"You
will see that we have made a retrograde movement."
A Yankee Regiment Rallies
Images from Civil War Reenactment in Jackson, MI
By early May Jackson had been reinforced by Ewell's
command and the War Department in Washington, fretting
over what was felt to be an exposed and overextended
position of Banks' command, ordered it to pull back. By
May 5 Williams was back at New Market, far from Fremont
and frustrated. The next day Jackson set his forces in
motion striking the advanced units of Fremont's at
McDowell on May 8 and sending them reeling back in the
upper Potomac Valley with any hopes of an early union
with Banks dashed.
"You will see that we have made a retrograde
movement. I cannot explain the reason, because I
really don't think there is any. If there be one, it
is unknown to us here and is confided to the
authorities at Washington. We regard-it as a most
unfortunate policy and altogether inexplicable,
especially as we had the game all in our hands, and
if the moves had been made with the least skill we
could easily have check mated Jackson, Ewell, and
Johnston, instead of leaving them to attack and drive
back Milroy, as we hear they have done.
I cannot explain to you, and I am not permitted to
complain, but if the amount of swearing that has been
done in this department is recorded against us in
Heaven I fear we have an account that can never be
settled. But here we are with a greatly reduced
force, either used as a decoy for the Rebel forces or
for some unaccountable purpose known only to the War
Department. Imagine our chagrin in marching back,
like a retreating force, over the same ground that we
had driven the Rebels before us, and having the
galling reminders of our defeat, and that without a
gun being fired or a man killed. But all this is
private and not to be repeated outside of your home.
The worst part is that we have put ourselves in a
most critical position and exposed the whole of this
important valley to be retaken and its immense
property of rail roads and stores to be
destroyed." (May 17)
Kernstown heights (in
background)
outsite Winchester, Virginia
Site of battles of March 23 and May 25
In the first battle, the rebels held the height, in
the second, the Union
News of the defeat at McDowell set Williams to grousing
as their earlier withdrawal had put them out of position
to aid Fremont's forces. Now he was ordered back upon
their fortifications at Strasburg opening the way for
Jackson's forces marching down the Valley to slip through
the New Market Pass and march down the Luray Valley to
strike at the small garrison holding the vital Front
Royal on May 23.
"I have already explained to you in a previous
letter why we are here. The whole of this is
unexplainable, especially as we occupied a position
from which we could in one movement have interposed
between the commands of Jackson and Ewell and thus
have saved Milroy and Schenck from being driven back
with loss. But the whole movement comes from the
highest command and we are neither authorized to
criticise nor complain. I could say much more, but it
is not advisable. I trust we shall be safely
extricated from a dilemma, that, to speak mildly, was
unnecessarily brought about. I have no idea how long
we shall be here or where [we will] go next. I
probably know as much as General Banks...." (May
21)
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