise was complete, a Union counterattack retook it and the guns, and the hilltop became a scene of carnage and repeated attacks. Finally, it remained in Taylor's hands, outflanking the Union line. Grudgingly Tyler's men withdrew in what was a retreat rather than a rout like that of Kenly at Front Royal or Banks at Winchester.
The view from the Coaling below looks out over most of the area of the battle south towards the village of Front Royal. The Lewiston House, visible in the middle distance, stood on the left ( near ) flank of the Federal line-of-battle which stretched to the right all the way to the river. ( This view is essentially the same as the one in Schmehl's painting seen at the top of this page. ) As the battle wound down, Fremont's army put in a belated appearance, but due to high water and the destruction of the bridge, could only watch from the heights across the Shenandoah. Jackson did not tarry to savor his victory, moving quickly to Brown's Gap in the Blue Ridge to await developments that would soon bring him and his Army of the Valley to Richmond and even larger battles.
The only full-length study of the twin battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic is the excellent Conquering the Valley by former NPS historian and Jackson specialist Robert K. Krick. I was in the process of reading it when I visited here, and found it indispensable for both its maps and wealth of information.