This post discusses the Battle of Cross Keys following the Shenandoah National Battlefields Historic District Driving Tour. I did not do the driving tour stops in the order in the brochure but rather in the order they represented as the battle unfolded: Union Church; Trimble’s Ridge; the 8th New York Site; the Mill Creek Country Store (slightly out of order but convenient for the flow of driving); and Mill Creek Ridge (Artillery Ridge).

General Frémont sent out three reconnaissance missions on June 7th to determine General “Stonewall” Jackson’s position. One of these resulted in a skirmish between Union Brigadier General Robert Milroy’s brigade and Confederates commanded by Brigadier General Arnold Elzey. They found that Jackson’s force was on the Port Republic Road near Cross Keys and Frémont was determined to attack there on the 8th. The Federals were on the march around 4:45 AM led by a small brigade of two regiments commanded by Colonel Gustave Cluseret. The last of Frémont’s brigades commanded by Colonel John Koltes left Harrisonburg around 7:00 AM. Bayard’s “Flying Brigade” would remain in Harrisonburg because their horses were broken down after their severe efforts during the past week.

While Frémont was on the road a startling event was taking place in Port Republic which we will cover more extensively in the next post in this series. Union division commander James Shields from McDowell’s Department of the Rappahannock ordered a small raiding party to head south toward Port Republic commanded by Colonel Samuel Carroll. The men were to destroy Jackson’s supply depot at either Staunton or Waynesboro. As Carroll approached Port Republic, he noted that Jackson’s men and his supply wagons were on opposite sides of the North River, as well as the fact that the bridge over the North River was intact. Carroll managed to get into Port Republic completely undetected around 8:30 AM and split his force in two with one party heading toward the wagons and the other the bridge. He did not know that Jackson himself was headquartered in the house adjacent to the wagons. For a short period of time, they had the opportunity to capture Jackson and his staff but, in the confusion, Jackson escaped across the North River bridge toward Cross Keys. Carroll with conflicting orders about what to do with respect to the bridge hesitated. Jackson raced back into town with the 37th VA, followed by the 10th and 23rd VA, and around 9:30 AM the Federals were repulsed and fleeing north back up the Luray Road. The bridge was saved and would play a pivotal role in the next day’s actions and an opportunity to capture Jackson had been lost.

Ewell ‘s division was positioned closest to Harrisonburg at Cross Keys while Jackson’s division was 4 miles away near Port Republic. Ewell posted a small force near the Union Church along the route from Harrisonburg. He would have less than 5,000 men available to him this day. The remainder, Taylor’s Louisiana Brigade, were under Jackson near Port Republic. Frémont would have about twice that number. but was under the impression that he was outnumbered. Ewell would be on the defensive and had chosen his ground well on a ridge on the opposite side of Mill Creek, an excellent location for artillery. Initial skirmishing began around 9:00 AM followed shortly thereafter by the advance of the 8th VA (US) and 60th OH under Colonel Gustave Cluseret against the 15th AL positioned at Union Church, shown in the maps below from Blue and Gray magazine.

The modern Union Church (the Cross Keys-Mill Creek Ruritan Hall) sits on the site of the wartime church.

Interpretation here is show below

There are three new signs from the Shenandoah National Battlefields Historic District at the church which are shown below.

The Milroy Moves Forward sign refers to a part of the battle that occurred later in the afternoon- the attack on Artillery Ridge.

The Alabamians held their own for a few minutes hiding behind tombstones in the church cemetery but were quickly pushed back by the Federals superior numbers. Ewell countered with artillery fire from Courtney’s battery on the west side of his line, see map below.

In response by 10:30 AM Frémont deployed several of his own artillery batteries, during the course of the battle Union artillery wounded two of Ewell’s generals. Arnold Elzey was hit by a shell fragment in the leg and George Steuart in the chest. After deploying his infantry Frémont felt that the Confederate right was vulnerable, and fighting shifted to the eastern side of the battlefield. At this point as Ewell’s artillery fire continued nearer to Frémont he and his staff moved to the rear and left control of his infantry on the field to his chief of staff Colonel Anselm Adams and his artillery to Lieutenant Colonel John Pilsen. Frémont would be so far in the rear that he did not have a view of the action on the field. In addition, unfortunately for Frémont the area of the battlefield (the Confederate right) that he had chosen to attack was commanded by Ewell’s most aggressive subordinate, Brigadier General Isaac Trimble. Trimble placed the 21st NC across the road from the Widow Pence’s house to guard Ewell’s guns. He moved the 21st GA and 16th MS to a hill one-half mile ahead of the Confederate line on the north side of the Pence house.

