The ferry used at river bottom near
Riverside carried town people as well as soldiers
across the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Many
events are connected with Riverside. The Buck family
cousins entertained “Stonewall” Jackson, as well as
many Confederate troops upon their return from
battle with tea and music. Local lore has it General
Jackson stopped at this home during the battle of
“Front Royal” and wrote orders before proceeding to
Fairview.
The tide of battle had swept around “Riverside”, the
home of Major James Richards located between the
forks of the Shenandoah. Mrs. Richards’ mother
recorded on May 23: “Thanks be to an overruling
Providence, about 3 o’clock our hearts were made to
leap with the sight of Jackson’s Army coming to our
rescue. We were frantic with joy. As soon as the
Yankees saw them they scampered. I never saw so much
running in all my life.” (Source: Four Valiant
Years, In The Lower Shenandoah Valley by Laura
Virginia Hale, p 151). Tight reigns had been drawn
over the people in Front Royal by the occupation of
Federal Forces. They felt oppressed and knew not how
it would end until this day in 1862.
Atwell’s cannons, on Guard Hill to the north,
attempted to sweep the peninsula as the Confederates
rushed to the Winchester Pike Bridge. The Federals
had held Guard Hill for almost an hour while Wheat’s
and Johnson’s men moved gravely forward, Lusk’s
Confederate battery posted on Richardson’s Hill,
managed to hurl a few effective shells into Kenly’s
newest position. Kenly, going to check on the
progress of his bridge-destruction orders, reached
the trestle just in time to see “the river below the
bridges…alive with horsemen, crossing two different
places by fording.” This new scenario forced Kenly
to order a speedy retreat. Leaving the two New York
Cavalry companies to cover the rear, he hurried the
artillery and infantry forward on the Winchester
Road. Tradition adds that Jackson used the side
porch of “Riverside” for receiving and writing
dispatches including one note thanking Belle Boyd
for her service in the Battle of Front Royal.
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