The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

FIFTH NEW YORK IN THE VALLEY. 153
thousand strong. Instantly wheeling his horse he made his es-
cape and returned to Gen. Banks at Strasburg and gave him this
information Banks said " You have saved the army." The
logical conclusion was that the force at Front Royal had been an-
nihilated, or if not, had retreated towards Winchester, and Jackson
was moving his main force to intercept Banks at Middletown
or Newtown.
At this point a brief description of the principle topographical
features of this region will the better enable the reader to more
fully understand the critical position in which the Union army
was placed, and the skill and promptness displayed by the commanding
General in extricating it. The beautiful and fertile
valley of the Shenandoah lies between the Blue Ridge and the
Shenandoah or North mountains, which are a branch of the
Allegheny Ridge and is drained by the Shenandoah river and
its tributaries, rising in Augusta County near Staunton, flowing
northeasterly and debouching its waters, between the high bluffs
into the majestic Potomac at Harper's Ferry. Near the center
of the valley, two ranges of high hills rise out of the nearly level
valley, extending from Mount Jackson to Strasburg and ter-
minating with the Massanutton mountains, which lie between
the Shenandoah and the North Fork, which winds close around
its bold and abrupt base to its confluence at Front Royal. Two
great public macadamized roads extend from Staunton to Win-
chester, one along the east fork of the Shenancjoah via Front
Royal, and the other along the north fork via Strasburg. Each
of these places are situated in their respective valleys where
the\' open out into the broad open plain, traversed by good
roads, which converge at Winchester twenty miles farther north.
As Front Ro\al is almost due east from Strasburg and twelve
miles away, it will be seen that to give up that position was to
give the enemy the opportunity to place his army by an easy
march between Banks' army and Winchester. Being thoroughly
alive to the responsible situation. Colonel Kenly's only hope
was to delay the enemy a sufficient length of time to enable
Banks to retreat to Winchester. Hence the necessity of holding