Summary:
Union General James Shield's division pursued Stonewall Jackson's Confederates up
the Shenandoah Valley in June, 1862. In this letter, Shields reports to Chief of
Staff for the Department of the Rappahannock, Edmund Schriver. He describes the
obstacles facing his army including the weather and lack of supply. He reports
on efforts to meet these problems including bridge building and wheat milling in
Luray. Shields also describes Jackson's retreat in the Staunton area, including
Confederate desertions and lack of supply.
Col. SCHRIVER,
C. of S., Hdqrs. Army of the
Rappahannock, Front Royal, Va:
June 8, 1862.
I have the honor to state that your dispatch of the 5th instant has been received. Its contents are very satisfactory. I concur fully in the suggestions of the major-general commanding in relation to the remodeling of the department. I beg you will inform the general commanding that I have rigidly enforced his orders in relation to baggage, &c. My command marches with nothing now but arms, ammunition, subsistence, cooking utensils, blankets, and shelter-tents. We found, as I have already had the honor to communicate, all the bridges on the Shenandoah between us and the enemy burned. The incessant rains made every little mountain stream a torrent, and these torrents swelled the South Fork of the Shenandoah to such height that the possibility of crossing in any or by any mode was out of the question. I contrived to push the head of my command as far as Conrad's Store, opposite to Harrisonburg, before this mud road became utterly impassable. Farther no human effort could go. The wheels sunk in the mud to the axle, and the mountain torrents cut between portions of my command and separated them. In this position we commenced building bridges, and soon connected them. Hearing of the failure of the Manassas Railroad, I feared want of supplies, so I put two flour-mills in operation at Luray; collected millers from my command, and Maj. Munn, the provost-marshall at Luray, runs them night and day and furnishes us ample flour to live, but our means of baking are so indifferent that we cannot march without hard bread. There are two other mills near Columbia Bridge which will go into operation as soon as the water falls. We also, in the mean time, constructed a ferry across the Shenandoah at the Columbia Bridge capable of transporting infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and have opened communication with Gen. Fremont.
On the evening of the 6th instant I sent a party of cavalry and infantry through the Gap to New Market. They found that the enemy had passed the day before and that Fremont had just passed. One was sent to his headquarters, and one of his aides-de-camp to my quarters last night with the communication marked A. He lets me know that on the 6th Jackson was about 9 miles above Harrisonburg, on the way to Staunton, and finding great difficulty in getting along. His men are deserting in hundreds; he crosses and burns the bridges after him. Ashby has infernal activity and ingenuity in this way. Jackson's men appear to be suffering for provisions, he says. The prisoners we take say they have been on half rations. Their supply of ammunition seems by their cautious mode of firing to be nearly exhausted. He is doubtless pushing toward Staunton, and perhaps turning a part of his train toward Port Republic to escape by Waynesborough or Stanardsville.
The head of Jackson's retreating column may be at Staunton this morning; the head of my column, as you will see by Document B, is in Port Republic. Port Republic is 18 miles from Waynesborough, where I am trying to get. If I get there first, and I think I will, the bridge will be burned and the railroad cut up. This will arrest him and get him between Fremont's command and ours. If his train attempts to go to Stanardsville we will have it, or if to Waynesborough we will have it. I think the head of our column will be in Waynesborough to-night. I am sending information to Gen. Fremont of my exact position, so we may co-operate. I think we have Jackson, but I beg you let the commanding general know that we have to guard our flanks, and this weakens, us.
Longstreet was between Thornton's Gap and Gordonsville with, say, 8,000 men. This is what brought me back here last night. Our reconnaissance, however, which are still going on, report him as having fallen back. Then there is the turnpike from Harrisonburg to Orange Court-House and thence to Gordonsville, still more dangerous. I have only been able to push forward two brigades against Jackson while Longstreet was in Thornton's Gap, but to-day I am preparing to push forward a third, to hold the road to Stanardsville for the present.
I repeat, my advance will be in Waynesborough to-night, and this I think will head Jackson, but you will see how extended my line is and what a length of flank I have to defend.
