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fire, charged gallantly into its flank and drove the enemy with heavy loss from
the field, capturing Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, commanding."

The night of the 6th the First Maryland retired to Union Church, on the
road to Port Republic, carrying their dead and most of their wounded comrades
with them. Next morning the dead were sadly and silently laid to rest in the
little graveyard of that church.*

The sad services over, the line of march was taken up, and early in the day
Ewell's division took position at Cross Keys, Jackson moving to the river, so as
to take possession of the only bridge across the Shenandoah, which at that time
was a rushing torrent, and across which it would have been impossible to lay
pontoons, even had Jackson had them. It was an old-fashioned covered bridge,
but it was the salvation of that little army, and across it the vast train and the long
line of prisoners were safely marched, during which operation Ewell, with his
division, except Taylor's Brigade, which had been sent to Port Republic, were
called upon to keep Fremont in check.

There had been a race between Jackson and Shields for the possession of
this bridge, and Shields had won, for early in the morning of June 8th General
Carroll, in command of Shields' advance, had taken possession of Port Republic,
had recaptured the prisoners taken at Harrisonburg, along with a guard from the
First Maryland, and Jackson himself, who chanced to be in Port Republic,
narrowly escaped capture. Hut General Carroll's stay was of short duration, for
the Confederates coming up in force drove Carroll out in such haste that he left
the recaptured prisoners and their guard behind him. Had Shields moved with
the celerity which characterized the movements of Jackson, and thrown his fine
army across the bridge and attacked Jackson in front whilst Fremont, only three
miles away, attacked him in the rear, Jackson would have been destroyed.

Sunday, the 8th of June, was a bright, beautiful day. On that day a portion
of Ewell's division was to measure strength with a mighty army. It was as a
David against a Goliath, but every man in that command knew he had been called
upon to do his best, and he meant to do it. Three Maryland general officers were
to command most of the troops engaged in the battle — Generals Trimble, Elzey
and Stenart. and upon the former fell the burden of the fight, and of that grand
old hero's many battles, this was perhaps his best.

The position which the troops were to occupy was selected by General Arnold
Elzey at the request of General Ewell, and met with that General's unqualified
approval, and during: the greater part of the day General Ewell kept General
Elzey by his side as his adviser.

The line of battle was formed about 9 o'clock in the morning, Steuart's
Man land Line, which consisted of the First Maryland Infantry and Brocken-

* Their bodies have since been brought to Baltimore and reinterred in Loudon Park Cemetery.