days before was a breach of faith: they laid down their arms and demanded their discharge. Their colonel called upon Jackson for instructions. "What is this but mutiny?" he thundered. "Why does Colonel Grigsby refer to me to know what to do with a mutiny? He should shoot them where they stand." Jackson at once gave orders appropriate to this outburst of wrath, and the mutineers promptly returned to their duty. Continuing his rapid march, he rested the whole of Friday, May 16, to observe the national day of prayer appointed by President Davis.1 Pressing on through Harrisonburg, he united with Ewell near Newmarket, and with an army now 17,000 strong began a series of brilliant movements in which his undoubted genius had free scope, owing to the mistakes of Banks and of the War Department at Washington.

Stanton failed utterly to divine the situation. May 9 he repeated a former order to Banks to fall back upon Strasburg and to send Shields's division to General McDowell at Fredericksburg if the enemy was not in force in his front. Stanton was possessed with the fear of a direct attack on the Federal capital. "The probabilities at present point to a possible attempt upon Washington while the Shenandoah army is amused with demonstrations," he said in his despatch. "Washington is the only object now worth a desperate throw." Therefore Shields must march with all possible speed to support McDowell. Banks deprecated the detachment of this force, presaging his misfortune, and if he had been a soldier he would have protested with satisfying reasons against it, as Stonewall Jackson objected a week later when Johnston proposed to withdraw Ewell from his command.5

1 Dabney, pp. 353, 354.

I cannot account entirely for the reduction of Jackson's force since the first part of May. I feel certain, however, of the correctness of both of my statements.

To Banks, May 9, O. R., vol. xii. part iii. p. 150.

In a letter to Geary, May 9, ibid., p. 154,

5 See correspondence, ibid., p. 894 et seq.; Dabney, p. 359.

CH. XVII.]

INEFFECTIVE MEASURES

17

The possibility that Jackson would make a raid down the Shenandoah valley does not seem to have entered the mind of Stanton, for he further weakened Banks by ordering him to detach two of his regiments to relieve other men who had been guarding the railroad from Strasburg to Front Royal. Banks instantly complied, but telegraphed, "This will reduce my force greatly, which is already too small to defend Strasburg if attacked." The War Department had warning enough. J. W. Garrett, President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, telegraphed, May 18, that the condition of affairs in the valley threatened disaster: the enterprising and vigorous Jackson, reinforced by Ewell, had begun a march northward with a view of destroying his railway, and he asked whether it would not "be most judicious to order back Shields to co-operate with Banks." Shields was not so far along on his march toward General McDowell that he could not have been brought back in time to frustrate the Confederate plan; but his orders were not changed. May 20 Frémont telegraphed Banks that Jackson had passed the Shenandoah mountain and was reported to be moving towards his front: 3 this despatch must have been transmitted to Washington. Moreover, on the 21st, Banks understood the situation, reported it with substantial correctness to Stanton, estimating with practical accuracy Jackson's and Ewell's united force at 16,000; to oppose this he had 6000 men, besides artillery, at Strasburg, and 2800 guarding the railroad between Strasburg and Manassas, Still Shields was permitted to keep on. May 22 he joined McDowell. The next day, Friday, the President and the Secretary of War paid General McDowell a visit for the purpose of making the final arrangements for his march towards Richmond. The General said that he could move the following Sunday. Do not start on Sunday,

1 From Strasburg, May 16, O. R., vol. xii. part i. p. 522; see, also, part iii. p. 161.

2 Ibid., part iii. p. 202.

* Ibid., p. 208.

Ibid., part i. p. 523.

IV. - 2

days before was a breach of faith: they laid down their arms and demanded their discharge. Their colonel called upon Jackson for instructions. "What is this but mutiny?" he thundered. "Why does Colonel Grigsby refer to me to know what to do with a mutiny? He should shoot them where they stand." Jackson at once gave orders appropriate to this outburst of wrath, and the mutineers promptly returned to their duty. Continuing his rapid march, he rested the whole of Friday, May 16, to observe the national day of prayer appointed by President Davis. Pressing on through Harrisonburg, he united with Ewell near Newmarket, and with an army now 17,000 strong began a series of brilliant movements in which his undoubted genius had free scope, owing to the mistakes of Banks and of the War Department at Washington.

