Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign: Pursuit of Banks Through Winchester

James N.

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Part I - Affair at Middletown
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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.



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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.

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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.

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Next, collision at Winchester.
 
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The First Battle of Winchester, May 25, 1862
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Unfortunately most of the locations of units and battles that make up the several battles of Kernstown and Winchester have been built over or changed unrecognizably in the past half-century since these Centennial markers were placed; they still stand along U.S. 11 (the Valley Pike) but are almost invisible among the urban sprawl.

The retreating army of Nathaniel Banks, now only between 5 - 6,000 strong reached Winchester by nightfall of May 24, and took position on a widely dispersed front covering the southern approaches to the town. Though Jackson attempted to harry his men in pursuit, his subordinates convinced him that if they continued at the pace he demanded there would be no one left in the ranks by morning. He reluctantly called a halt a few miles south of town and began his dispositions for attack the next morning.

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The battle for Winchester commenced on Jackson's right near Abram's Delight, the oldest house in town, now a city park and information center. Here Richard Ewell deployed his men and began to press the Union left. Meanwhile Jackson ordered forward the Stonewall Brigade near the signage above, but it was soon halted by a storm of Federal artillery and infantry fire. The Louisiana brigade of Richard Taylor was brought over from reserve to outflank the Union right; soon under concentrated pressure all along the line the Federals began to give way.

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Banks' men turned and fled through the streets of Winchester in a stampede that resembled what happened on the first day at Gettysburg a year later, passing many structures that still stand, like the house above that had been Jackson's headquarters only three months earlier. The house below later served as headquarters for Union occupiers like Robert H. Milroy in 1863 and Phil Sheridan in 1864.

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Jackson was received by the populace in delirium as shown in the painting below. The scene is on Winchester's Loudon Street in front of the Taylor House Hotel that had also earlier been his headquarters when he first arrived the previous November.
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The Frederick County Courthouse below had then an enclosed front yard that became a holding prison for the many Federals captured here or taken as they straggled northward towards the Potomac and safety. The yard held an estimated 800 men while others were crowded into the building's interior. (Previously it had been used for the same purpose, but that time it had been Jackson's men captured in March at Kernstown.) In the combined battles at Front Royal and Winchester Banks had lost nearly 3,000 men, almost half his force on hand. Jackson did not linger to enjoy his reception at Winchester, soon pressing his army on to threaten Harpers Ferry and Williamsport, Md. on the Potomac.

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For the next phase of the Valley Campaign: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/jacksons-valley-campaign-the-battle-of-harrisonburg.114382/
 
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Another great battle thread! Taylor's Louisianans sure could fight; they swept everything before them in this one.
 
Another great battle thread! Taylor's Louisianans sure could fight; they swept everything before them in this one.

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Thanks, indeed! Here's Bradley Schmehl's interpretation of Taylors' charge here at Winchester called Tigers to the Rescue! depicting Wheat's Battalion.
 
Time for a *BUMP* since this is the anniversary of this phase of the Valley Campaign!
 
The First Battle of Winchester, May 25, 1862
View attachment 68477 Unfortunately most of the locations of units and battles that make up the several battles of Kernstown and Winchester have been built over or changed unrecognizably in the past half-century since these Centennial markers were placed; they still stand along U.S. 11 (the Valley Pike) but are almost invisible among the urban sprawl.

The retreating army of Nathaniel Banks, now only between 5 - 6,000 strong reached Winchester by nightfall of May 24, and took position on a widely dispersed front covering the southern approaches to the town. Though Jackson attempted to harry his men in pursuit, his subordinates convinced him that if they continued at the pace he demanded there would be no one left in the ranks by morning. He reluctantly called a halt a few miles south of town and began his dispositions for attack the next morning.

winchester-008-jpg.jpg


The battle for Winchester commenced on Jackson's right near Abram's Delight, the oldest house in town, now a city park and information center. Here Richard Ewell deployed his men and began to press the Union left. Meanwhile Jackson ordered forward the Stonewall Brigade near the signage above, but it was soon halted by a storm of Federal artillery and infantry fire. The Louisiana brigade of Richard Taylor was brought over from reserve to outflank the Union right; soon under concentrated pressure all along the line the Federals began to give way.