When the 15th AL returned from Union Church on the opposite side of the battlefield Trimble placed them on the right and sent out skirmishers. The skirmishers reported that a brigade commanded by Brigadier General Julius Stahel from Union Brigadier General Louis Blenker’s division was advancing on the Federal left completely unsupported on either side. By 12:00 noon only one regiment from Brigadier General Julius Stahel’s brigade, the 8th NY commanded by Colonel Francis Wutchel was moving forward without skirmishers. The 548 New Yorkers marched up the northern side of a small hill with no idea that 40 yards south of the crest 1,350 Confederates were lying in a field behind a fence, see map below. The 41st NY and 27th PA had drifted to the right, while the 45th NY stopped.

When the New Yorkers were about 50 steps away the Confederate line opened fire with devastating effect. The regiment suffered 43 killed, 134 wounded and 43 captured and fled back down the hill. The 8th NY were arranged in a double line, one behind the other, otherwise their casualties would likely have been even higher. Trimble’s men advanced to the next hill where they pushed back the 27th PA before they were repulsed by Buell’s Battery and the Bucktails. Colonel Carnet Posey of the 16th MS was shot in the chest here and would eventually die of his wounds. The 21st GA would come up and drive Buell’s Battery back toward Brigadier General Henry Bohlen’s line (54th and 58th NY, 74th and 75th PA and the 1st NY Light Artillery). Trimble requested help from Colonel James Walker who tried to turn Bohlen’s left flank with the 13th and 25th VA. Walker’s men, repulsed by the 74th and 75th PA and the 1st NY Light Artillery, took 45 casualties, see maps below. Rather than counterattack the unaggressive Frémont sent Captain Schirmer to order the 1st NY Light Artillery to withdraw against General Bohlen’s orders. Without artillery the rest of his brigade followed. Seeing Bohlen withdraw three regiments of Koltes’ brigade also fell back. Koltes’ brigade suffered one man killed and eight wounded reflecting how little they were involved in the action. Frémont‘s dependence on staff officers for battlefield information, coupled with his timidity, and concern that he was dramatically outnumbered essentially ended all Union activity on the left. These same factors would come into play a few hours later on the Union right.

The action on the east side of the battlefield is interpreted at the Trimble’s Ravine Site by a short walking trail on Goods Mill Road where a parking area is located at 38.3533961, -78.8163505. There are three new signs here placed by the Shenandoah National Battlefields Historic District.

Looking north across the battlefield.

The next four pictures are of Trimble’s Ravine.

The action on the battlefield is further interpreted at the 8th NY site on Port Republic Road 1.5 miles south of the intersection with Cross Key Road. A small gravel parking area is on the left when driving south. There are 7 new signs here placed by the Shenandoah National Battlefields Historic District.

Looking north the 8th NY would be advancing toward the camera.

The next three images are taken from the perspective of the 8th NY marching uphill toward the Confederate line.

The next 4 images are looking to the rear of the 8th NY showing the rest of the hill behind them.

The final two stops #5 and #6 are taken from the top of the hill from the perspective of the Confederate line.

The next series of images were taken from the other side of the fence. The 8th NY would have been advancing toward the camera.

The next stop I visited was the Mill Creek Country Store at 7061 Trimble Road which interprets the movement of Trimble and Walker to the Confederate right (Union left) as part of the morning’s action.

Next- The Battle of Cross Keys Part 2- The Afternoon

Sources

From Harper’s Ferry to Cross Keys- the Pursuit of Stonewall Jackson Up the Shenandoah Valley by Gary Eclebarger Blue and Gray Magazine Volume XXIX, Issue 1, 2012

Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign Shenandoah 1862 by Peter Cozzens