Particularly hard fighting was done by both sides, but the surprise
movements of Jackson during the past few days, the partial
demoralization of the Union forces and the keen fighting of the
Confederate divisions drove Banks' army from Winchester and on to
Martinsburg.

Lee sent instructions to Jackson to threaten an invasion of Maryland and
an attack upon Washington at this excellent time. So on the 28th the
Stonewall Brigade set out towards Harper's Ferry and at Charlestown they
met a Federal force, routing them within twenty minutes. Ewell came up
to support the Brigade and on the 29th the army of the Valley was
encamped near Halltown. The greater part of the Federals crossed the
Potomac River at Harper's Ferry. Jackson, however, learned that the
Union soldiers were advancing to cut off his retreat; Shields' division
was approaching Manassas Gap and Fremont had left Franklin and was about
ten miles from Moorefield. Jackson felt that Lee's orders had been
carried out and decided to retreat along the Valley Pike. The
Southerners turned southward towards Winchester. En route Jackson found
out that the small force left at Front Royal had been driven back and
that Shields occupied the town. The Valley army was ordered to
Strasburg, the First Brigade was called back from Charlestown, the
prisoners and supplies were picked up at Winchester and moved southward.
"From the morning of May 19 to the night of June 1, a period of fourteen
days, the Army of the Valley had marched one hundred and seventy miles,
had routed a force of 12,500 men, had threatened the North with
invasions, had drawn off McDowell from Fredericksburg, had seized the
hospitals and supply depots at Front Royal, Winchester, and Martinsburg,
and finally, although surrounded on three sides by 60,000 men, had
brought off a huge convoy without losing a single wagon."

When the Federals learned that Jackson had moved south Shields was sent
towards Luray from Front Royal. Fremont moved towards Woodstock. The
Federal cavalry reached Luray on June 2nd and found that the enemy had
already been there and burned the bridges, thus cutting off their
approach to New Market. A part of the Confederates were repulsed on June
2nd between Strasburg and Woodstock and the skirmishing continued the
next day with the Confederates retreating to Mount Jackson and burning
the bridges over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. The Union
troops tried to construct their pontoons acros