Ewell's division held Fremont back until Jackson was on his way to Newmarket. McDowell had sent Shields up the Valley by the Luray route. But Jackson gained Newmarket in safety and destroyed the bridge up to Port Republic by which Shields could emerge from the Luray Valley to join Fremont, who was left to cope with Jackson single-handed. Jackson's rear-guard impeded Fremont's advance, although a week later (June 7) Fremont at Harrisonburg located his enemy at Cross Keys and next day he attacked with 10,500 men. Shields was still at Luray. Jackson. held Fremont with Ewell's division (8,000) and with the re mainder moved to the left bank of the Shenandoah near Port Republic to await developments, for Shields had pushed forward a strong advanced guard under Tyler, whose vanguard (two squadrons) crossed the river while Fremont was engaged with Ewell. Tyler's cavalry was driven back with heavy loss. Jackson retained possession of the bridge by which Tyler and Fremont could unite, and next day he crossed the river to attack Tyler's two brigades. The engagement of June 9 is called the battle of Port Republic. Jackson with 13,00o men attacked Tyler with 3,00o men, and Tyler retired with a loss of some Boo men, leaving as many Confederates hors de combat.
A few days later Jackson received orders to quit the Valley and join the main army before Richmond, and President Lincoln simultaneously discovered that he could not afford to keep the divisions of Fremont, Banks and McDowell engaged in operations against Jackson; so the Valley was at peace for a time.
In stricter connection with the operations of the main armies in Virginia, the Confederates brought off two great coups in the Valley—Jackson's capture of Harper's Ferry and Martinsburg in the autumn of 1862 and Ewell's expulsion of Milroy from Martinsburg and Winchester in June 1863. The concentration of the Federal forces in north Virginia in May 1864 for the cam paign which ultimately took Grant and Lee south of the James involved a fresh series of operations in the Valley. At first a Union containing force was placed there under Sigel; this gen eral, however, took the offensive unwisely and was defeated at Newmarket. Next Hunter, who superseded Sigel in command in West Virginia and the Valley, was to co-operate with the Army of the Potomac. Grant detached Sheridan to join Hunter at Charlottesville, but Lee sent Hampton's cavalry by a shorter route to intercept Sheridan, and a battle at Trevillian Station com pelled Sheridan to return and leave Hunter to his fate.
Meanwhile on June 13 Early added his command to the Confed erate forces in the Valley. Early succeeded in interposing between Hunter and Lynchburg, and within a week drove Hunter out of Virginia by the Kanawha river route. Early then moved down the Valley turnpike unmolested. Expelling Sigel from Martins burg on July 4, and crossing the Potomac opposite Sharpsburg, he soon appeared before Washington. Early, after creating serious alarm, retired, on July 13, by Leesburg and Snicker's Gap into the Valley at Winchester. Early soon after sent a de tachment into Maryland to burn the town of Chambersburg. The alarm in the North for the safety of Washington was only quieted by the appointment of Sheridan to command in the Valley.
Early retained his position about Bunker Hill, destroyed the Ohio railroad, and held the main road up the Valley until Sheridan moved out in force on Aug. so. Early then retreated up the Valley to Fisher's Hill (Strasburg), where he expected to be joined by Anderson's corps from Richmond. Sheridan had fol lowed Early, but hearing of this reinforcement to the enemy, he decided to take up a defensive line at Halltown—the only point in the Valley which did not favour flanking operations—and await the arrival of adequate reinforcements. For a month the two armies had manoeuvred between Halltown and Strasburg, each commander hoping for such an increase to his own or decrease of his enemy's numbers as would justify attack. The Valley operations were aided indirectly by assaults and sorties about Petersburg. Grant aimed at preventing Lee sending rein forcements to Early until Sheridan's plans had been carried out. Meanwhile Early had been gathering up the harvests in the lower Valley, but on Aug. 20 Sheridan was able to report "I have destroyed everything that was eatable south of Winchester, and they will have to haul supplies from well up to Staunton." Sheridan in September could put 23,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry into action, and at this moment he was visited by Grant, who encouraged his subordinate to seize an opportunity to attack the enemy.
The first encounter of Sheridan and Early took place on Sept. 19, about 2m. east of Winchester. Sheridan had crossed the Opequan and found the enemy in position astride the Winchester Berryville road. Early was outnumbered and outfought, but he attributed his defeat to the enemy's "immense superiority in cavalry," and in fact Sheridan depicts Merritt's division as charg ing with sabre or pistol in hand and literally riding down a hostile battery, taking 1,200 prisoners. Early then retreated through Strasburg, but at Fisher's Hill behind Tumbling Run, where the Valley was entrenched on a front of 3m. between the Shenan doah river and Little North mountain, he rallied his forces and again detailed his cavalry to protect his left from a turning move ment. But Sheridan repeated his manoeuvre, and again on Sept. 22 Early was attacked and routed, Gen. Crook's column having outflanked him by a detour on the western or Back road. Early now retreated to Mt. Jackson, checked the pursuit at Rode's Hill, and, evading all Sheridan's efforts to bring him again to battle, reached Port Republic on Sept. 25. In the first week of October Sheridan held a line across the Valley from Port Republic along North river to Back road, and his cavalry had advanced to Waynesboro to destroy the railroad bridge there, to drive off cattle, and burn the mills and all forage and breadstuffs. Early had taken refuge in Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap, where he awaited Rosser's cavalry and Kershaw's division (Longstreet's corps), for Lee had resolved upon again reinforcing the Valley command, and upon their arrival Early advanced to Mt. Crawford and thence to Newmarket. The Federals retired before him, but his cavalry was soon to suffer another repulse, for Rosser and Lomax having followed up Sheridan closely on Oct. 9 with five brigades, the Federal cavalry under Torbert turned upon this body when it reached Tom's brook (Fisher's Hill) and routed it. Sheridan burnt the bridges behind him as he retired on Win chester, and apparently trusted that Early would trouble him no more and then he would rejoin Grant at Petersburg.