I wish you would request the commanding general to push forward two brigades to aid me as speedily as possible, one between this and Columbia Bridge, where my Second Brigade is now, to be ready to move either to Luray or Conrad's Store, the other to Luray. This will make everything sure. There is flour here to supply them. I will move my whole command now, relying upon this support. I will need my whole command at Stanardsville (where they say Longstreet has gone), Port Republic, and Waynesborough. The officer who is here from Gen. Fremont says they estimate Jackson's force at 25,000 men. This, I think, is far overrating them, but they must not be despised, and I want my force within supporting distance to act against them. I hope the major-general commanding will be satisfied with my course.
I venture to keep a few of the Rhode Island cavalry, that I have had shod and put in some condition, until this is over, but if they are required at Front Royal I will send them back at once. We stand in need of salt meat, hard bread, coffee, and sugar. One-third of my command are without shoes, and sans culottes in a literal sense of the word; but we will soon have time to refit. If shoes are in Front Royal, as I hop our quartermaster, Johnson, has some, I want them forwarded to Luray and Conrad's Store. The baggage of all kinds is put in depot here, and the empty wagons are sent back for bread and salt.
There is one matter I deem it my duty to request you to bring to the notice of the commanding general. In the dispatch to the department announcing the entrance into Front Royal any mention of my division is omitted. The brigade that entered is not named, whereas the Rhode Island cavalry, temporarily attached to this command, is put forward in attractive prominence. Our division is alive to this, because always treated thus in the other department until we got disgusted, and I have constantly assured this command that with Maj.-Gen. McDowell we would be with a soldier who would do us justice. Since they caught sight of the report about Front Royal I regret to say that a feeling is commencing that may lead to the same result. I know it is not possible to give satisfaction of even an allusion to the brigade or division that operated, while the names of others were dilated upon, was something not expected, and creates disappointment.
For my own part, in my humble way I try to do justice to every portion of my command. When any regiment or company performs a service I mention it. This kind of military justice I deem due to them, and I know the major-general commanding is too generous and just, as well as too experienced a soldier, to act upon the principle of the Shenandoah Department.
I will act upon the assumption that the general commanding will send down two brigades, one to Luray, one to near Columbia Bridge, immediately. Beg him to save the hard bread for us, as there is an abundance of flour here, and a force in position can use it.
Three scouts have reached me this moment from Gen. Fremont. They left him at Harrisonburg at 4 p. m. yesterday. They were dressed like rebels, and my pickets detained them last night. They report the following:
Gen. Fremont is at Harrisonburg; Jackson's rear guard 4 miles on the road to Staunton. The bridge across the North River, on the turnpike, has been burned by some of my cavalry. This has stopped their march on Staunton, and turned them on the road to Port Republic to escape by Waynesborough. The advance of my column near Port Republic report that the enemy's train is on the other side of the river waiting for the water to fall. I have let Gen. Fremont know this, and sent orderlies to keep me informed. Thus you will see he is caught, if these suppositions and dispositions are all right. I hold in my hand an order issued yesterday by B. H. Greene, commissary of subsistence and major in Ewell's division at Stanardsville, directing privates to press horses and picket the mountains while they are removing Government stores. This proves that they are in flight from Stanardsville, either to Charlottesville, by way of Gordonsville, or Waynesborough. I could almost course such rubbish cavalry. One good regiment now would count them up on all sides. My cavalry is an incumbrance. I have to take care of them instead of them taking care of me; but as I need orderlies and scouts, I must use them I keep Capt.? Whipple and a hundred Rhode Island cavalry which I have shod to watch at Luray. These are the only ones here, and I hope the commanding general will sanction this. I go forward myself to-day with the two additional brigades, leaving Luray to be garrisoned by my shoeless men and inefficient until a force can join them from Front Royal. Please let the general know the position at once; he will see the necessity for sending on a few regiments as fast as they can be forwarded. I will keep him constantly advised of our operations. I think we will finish Jackson.
Sincerely, your obedient servant,
JAS. SHIELDS,
Maj.-Gen., Commanding Division.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 12, Serial No. 18, Pages 358-361, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
