Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ... liberty to make an attack. Please answer by telegraph at once. "T. J. Jackson." The reply to this, and the letter of Gen. Johnston giving the instructions, have not been found. Gen. Johnston (p. 129 of his Narrative) says his instructions to Gen. Jackson "were to advance and attack unless he found the enemy too Btrongly intrenched." It was perhaps some emphasis on the last clause that made the instructions appear to Jackson to hamper him. 2" Page" is the name of the county comprising the greater part of this valley, and Luray is the county-seat of Page. Strasburg, where it finds its way around the north end of that chain, and finally joins the south fork near Front Royal. The south fork, which is the principal river, waters the narrow Luray valley. Ascending this stream beyond the south end of the Massanutton mountains, we find that it again branches at and near Port Republic. Three streams--the North, Middle, and South rivers--constitute the head-waters of the principal fork of the Shenandoah, and, spreading over the whole width of the Valley from the Blue Ridge to the North mountain, drain the upper part of Rockingham and nearly the whole of Augusta county. The two first named unite three or four miles southwest of Port Republic, and the South river, having found its way along the base of the Blue Ridge, joins the others at that village. The principal means of communication between Staunton and Winchester was, then, the Valley turnpike, an excellent macadamized road, which passes through Harrisonburg, New Market, Mount Jackson, and Strasburg. Leaving Staunton, it crosses, by wooden bridges, the Middle and North rivers before reaching Harrisonburg, and the north fork of the Shenandoah at Mount Jackson....
