uit
with Wright and Emory, leaving Crook to care for the dead and
wounded. Early fell back to Mount Jackson, and was preparing to
make a stand when Averell coming up, he and Devin made so vigorous
a demonstration with the cavalry alone that Early thought it best
to continue his retreat beyond the North Fork to Rude's Hill, which
stands between Mount Jackson and New Market.

Sheridan advanced to Mount Jackson on the morning of the 24th of
September, and before nightfall had concentrated his whole army
there. He was moving his cavalry to envelop both of Early's flanks
and the infantry, Wright leading, to attack in front. However,
Early did not wait for this, but retreated rapidly in order of
battle, pursued by Sheridan in the same order, that is by the right
of regiments with an attempt at deploying intervals, through New
Market and six miles beyond to a point where a country road diverges
through Keezeltown and Cross Keys to Port Republic, at the head of
the South Fork. Here both armies halted face to face, Sheridan
for the night; but Early, as soon as it was fairly dark, fell back
about five miles on the Port Republic road, and again halted at a
point about fourteen miles short of that town.

Early's object in quitting the main valley road, which would have
conducted him to Harrisonburg, covering Staunton, was to receive
once more the reinforcements that Lee, at the first tidings from
Winchester, had again hurried forward under Kershaw. On the 25th
of September, therefore, Early retreated through Port Republic
towards Brown's Gap, where Kershaw, marching from Culpeper through
Swift Run Gap, joined him on the 26th. Here also Early's cavalry
rejoined him, Wickham from the Luray valley, and Lomax, pressed by
Powell, from Harrisonburg.

Sheridan, keeping to the main road, advanced to Harrisonburg with
Wright and Emory, leaving Crook to hold the fork of the roads where
Early had turned off. At Harrisonburg Torbert rejoined with Merritt
and Wilson. Then Sheridan sent Torbert with Wilson and Lowell by
Staunton to Waynesboro', where, before quitting the valley by
Rockfish Gap, the major road, as well as the railway to Charlottesville,
crossed the affluent of the Shenandoah known as the South River.
To divert attention from this raid Sheridan reinforced Devin, who,
in the absence of Torbert's main body, had been following and
observing Early near Port Republic without other cavalry support,
and thus Merritt presentl