PORT REPUBLIC, Battle of. Gen. °Stonewall° Jackson defeated General Banks at Winchester, 25 May 1862, drove him across the Potomac, and then retreated up the Shenandoah Valley, slipping between the converging forces of General Fremont and McDowell near Stras burg on the 31st. Fremont pursued by the Valley road, and General Shields, commanding a divi sion of McDowell's corps, endeavored to fall upon his flank and intercept him by movingup J the Luray Valley. On the evening of 1 June Shields moved out of Front Royal, Col. S. S. Carroll leading, with some cavalry, infantry and four guns, to destroy the bridges over which Jackson might retreat to Stanardsville. But Jackson himself had destroyed the bridges by which his flank could be reached, and Shields halted his advance brigades at Conrad's Store and Columbia Bridge. On hearing that Jack son had passed through Harrisonburg in the direction of Port Republic, and that Fremont had reached Harrisonburg in close pursuit, Shields ordered Carroll's and Tyler's brigades forward to head off Jackson while Fremont pressed his rear. The orders to the two bri gade commanders were to guard the river at Port Republic and cut the railroad at Waynes boro. Shields, with two brigades, remained at Luray to watch Longstreet, who was incor rectly reported moving into Luray Valley, by the gaps of the Blue Ridge, with 10,000 men. Carroll, with less than 1,000 infantry, 150 cav alry and Clark's regular battery of six guns, marched from Conrad's Store on the afternoon of 7 June, and halted in the night six miles from Port Republic, where his scouts brought information that Jackson's train was packed near the place, guarded by about 300 cavalry. Carroll, with his 150 cavalry and four guns, leaving his infantry to follow, started very early in the morning of the 8th, drove in the Confederate outposts and put two guns in posi tion commanding both ends of the bridge over the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, and ordered the cavalry to charge and seize the bridge. The charge was made and the bridge seized, Jackson, whose headquarters were in the village, narrowly escaping across it, while some of his staff were captured. Carroll, with two guns, followed his cavalry to the bridge; some of the cavalry entered the village and at tacked the wagon-train. By some misunderstand ing the bridge was not burned as Shields says it was intended to be, and Jackson, the moment he crossed it, ordered batteries in position which opened on Carroll, and a regiment of infantry rushed down and over the bridge, driving him away and capturing one of his guns. Carroll retreated two miles down the river, with a loss of 39 men killed and wounded, the greater part of which was in the 7th Indiana, which came under artillery fire as it was moving to the support of the cavalry. Jackson moved Talia ferro's brigade into the village to hold the fords of South River, a branch of the South Fork of the Shenandoah, and placed Winder's brigade on the north side of the latter to observe Car and by artillery check any renewed advance.
While all this was transpiring the battle of Cross Keys (q.v.) was going on, and Jackson, hearing the sounds of the engagement, rode to the field. At 2 P.M. Tyler came up with his brigade and joined Carroll, and as senior officer assumed command. He had about 3,000 men and 16 guns, and took position with his right on the South Fork of the Shenandoah and his left on commanding ground, on which was dis posed the greater part of the artillery. Jackson, who had repulsed Fremont at Cross Keys, on the 8th, returned to Port Republic during the night, leaving Ewell, with a small force, to con front Fremont, and early in the morning of the 9th led Winder's brigade across the bridge and attacked Tyler's right, with the intention of turning it, but was repulsed. Winder, rallying a part of his brigade and reinforced by a regi ment of Taylor's Louisiana brigade, made an other effort and was again repulsed, with the loss of one of his guns and many men. Mean while some of Ewell's troops from Cross Keys came on the field and Taylor's Louisiana bri gade was ordered to turn Tyler's left and take his guns. Taylor moved under cover of dense woods to a position on the flank of Clark's battery of six guns, from which support had been withdrawn, and charged it; but Clark, turning his guns upon him, repulsed him with shell and canister. The attempt was renewed on that flank, but Tyler's infantry was now supporting the guns, and the contest around and among them, at close quarters, was severe, but the Confederates were held in check. The fight had now raged more than four hours, Jack son had withdrawn all his forces from Fre mont's front, crossed the bridge and destroyed it, and concentrated against Tyler, who saw that the time had come to retreat, and gave the order, Carroll having charge of the movement. The artillery and infantry on the right were with drawn in good order, but on the left so many horses had been killed or disabled that but one gun was saved, the Confederates advancing and seizing five, as Tyler's men began the retreat, and turning them upon the retiring troops, throwing the rear of the column into some dis order. The Confederate infantry followed four miles, the cavalry until Shields came up with the rest of his division, when pursuit was checked and Shields continued the retreat to Conrad's Store. After the retreat Fremont appeared on the opposite side of the river, which he could not cross, and opened upon Jackson with his artillery. During the morning Jackson had put his trains in motion for Brown's Gap of the Blue Ridge, and after the battle he followed them. The Union loss was 67 killed, 393 wounded, and 558 missing; the Confederate loss, 816 killed, wounded and missing. Consult (Official Records' (Vol. XII) ; Allan, (Jackson's Valley Campaign); The Century Company's and Leaders of the Civil War> (Vol. II).