How Much Did Kernstown Matter?

[jackbluelight]

At the Battle of Kernstown on March 23, 1862, Thomas Jackson attacked a force under James Shields that was three times the size of his own. Jackson lost the battle, but Federal Commanders were baffled by this action, and suspected that he was a part of a much larger army in the Shenandoah Valley. As a result, Ervin McDowell's 37,000 man corps, which was on its way to join McClellan in the Penninsular Campaign, was told to stay put in Northern Va. Jackson goes down as a hero for saving Richmond. Does anybody think that McDowell's Corps would have turned the tide in the Penninsular Campaign?

[gary]

If Little Napoleon was still leading the Army of the Potomac, he'd still ask Lincoln for more men.

[wt_jimbos]

That's an interesting question, because it could have effected the placement or concentration of force of the army. If some of these 37,000 men where involved in some of the seven days battles, the confederate forces could have faced more opposition, and this could have made some battles much more ugly for them, one that really comes to mind would be Gaines Mill. McClellan would have continued to retreat, but would Marvern Hill have been an option for Lee if some of the previous actions were more costly?

[jackbluelight]

I tend to believe that had McClellan received McDowell's division, McClellan would have found himself facing a rebel army of 500,000.

[ben_ross]

I don't know about that, McClellan was preparing things for an attack, and he was slowly advancing little by little.

[jackbluelight]

McClellan was the master of preparation, no doubt about that.

[gary]

Mr. Casey Francis Johnson.

[johan_steele]

I believe Mr Johnson is a master of the understatement.

[rivrrat]

Little Mac was a master of preparation. But he didn't know the meaning of the words "initiate the advance."

[lrd89]

It's said that Lincoln was so angry with McClellan for not advancing that he asked to "borrow the army since you're not using it". Ouch! McClellan also imagined that rebel forces were many times larger than they were.