Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign

Overview

• Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the Civil War.

• Employing audacity and rapid, unpredictable movements on interior lines, Jackson's 17,000 men marched 646 miles  in 48 days and won several minor battles as they successfully engaged three Union armies (52,000 men), preventing them from reinforcing the Union offensive against Richmond.

• Jackson was defeated at the First Battle of Kernstown (March 23, 1862) by Col. Nathan Kimball who was part of Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' army. 

• The loss proved to be a strategic Confederate victory because President Abraham Lincoln reinforced his Valley forces with troops that had originally been designated for the Peninsula Campaign against Richmond.

• On May 8, after more than a month of skirmishing with Banks, Jackson moved deceptively to the west of the Valley and drove back elements of Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont's army in the Battle of McDowell, preventing a potential combination of the two Union armies against him.

• Jackson then headed down the Valley once again to confront Banks.

• Concealing his movement in the Luray Valley, Jackson joined forces with Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell and captured the Federal garrison at Front Royal on May 23, causing Banks to retreat to the north.

• On May 25, in the First Battle of Winchester, Jackson defeated Banks and pursued him until the Union Army crossed the Potomac River into Maryland.

• Bringing in Union reinforcements from eastern Virginia, Brig. Gen. James Shields recaptured Front Royal and planned to link up with Frémont in Strasburg.

• Jackson was now threatened by three small Union armies.

• Withdrawing up the Valley from Winchester, Jackson was pursued by Frémont and Shields.

• On June 8, Ewell defeated Frémont in the Battle of Cross Keys and on the following day, crossed the North River to join forces with Jackson to defeat Shields in the Battle of Port Republic, bringing the campaign to a close.

• Battles

  • Kernstown I, VA - March 23, 1862 B

  • McDowell, VA - May 8, 1862 C¹

  • Front Royal, VA - May 23, 1862 C¹

  • Winchester I, VA - May 25, 1862 A

  • Cross Keys, VA - June 8, 1862 B

  • Port Republic, VA - June 9, 1862 B

Class

• The class will cover Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign from March through May.  The battles discussed will include Kernstown I, Winchester I, Cross Keys, Port Republic, and Front Royal. 

• Battle Maps

  • Jackson's Valley Campaign - Wikipedia

• Battle Animations by Civil War Animated

  • The Valley Campaign

• Class 1 - Kernstown to McDowell

• Class 2 - Front Royal to Port Republic

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Resources

Links

• Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley, 1863-1865

• Kernstown Battlefield Association

• Battle of Kernstown: Stonewall Jackson's Only Defeat - Historynet.com

• First Battle of Winchester

• The Battle of Cross Keys - Wikipedia

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