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with no obstructions until they reached Drury's Bluff, about eight miles below Richmond, where the river bank is nearly two hundred feet high. There they were stopped by a barrier across the river made of sunken vessels, held in place by piles, and defended by a strong work called Fort Darling on the top of the bluff, and by rifle-pits along the banks. The vessels opened fire on the morning of May 15, but the Confederate batteries were too high to be reached by the Monitor's guns, and about noon, the Galena having been badly damaged and the Naugatuck disabled by the bursting of one of her guns, Commodore Rodgers withdrew, and went down the river to City Point.

The advance of the fleet up the James and the arrival of McClellan's army on the Chickahominy caused the greatest fear in Richmond. Most of the people believed that the city would fall within a few days, and the Confederate authorities sent away the government records and made preparations to leave. The stores and shops were ordered to be closed at two o'clock each afternoon, to give time for all able-bodied men to drill. The streets were filled with anxious women and children, and many got ready to go into the country at the approach of danger.

CHAPTER XXI.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY.-CHICKAHOMINY.

MCDOWELL AT FREDERICKSBURG.-PORTER AT HANOVER COURT-HOUSE.-MCDOWELL ORDERED TO WASHINGTON.-STONEWALL JACKSON.-JACKSON OR A RABBIT.-JACKSON'S PRAYERS.-BANKS DRIVEN INTO MARYLAND.-JACKSON REPULSES FREMONT.-DEFEATS SHIELDS.-TURNER ASHBY.-A GALLANT DEED.-FLOODS IN THE CHICKAHOMINY.—THE UNION ARMY Divided.--SEVEN PINES AND FAIR OAKS.--GENERAL JOHNSTON WOUNDED.— ROBERT E. LEE IN COMMAND OF THE CONFEDERATES.-THE SWAMPS OF THE CHICKAHOMINY.-BALLOONS IN WAR-HOW ARE YEES, BYES?-JEB STUART.-THE RIDE AROUND MCCLELLAN.WHITE HOUSE.-WASHINGTON'S MARRIAGE.-STONEWALL JACKSON AND THE

FARMER.

WHEN General McClellan's advance reached the Chicka

hominy, General McDowell, with about forty thousand men, was at Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock River, where he could either protect Washington or move against Richmond. McClellan, who believed Washington to be in no danger, had often asked to have this force sent to him by water. If that had been done he could have moved against Richmond, after leaving Williamsburg, up the James River, where the gunboats could aid him, and where he could assist the gunboats in taking Fort Darling. At last the President ordered McDowell to march and join McClellan, not in the way he wanted, but by land, following the line of the railroad from Fredericksburg. This obliged McClellan to go up the York, instead of the James River, because the latter would have been too far away from McDowell. At this time McClellan had, according to his own. report, about eighty thousand men fit for action. He was very anxious to receive McDowell's reinforcement, because he believed that the Confederates had a larger force than his own and were defended by strong earthworks. Hearing that a strong body of Confederates was at Hanover Court House, and fearing that it would interfere with McDowell's advance, he sent Porter's corps (May 27) to attack it. Porter drove this force from its position and destroyed its camp, inflicting considerable loss upon it in dead and wounded, and capturing more than seven hundred prisoners. The way was thus cleared for McDowell's junction with the army, but after that general had started from Fredericksburg news was received in Washington that General

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Banks had been defeated by Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, and the President, fearful that Jackson would move against Washington, stopped McDowell and ordered him to turn back.

Let us pause a moment to look at Stonewall Jackson, who soon afterward became one of the foremost figures in the war. Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born a poor boy in Clarksburg, Virginia, and managed in some way to get to West Point, where he was graduated in 1846. He served bravely in the war in Mexico, and became a captain and finally a major for gallant conduct. In 1852 he resigned from the army and became a professor in the Virginia Military Academy in Lexington. There he became a deacon in the Presbyterian Church, and was noted. for his piety and for his shyness and eccentricity. He was so awkward and absent-minded that

he was the laughing-stock of the students, who nicknamed him. "Fool Tom Jackson." In April, 1861, he became colonel of a volunteer regiment and went to Harper's Ferry. All at once he seemed to find out what he was made for, and the awkward, absent-minded Tom Jackson showed such aptness for command that he soon became a brigadier-general. As such he took part in the battle of Bull Run, and saved the day by his firmness, winning the now famous name of "Stonewall," which will live in history as long as the world lasts.

