Jackson sent his horse cavalry the 2nd and 6th Virginia to pursue Banks and he withdrew across the Potomac into Maryland. General Lee had ordered Jackson to drive Banks toward the Potomac, but he had pushed him clear across, this was on Saturday, May 24, 1862.
This caused great concern in Washington, thinking Jackson might swing towards Washington as General McClellen had the Army of the Potomac between the Chickahominy and the Pamunkey rivers waiting for General McDowell with his 20,000 troops to arrive to start the strike at Richmond. Lincoln sent word to General McClellen to swing General McDowell's troops from Fredericksburg to Front Royal and Strasburg to get between General Jackson and the road to Washington and drive Jackson from the Valley. He arrived in Strasburg on May 28 with 35,000 Union troops and felt sure he could capture Jackson and his entire army.
General Shield's divisions left from Front Royal in hot pursuit of Jackson's troops which were headed for Luray and then on to New Market. General Fremont's Division was sent down the Valley to cut Jackson off as he came over the Massanutten mountain to New Market. General Jackson would have no part of this trap and headed his army to Port Republic and sent his calvary to the three bridges over the South Fork of the Shenandoah river to burn the bridges to hold the two armies apart, as he thought he would be able to defeat them one at a time.
On June 8 General Ewell was sent to hold General Fremont's troops on the west side of the Shenandoah while General Jackson dealt with General Shields' troops at Port Republic. Jackson made a bold strike at Cross Keys, Virginia and crushed General Shield's troops, although he did have to call in help from Ewell's men.
Now the two armies would go for General Fremont's troops, General Shield's forces were no longer a threat.
General Trimble's brigade of General Ewell's command made contact with General Fremont's forces near Cross Keys and had to give ground back towards Port Republic. They crossed the bridge across the North River and put it to torch. This stopped the entire army of General Fremont from getting to make a strike at General Jackson's troops. With the bridge in flames and the river high General Fremont's troops stood on the hills along the river watching General Tyler's Ohioan retreat and being mauled by the Stonewall Brigade, they were unable to cross to their assistance.
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