- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
Part I - Affair at Middletown
Once Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's combined forces had smashed and captured most of Col. John Kenly's small force at Front Royal and Cedarville, he briefly paused before commencing the next step of his celebrated Valley Campaign. http://civilwartalk.com/threads/jacksons-valley-campaign-the-battle-of-front-royal.113772/ He had outflanked his opponent, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, whose command lay a mere ten miles west at Strasburg, and was nearer the objective of Winchester than Banks, but was unsure exactly what course the Federal commander would take, so he paused for the night. Meanwhile Banks began receiving reports on the disaster that had befallen his outpost at Front Royal which lay at the northern end of the Massanutten Mountain, seen above from Hupp's Hill just north of Strasburg. At first, he discounted the danger he was in, but finally yielded to his subordinates and ordered a retreat to begin the night of May 23 - 24, 1862.
Credit: Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW
The map above shows the relative positions of both armies that night; Jackson heard nothing about Bank's move, so he sent some cavalry under Brig. Gen. George H. "Maryland" Steuart from Cedarville to Newtown on the Valley Pike between Strasburg and Winchester. When Steuart sent word of massive Federal wagon trains moving north on the pike, Jackson knew for sure that Banks was retreating in that direction; then began a race for Winchester in which Banks had several advantages. The first of these was the march he had stolen in the night; though Jackson was a bit nearer the city, the back roads he was on made for slower marching than the hard-surfaced Valley Pike. Also, unknown to Jackson, Banks sent part of his force north on the Cedar Creek Road, thereby shortening the length of his road column on the pike. Jackson's Division, accompanied by Turner Ashby's cavalry, cut across from Cedarville to Middletown while Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Division continued north on the Front Royal - Winchester Road.
When Jackson and his command reached Middletown on the Valley Pike the road was clogged with fleeing Federal wagons and teams, mixed with some fast-marching troops. The marker above in front of Larrick's Tavern (now part of the Wayside Inn complex, dating to 1742) commemorates the action here on the main street (U.S. 11/the Valley Pike) that soon degenerated into pandemonium and rout when Confederate artillery opened on the throng, followed by Ashby's charging troopers. Eyewitnesses described the milling and confusion mingled with overturned and burning wagons; their spilled contents being pillaged; and prisoners taken while those who were able fled.
Unfortunately for Jackson's overall plan to destroy his opponent, he had only struck the tail end of Banks' column here on the pike, allowing most of the infantry and artillery to escape. Jackson had no choice but to try to pry his men away from the captured supply wagons and prod them in pursuit of the Federals. Not for the last time were local buildings like the church below pressed into service as makeshift hospitals here - Middletown would see much heavier fighting over two years later in the Battle of Cedar Creek.
Next, collision at Winchester.
Once Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's combined forces had smashed and captured most of Col. John Kenly's small force at Front Royal and Cedarville, he briefly paused before commencing the next step of his celebrated Valley Campaign. http://civilwartalk.com/threads/jacksons-valley-campaign-the-battle-of-front-royal.113772/ He had outflanked his opponent, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, whose command lay a mere ten miles west at Strasburg, and was nearer the objective of Winchester than Banks, but was unsure exactly what course the Federal commander would take, so he paused for the night. Meanwhile Banks began receiving reports on the disaster that had befallen his outpost at Front Royal which lay at the northern end of the Massanutten Mountain, seen above from Hupp's Hill just north of Strasburg. At first, he discounted the danger he was in, but finally yielded to his subordinates and ordered a retreat to begin the night of May 23 - 24, 1862.
The map above shows the relative positions of both armies that night; Jackson heard nothing about Bank's move, so he sent some cavalry under Brig. Gen. George H. "Maryland" Steuart from Cedarville to Newtown on the Valley Pike between Strasburg and Winchester. When Steuart sent word of massive Federal wagon trains moving north on the pike, Jackson knew for sure that Banks was retreating in that direction; then began a race for Winchester in which Banks had several advantages. The first of these was the march he had stolen in the night; though Jackson was a bit nearer the city, the back roads he was on made for slower marching than the hard-surfaced Valley Pike. Also, unknown to Jackson, Banks sent part of his force north on the Cedar Creek Road, thereby shortening the length of his road column on the pike. Jackson's Division, accompanied by Turner Ashby's cavalry, cut across from Cedarville to Middletown while Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Division continued north on the Front Royal - Winchester Road.
When Jackson and his command reached Middletown on the Valley Pike the road was clogged with fleeing Federal wagons and teams, mixed with some fast-marching troops. The marker above in front of Larrick's Tavern (now part of the Wayside Inn complex, dating to 1742) commemorates the action here on the main street (U.S. 11/the Valley Pike) that soon degenerated into pandemonium and rout when Confederate artillery opened on the throng, followed by Ashby's charging troopers. Eyewitnesses described the milling and confusion mingled with overturned and burning wagons; their spilled contents being pillaged; and prisoners taken while those who were able fled.
Unfortunately for Jackson's overall plan to destroy his opponent, he had only struck the tail end of Banks' column here on the pike, allowing most of the infantry and artillery to escape. Jackson had no choice but to try to pry his men away from the captured supply wagons and prod them in pursuit of the Federals. Not for the last time were local buildings like the church below pressed into service as makeshift hospitals here - Middletown would see much heavier fighting over two years later in the Battle of Cedar Creek.
Next, collision at Winchester.
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