Military
At Port Republic, Federal commander Tyler placed at least three artillery pieces on the high ground of the Coaling and lined three more guns down the slope to the road, and all morning this artillery fire battered Confederate forces to the front. As Jackson’s men faced a desperate situation on the plain, Brigadier General Richard Taylor’s Louisiana brigade attacked the Union artillery position on the Coaling. Taylor’s men took the pivotal hilltop, lost it, retook it, and lost it again as Union artillerymen fought with their gun implements and Federal infantrymen from Ohio drove Confederates off the slopes in spirited counterattacks. Finally, on a third surge, the Louisianians, aided by two Virginia infantry regiments, captured and held this key ground, taking five artillery pieces and forcing the Federals to retire from the field. The day was costly, with more than 1100 Federal casualties and about 800 Confederate losses, but Jackson’s victory at Port Republic marked the culmination of a brilliant campaign.
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Virginia · United States