View attachment 68480
Banks' men turned and fled through the streets of Winchester in a stampede that resembled what happened on the first day at Gettysburg a year later, passing many structures that still stand, like the house above that had been Jackson's headquarters only three months earlier. The house below later served as headquarters for Union occupiers like Robert H. Milroy in 1863 and Phil Sheridan in 1864.

View attachment 68479

Jackson was received by the populace in delirium as shown in the painting below. The scene is on Winchester's Loudon Street in front of the Taylor House Hotel that had also earlier been his headquarters when he first arrived the previous November.
View attachment 100828

The Frederick County Courthouse below had then an enclosed front yard that became a holding prison for the many Federals captured here or taken as they straggled northward towards the Potomac and safety. The yard held an estimated 800 men while others were crowded into the building's interior. (Previously it had been used for the same purpose, but that time it had been Jackson's men captured in March at Kernstown.) In the combined battles at Front Royal and Winchester Banks had lost nearly 3,000 men, almost half his force on hand. Jackson did not linger to enjoy his reception at Winchester, soon pressing his army on to threaten Harpers Ferry and Williamsport, Md. on the Potomac.

View attachment 68478

For the next phase of the Valley Campaign: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/jacksons-valley-campaign-the-battle-of-harrisonburg.114382/
James, great pictures, great post.
 
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Here's a *BUMP* for the anniversary of the battle!
An alternate view:

The dispatch this morning received from Gen. BANKS, dated at Williamsport, Md., and announcing the belief that his whole force, trains and all, would cross the Potomac in safety, was hailed with the liveliest satisfaction. The dispatch from the Secretary of War which Gen. BANKS refers to as having read to his troops amid the liveliest cheers, is understood to have contained the thanks of the President and Secretary, for his excellent conduct of the retreat. High military authority pronounces it one of the most masterly movements of the war, and regular officers here, who have been slow to acknowledge the generalship of Gen. BANKS, now accord to him great tact and ability as a commander. The fact that at Winchester, with a small force of less than five thousand men, he stubbornly held his ground, and resisted the enemy's force of three times his own, and afterwards retreated in order, is taken as evidence of superior generalship. -- New York Times, Monday, May 26.

Few generals could, with a force so disproportionate, have been equal to Gen. Banks--fewer still would have had the bravery even to defend their supplies in so masterly a manner. There was no confusion, no flinching. -- Mary A Dennison (nurse and writer who accompanied the army), quoted in Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5. Frank Moore, Ed.

" Banks's retreat to the north side of the Potomac, without the loss of a gun and with a very small loss in men, is rightly accounted one of the most brilliant military operations of the war. Jackson's disappointment at the escape of the prey he already deemed secured was severe." - Harpers Weekly, December 6, 1862
 
An alternate view:

The dispatch this morning received from Gen. BANKS, dated at Williamsport, Md., and announcing the belief that his whole force, trains and all, would cross the Potomac in safety, was hailed with the liveliest satisfaction. The dispatch from the Secretary of War which Gen. BANKS refers to as having read to his troops amid the liveliest cheers, is understood to have contained the thanks of the President and Secretary, for his excellent conduct of the retreat. High military authority pronounces it one of the most masterly movements of the war, and regular officers here, who have been slow to acknowledge the generalship of Gen. BANKS, now accord to him great tact and ability as a commander. The fact that at Winchester, with a small force of less than five thousand men, he stubbornly held his ground, and resisted the enemy's force of three times his own, and afterwards retreated in order, is taken as evidence of superior generalship. -- New York Times, Monday, May 26.

Few generals could, with a force so disproportionate, have been equal to Gen. Banks--fewer still would have had the bravery even to defend their supplies in so masterly a manner. There was no confusion, no flinching. -- Mary A Dennison (nurse and writer who accompanied the army), quoted in Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5. Frank Moore, Ed.

" Banks's retreat to the north side of the Potomac, without the loss of a gun and with a very small loss in men, is rightly accounted one of the most brilliant military operations of the war. Jackson's disappointment at the escape of the prey he already deemed secured was severe." - Harpers Weekly, December 6, 1862
They really had their spin masters working overtime on those - It's almost as bad as some "editions" of the Civil War News!
 
They really had their spin masters working overtime on those - It's almost as bad as some "editions" of the Civil War News!
Speaking of which, it's time to *BUMP* this thread again for the anniversary of the battle:

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(DO note that both the date and nature of this battle are wrong in the above depiction!)
 
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A *BUMP* for the 160th anniversary of this episode in Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign!
 
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