captured, and the pass secured. The Federals were in full retreat, leaving their other gun behind them. The result of Jackson's strategy was that Shields was thus effectually debarred from rendering any aid to his brother general in his subsequent attack.

The entire episode exhibits one great element of Jackson's success-the promptitude with which he detected an advantage, and matured his plan in reference to it; together with the unalterable decision with which he carried them out. So persuaded was he of the soundness of his deductions arrived at, after careful and deliberate thought, that he was prepared to stake the most eventful issues on their accuracy, and shape his course accordingly. It was this confidence in himself that inspired those whom he commanded with equal trust. They felt that he knew what he was about, and that they were safe in bowing to his judgment. It was argued, indeed, that Shields would certainly make another attempt to co-operate with Fremont. "No, sir, no!" he exclaimed, waving his hand towards the commanding positions occupied by his artillery. "He cannot do it. If he did, I should tear him to pieces." And he was right.

Shields knew better.

It was now Ewell's turn to encounter Fremont. The details of the battle are too elaborate to be given here. It ended in a repulse for the Federals, not amounting to a defeat-an issue which confirmed Jackson in his original purpose of risking his first decisive blow against Shields. His project now was

THWARTED IN A GREAT DESIGN.

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to concentrate his army and attack the two consecutively on the same day. The night before he purposed executing this audacious design, he instructed the officer of the 2d Brigade as to the management of his men in covering the rear, adding, "Hold your position as well as you can.. I will be back to join you in the morning." To the inquiry, " At what hour?" he replied-" By the blessing of Providence, I hope to be back at ten o'clock."

This revealed his plan. To devote five hours to crushing Shields, then to recross the Shenandoah and assail Fremont; or, at least, to take up his former strong position and hold him at bay.

An unhappy engineering defect, however, defeated this bold design. A bridge, which had been constructed over the south ford, proved so utterly inadequate for its purpose, that the six or eight thousand Confederates had to be passed over in single file. The battle which ensued was furiously fought. Round one Federal battery a terrible contest raged, leaving the captured prize eventually in Confederate hands.

As the evening approached, Jackson withdrew his jaded men from the pursuit that had ensued, and led them by a side-way towards the mouth of Brown's Gap, in the Blue Ridge. The detention of his men at the imperfect foot bridge in the morning, occasioning a repulse at the first, had cost him many lives, though the issue of the day was successful to his

arms.

Of course it will be seen that the above is a most abrupt account of a struggle replete with incidents and elaborate details. On each side were to be found conspicuous valour and resolve. On each side, too, were alternations of triumph and defeat; though the sequel shows the Southerners masters of the field. To any complaint on the score of this conciseness, it is again urged that our present object is merely to give a consecutive history of surrounding events, confining our attention, in the main, to Jackson himself, and touching prominently only on such of them as serve to bring out his social and military qualities.

Though it will be thus apparent that mistakes, for which he was by no means answerable, had interrupted the full carrying out of his design, yet enough had transpired to cover him with renown. Henceforth he stood out confessedly the general of the Confederacy. "Within forty days he had marched four hundred miles, fought four pitched battles, defeated four separate armies, sent to the rear three thousand five hundred prisoners, and defeated or neutralized forces three times as numerous as his own, besides holding M'Dowell in check at Fredericksburg."

A brief time of rest for his wearied troops had now arrived. Led out from Brown's Gap, a confined retreat, they luxuriated in a smiling paradise of woodland groves, pasture and herbage around them, and the clear flowing Shenandoah at their side. It was an Elim after Marah, and they were glad of the change.

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS."

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Under its "palm-trees" the troops assembled for general thanksgiving, and the administration of the Lord's Supper. There Jackson knelt, no longer the iron warrior, but the humble Christian.

Writing to his wife at this time he says:-" Our God has thrown His shield over me in the various apparent dangers to which I have been exposed. This evening we have religious services in the army for the purpose of rendering thanks to the Most High for the victories with which He has crowned our arms; and my earnest prayer is that our ever kind Heavenly Father will continue to crown our arms with success, until our independence shall, through His Divine blessing, be established."

CHAPTER XIL

THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL.

FROM the very first moment of Jackson's success at Winchester, Lee had counted on his co-operation in driving the Federals from the neighbourhood of Richmond. This was in effect his reply to the other's application for an increase of forces at that time. The triumph at Port Republic put it in the power of the Confederate leaders to approach this great enterprise.

Two points had to be regarded in its conduct. First, the concealment of Jackson's retirement from the valley, and next, the preventing M'Dowell from joining with M'Clellan. The former was still at Fredericksburg, detained there prudentially by the influence of Jackson's prowess.

By an adroit expedient of Lee's the Federal Government was impressed with a belief that Jackson, so far from withdrawing from his position, had been reinforced, for its continued maintenance, by a subsidy of seven thousand men. Nor was Jackson wanting in the cunning demanded by the emergency. Taking every possible precaution to cut off from the