But the Federal advance had already wavered; and it now appeared to be the enemy's design to use his artillery, and to break the advanced lines of the Confederate infantry by a tempest of missiles poured upon them and their batteries. Jackson's infantry stood the ordeal; the men lying behind the batteries, while the plunging shot and shells of the enemy ploughed frequent gaps through their lines. Jackson knew that time was now the important thing, and that he was appointed to save the decisive hour, while Beauregard re-formed his line of battle and brought up his reserves. He kept his devoted line steady at every point; he rode between the artillery and the prostrate regiments to encourage his men by his presence; it was noticed that his eye blazed as he traversed the storm of death. Meanwhile the precious season was being diligently improved by Gens. Beauregard and Johnston in bringing up their reserves; and a little past two o'clock in the afternoon the order was given for a general advance of the new line of battle that had been constructed while Jackson held the enemy at bay.

Jackson was now opposite the enemy's centre. As he ordered his men to advance on the long and glittering lines of the Federal infantry he shouted, "Give them the bayonet; and when you charge, yell like furies!" Delivering but one volley, they dashed upon the enemy, who never waited to cross bayonets, but broke in mad confusion as the line of levelled steel bore down upon them. Simultaneously, the whole Confederate line was advanced and the disputed plateau was won. But Jackson had performed the most important part, for he had cut the enemy's centre and thus separated his two wings. His fiery brigade, however, was too eager in pursuit of the fugitive foe; it had advanced so far that both its flanks were turned by Federal forces, and it seemed at one time that it would be enveloped by the enemy. It was saved, however, by Jachson quickly reposting the artillery in rear; the contested arena was firmly occupied, and on it Gen. Beauregard arranged the final charge upon the enemy, which easily put him in full retreat.

It will be readily seen how critical were Jackson's two parts in the battle of Manassas-first in checking the enemy's flank movement, and secondly in breaking his centre in the decisive charge of the day. To a friend in Richmond he proudly wrote: "You will find that when my report shall be published, that the First brigade was to our army what the Imperial Guard was to the First

Napoleon-that, through the blessing of God, it met the thus far victorious enemy and turned the fortunes of the day." The report never saw the light, and was lost in the accidents of the war. That of the Commanding General has been frequently criticised as unreliable, and as slighting the claims of the Virginia troops on that day. Certainly it made but imperfect mention of Jackson; the newspaper accounts naturally followed the general tenour of the official narrative, and reflected its partialities; and so it happened that Jackson's brilliant story at Manassas was for a long time unknown, and obtained many imperfect versions, and emerged slowly to the surface of history. While so many were vaunting their exploits in the newspapers, Jackson was comparatively ignored, no doubt to his own painful surprise, and much to the impatience of his friends, who were aware of his valuable services. To his wife he wrote: "You must not be concerned at seeing other parts of the army lauded, and my brigade not mentioned. 'Truth is powerful, and will prevail.' You think that the papers ought to say more about me. My brigade is not a brigade of newspaper correspondents. I know that the First brigade was the first to meet and pass our retreating forces, to push on with no other aid than the smiles of God, to boldly take its position with the artillery that was under my command, to arrest the victorious foe in his on ward. progress, to hold him in check until reinforcements arrived, and finally to charge bayonets, and, thus advancing, pierce the enemy's centre."

Truth has prevailed, and has since testified, not only that Jackson more than any other brigade commander saved the day at Manassas, but that more than the Commanding General he understood the extent of the success; that he looked at the retreating army with eager and excited eyes; that he said: "Give me ten thousand men, and I will be in Washington to-night." But the inspiration was not caught, and the fruits of Manassas were not more than the visible ones of the battle-field.

Some months after this famous battle, Jackson made another limited appearance before the public in command of an expedition towards the head waters of the Potomac, designed to protect the Valley of Virginia against Gen. Banks, and to clear the counties of Hardy, Hampshire, and Morgan, of the Federal troops which had so long harassed them. He was advanced to the rank of

Major-General, and assigned to take command at Winchester of various detached bodies of troops ordered to concentrate there, including the commands of Gens. Loring and Henry R. Jackson, which had hitherto operated in Western Virginia. Here too he regained his old brigade; and with an army of about ten thousand men, he moved in the early days of January, 1862, in the direction of Bath, thence to Romney, effectually reconquering from the enemy the country about these places, wrecking the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and making some important captures. But the results of the expedition were scarcely in proportion to its hardships; they were diminished by the recall of Loring from Romney by the War Department at Richmond, overriding Jackson's authority; most of the country reoccupied was again laid open to the enemy; the sum of success was slight, the hardship and distress of the expedi tion memorable, and the addition to Jackson's reputation scarcely perceptible.