Stonewall Jackson soon became the idol of his men, and whenever he appeared among them he was always received with cheers. When a distant yell was heard in camp, men would say, "That's Jackson or a rabbit!" both being generally received by the soldiers with equal delight. He was a man of few words, but when he was in the society of elderly ladies or of clergymen he would talk by the hour on religious subjects. It was his custom to pray often, and always when about to enter upon any duty, especially before battle. His black body-ser

vant, who had closely noted his habits, generally knew what to expect when he saw his master more devotional than usual, and made his preparations accordingly. A gentleman once asked him if he could tell by his master's habits when a battle was coming off.

"Oh yes, sir,” he replied; "the general is a great man for praying-night and morning, and all times. But when I see him get up several times in the night besides to go off and pray, then I know there is going to be something to pay; and I go straight and pack his haversack, because I know he will call for it in the morning." *

After Stonewall Jackson's repulse by General Shields he had retreated up the Valley, where he was soon reinforced by Generals Ewell and Edward Johnson, increasing his army to about fifteen thousand men. General Banks, who was in command of the Department of the Shenandoah, was at Harrisonburg with about six thousand men. General Milroy, with a small force from Fremont's army, had crossed the mountains into the Valley and was moving toward Banks. Jackson sent part of his force against Milroy, defeated him at a place called McDowell, and then marched against Banks, who had retreated to Strasburg, followed by Ewell. Banks fell back hastily to Winchester, near which he made a stand, but was put to flight again and driven across the Potomac into Maryland, leaving about two thousand prisoners in the enemy's hands.

General McClellan telegraphed to the President that the object of Jackson's move was probably to prevent reinforcements being sent to him, but Mr. Lincoln and his advisers were sure it was a movement against Washington, and ordered McDowell to send half his force under Shields to the Shenandoah Valley to act with Fremont against Jackson, and another portion to Harper's Ferry. McDowell obeyed with a heavy heart, for he felt that this new movement would spoil McClellan's plans and result in the failure of the operations against Richmond. he expected, he was too late to catch Jackson, who escaped between Shields and Fremont and returned up the Valley again. The Union forces pursued, and Jackson, watching his chances, turned and repulsed Fremont (June 7) at Cross Keys, and de

*See Appendix, page 566.

As

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feated Shields (June 8) at Port Republic, capturing his artillery and many prisoners. Fremont then retreated down the Valley, and Jackson, having accomplished his purpose of preventing troops being sent to McClellan, soon marched to Richmond to take part in the great battles around that city.

The Confederates met with a severe loss in the battle of Port Republic in the death of General Ashby, the commander of Stonewall Jackson's cavalry. Turner Ashby was a Virginian who believed in his native State above all other things on earth. When he went to Harper's Ferry in 1861 as a member of his brother Richard's cavalry company, some one said to him: "What flag are we going to fight under, Ashby? the Palmetto?"

"This is the flag I intend to fight under," replied Ashby, taking off his hat and showing inside of it a small piece of silk stamped with the arms of Virginia.

His brother Richard was killed early in the war, and Turner succeeded to the command of the company. He had loved his brother dearly, and after his death he seemed like another man. He was in the saddle night and day, now in one place watching the enemy, the next day many miles away cutting off some detachment or supply train. He always rode a white horse, and wherever that horse was seen men knew that there was work to do. When Jackson retreated from Winchester, Ashby, then a colonel in command of the cavalry, was the last to leave. As the Union cavalry rode into the town, he was seen riding alone down the street as calmly as if no enemies were near. He waited until the pursuers fired on him and then galloped off, waving his hat in defiance. All at once two cavalrymen, who had been sent round by the back streets to cut him off, appeared in front of him; but Ashby charged them, shot one with his pistol, and seizing the other by the throat dragged him from the saddle and carried him off before the eyes of the advancing cavalry.

When Shields and Fremont were pressing hard upon Jackson in his retreat down the Valley, Ashby held the rear with his cavalry and horse artillery. While falling back one day near New Market, with the Union cavalry hard upon him, his famous white horse was mortally wounded by a bullet. His men looked upon this as a bad omen, and so it turned out to be, for Ashby survived him but a few days. His last cavalry fight was