2

Stanton failed utterly to divine the situation. May 9 he repeated a former order to Banks to fall back upon Strasburg and to send Shields's division to General McDowell at Fredericksburg if the enemy was not in force in his front. Stanton was possessed with the fear of a direct attack on the Federal capital. "The probabilities at present point to a possible attempt upon Washington while the Shenandoah army is amused with demonstrations," he said in his despatch. "Washington is the only object now worth a desperate throw." Therefore Shields must march with all possible speed to support McDowell. Banks deprecated the detachment of this force, presaging his misfortune, and if he had been a soldier he would have protested with satisfying reasons against it, as Stonewall Jackson objected a week later when Johnston proposed to withdraw Ewell from his command.5

1 Dabney, pp. 353, 354.

* I cannot account entirely for the reduction of Jackson's force since the first part of May. I feel certain, however, of the correctness of both of my statements.

To Banks, May 9, O. R., vol. xii. part iii. p. 150.

4 In a letter to Geary, May 9, ibid., p. 154.

See correspondence, ibid., p. 894 et seq.; Dabney, p. 359.

CH. XVII.]

INEFFECTIVE MEASURES

17

The possibility that Jackson would make a raid down the Shenandoah valley does not seem to have entered the mind of Stanton, for he further weakened Banks by ordering him to detach two of his regiments to relieve other men who had been guarding the railroad from Strasburg to Front Royal. Banks instantly complied, but telegraphed, "This will reduce my force greatly, which is already too small to defend Strasburg if attacked." The War Department had warning enough. J. W. Garrett, President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, telegraphed, May 18, that the condition of affairs in the valley threatened disaster: the enterprising and vigorous Jackson, reinforced by Ewell, had begun a march northward with a view of destroying his railway, and he asked whether it would not "be most judicious to order back Shields to co-operate with Banks."2 Shields was not so far along on his march toward General McDowell that he could not have been brought back in time to frustrate the Confederate plan; but his orders were not changed. May 20 Frémont telegraphed Banks that Jackson had passed the Shenandoah mountain and was reported to be moving towards his front: 3 this despatch must have been transmitted to Washington. Moreover, on the 21st, Banks understood the situation, reported it with substantial correctness to Stanton, estimating with practical accuracy Jackson's and Ewell's united force at 16,000; to oppose this he had 6000 men, besides artillery, at Strasburg, and 2800 guarding the railroad between Strasburg and Manassas. Still Shields was permitted to keep on. May 22 he joined McDowell. The next day, Friday, the President and the Secretary of War paid General McDowell a visit for the purpose of making the final arrangements for his march towards Richmond. The General said that he could move the following Sunday. Do not start on Sunday,

1 From Strasburg, May 16, O. R., vol. xii. part i. p. 522; see, also, part iii. p. 161.

Lincoln by indirection said. Get a "good ready" and start on Monday. Thus it was arranged.1

The gratification of the President and his War Secretary at the condition of McDowell's army and their anticipation of its successful and imposing advance was followed by bitter disappointment at the news which awaited them on their return to Washington. Jackson had swooped upon a small Federal force at Front Royal and routed it. Fearing that his retreat would be cut off, Banks had abandoned Strasburg, and, fighting on the way, "ran a race" with Jackson to Winchester. Despatch after despatch that came from the theatre of operations to the War Department piled alarm on alarm. Reinforcements were ordered to Banks from Baltimore; Harper's Ferry sent him part of its garrison. At four o'clock on this 24th day of May, the President—it is he who now sends the most important despatches-directed Frémont to move from Franklin to Harrisonburg with the purpose of operating against the enemy for the relief of Banks. Between Strasburg and Winchester the Federal column was pierced. Receiving reports of this fighting, Lincoln at five o'clock suspended the order which had been given McDowell to unite with McClellan, and instructed him to send 20,000 men to the Shenandoah valley with the view of capturing Jackson's forces. To expedite these movements the Secretary of the Treasury went to Fredericksburg. At daybreak on Sunday, May 25, Jackson routed Banks at Winchester and, with hot pursuit of the "mass of disordered fugitives" and on the very point of destroying the entire force, drove them across the Potomac River. "There were never more grateful hearts

1 O. R., vol. xii. part iii. p. 213; ibid., vol. xi. part i. p. 30; Warden's Chase, p. 435; McDowell's testimony, Report of the Joint Committee on Conduct of the War (this will hereafter be referred to as C. W.), part i. p. 263. "I called their attention to the fact," testifies McDowell, "that once before I had moved on Sunday and had been very much condemned for it all over the country. But I said I was ready to do so again." Reference is made to Bull Run. See vol. iii. of this work, p. 455.

2 May 23.

8 May 24. Lincoln's expression.