CHAPTER XVI.

Description of the Shenandoah Valley.- Its importance as an avenue to Washing ton.-Gen. Jackson retreats from Winchester, and returns and fights the battle of Kernstown. His first and last defeat.-Analysis of the enemy's "On-to-Rich. mond."-Four armies to converge on the Confederate capital.-Situation of Gen. Jackson.-Reinforced by Ewell's division.-His rapid movement to McDowell, and its designs.-He falls upon the enemy at Front Royal.-He chases Banks' army through Winchester and across the Potomac.-President Lincoln "sets a trap" for him.-Gen. McDowell's remonstrance.-Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. Summary of the Valley campaign.

THE Valley of the Shenandoah, of which we have seen Jackson already appointed, in some respect, the guardian, and where he was to win the most of his fame, is that portion of Virginia lying between the Blue Ridge and North Mountains, and extending from the head waters of the Shenandoah near Staunton to the Potomac. It afforded a natural avenue into the territory of the North, and enabled the Confederate forces in Virginia to menace the flank of Washington during the entire period of the war. Two principal places of entrance from Maryland are Harper's Ferry and Williamsport. The Valley is tolerably open until Strasburg is reached, where, in the centre, begins a separate chain-the Massanutten range which splits the valley for just fifty miles, where, near Harrisonburg, it abruptly ends. At the head of the western division stands Strasburg: at the head of the eastern, Front Royal. The country thus described contained the most beautiful and fruitful fields of Virginia. The scenery was exquisite and picturesque; there were animated pictures of splendid landscape to be obtained from the spurs of the Blue Ridge; tall trees skirted the streams, bounding well-garnished fields; mighty forests stretched up the sides of the mountains; and the summer blooms burdened the airs of a delicious climate with constant perfumes. It was not the picturesqueness of sterile peaks and frowning rocks. The land was quick with growing life; green-clad fields basked in the sunshine; gentle, round-bosomed hills nestled in the arms of the great moun

tain; the forests opened with vistas of cultivation; and on the tossing plumes of the wheat-fields the light and shade of the day chased each other. The region was not inappropriately called the "Garden of Virginia."

Here was not only one of the most beautiful and romantic theatres of the war, but from a military point of view one of the most important districts of the Confederacy. While it held the proper gate to Washington, its possession by the enemy would turn upon the Confederates almost equal danger and involve the security of Richmond. A short march through the Blue Ridge, at Snicker's, Ashby's, or Manassas' Gaps, would enable the enemy to take Manassas Junction in flank and reverse, and assail the Confederate force there at an enormous advantage. We have already seen that to guard against this danger, Gen. Jackson had been sent to the lower part of the Valley. The key of the region was Winchester. This ancient town was less than thirty miles from the Potomac; and turnpike roads converged towards it from Romney, Martinsburg, Sheppardstown, Charlestown, and Berryville. Over these roads, the Federal forces, reported to be near Romney and Williamsport, could easily advance with their trains and artillery; and it was therefore important that they should be closely watched in a movement which might affect the whole military situation in Virginia.

When Gen. Johnston retreated from Centreville, and commenced his masterly movement to unite his army with that under Gen. Magruder on the Peninsula, for the defence of Richmond, it became critically important that Jackson-who was still at Winchester, and who constituted, as it were, the left of Johnston's army-should check or amuse the enemy in this direction. But Jackson's army had been diminished now to about 4,000 men. In front of him at Charlestown was Gen. Banks, with about 35,000 men; it being understood that the design of this commander was to occupy Winchester, and after defeating or crippling Jackson, to move the bulk of his forces rapidly to Manassas, and take part in McClellan's new combination against Richmond. On the 12th March, 1862, Banks occupied Winchester, and Shields' division was advanced as far up the Valley as Strasburg. Jackson continued to retreat until he arrived at the little town of Mount Jackson, nearly opposite Luray, and about forty-five miles from Win