Jackson's Valley Campaign
From Dixiepedia: The PC-Free Encyclopedia
Campaign (a series of battles or engagements arranged geographically, chronologically and functionally to achieve a strategic purpose) in the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1862.
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Context
In the second spring of war, events were proceeding badly for the Confederacy. In February, the Confederates lost Nashville. In April, New Orleans, and in the largest battle of the war to date, Shiloh, the Confederates confirmed the loss of central Tennessee. In the east, McClellan's Army of the Potomac had moved by sea to the Peninsula (between the James and York Rivers) and then proceeded up the Peninsula to within a few miles of Richmond. Joe Johnston, commander of the Army of Virginia, outside Richmond, had small detachments spread across the Old dominion on May 1st. Near Richmond, with Johnston was the largest detachment, consisting of 50,000 men. Near Fredericksburg, was a brigade under L. O'B. Branch with 3,000 men. Near Greene County, was Dick Ewell's Division of 6,000 men. Commanding the Army of the Valley District was Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, with about 8,000. West of Staunton, near the Augusta-Highland County border was "Alleghany" Johnson with about 2,600 men. Each of these faced a large Union forces: Johnson faced Fremont's army in Highland, Jackson opposed Bank's Army of the Shenandoah in Harrisonburg. Branch faced McDowell's Corps in Fredericksburg.
Orders
Johnston, being the overall Confederate Commander in Virginia, ordered Jackson to create a diversion or prepare to come to Richmond for the climactic battle Johnston foresaw there. Jackson was loathe to leave the Valley, so he developed a plan to seize the initiative in the Valley. He asked Ewell to come over the Blue Ridge and replace him at Elk Run Gap. Jackson then moved south, hoping to link up with Alleghany" Johnson, and defeat Fremont's force. He moved to Brown's Gap. The roads to Staunton were so bad from frequent rains that Jackson adopted an unusual expedient: he climbed over the Blue Ridge there, and took trains to Staunton. This move confused Union commanders and even Jackson's own men, but it worked. On May 6th, the last of Jackson's units, the Stonewall Brigade, marched out of Staunton to the west. They linked up with Alleghany Johnson's small force, and confronted a Union force outside the village of McDowell on May 8th. The 6,500 man Union force launched a spoiling attack, and caused some damage to Jackson's 6,000 man army, then retreated toward Franklin, Virginia (now West Virginia). At Franklin, Fremont had assembled a large force, and Jackson could not attack it to any advantage, so he decided to return to the Valley and attack Banks.
Crisis of the Campaign
Ewell had been waiting in the Valley during Jackson's absence, watching Banks' small army. Just as Jackson was about to proceed with his attack against Banks, Ewell received orders from Joe Johnston to come to Richmond. Jackson, on his own authority, ordered Ewell not to follow those orders while Jackson sought clarification from Richmond. On the promise that he would retain more Union troops in the Valley than the number of Confederate troops he could bring to Richmond, Jackson was allowed to proceed with his offensive against Banks, as long as he did not attack Banks in any fortifications. Ewell proceeded North "down" the Valley on the east side of Massanutten Mountain, while Jackson moved north to the west of that mountain. At New Market, Jackson's troops crossed over Massanutten, and, with Ewell in the lead, attacked the small Union garrison at Front Royal, killing or capturing the vast majority of the 1,000 man garrison. Banks became aware of this serious threat to his flank and read, and fell back during the next day toward Winchester. Once Jackson ascertained that Banks was moving on Winchester, he followed. Jackson's Division along the Valley Pike, Ewell along the Front Royal-Winchester road. After a long and tiring stop-and-go march into the wee hours, Jackson halted his command just south of Winchester. It was at this point that the famous incident occurred in which Jackson stood watch over his sleeping troops.
The 16,000 Confederates attacked at dawn, striking the Union position near where the Handley High School now stands. The Louisiana Brigade broke the Union line and the 6,500 Yankees fled precipitously toward the Potomac, much of the force getting away because the Confederate cavalry was not properly positioned and was poorly utilized in the pursuit.
At this point, President Lincoln had had enough of Jackson, and ordered a combined force of around 46,000 troops (under Fremont, Shields and Banks) to concentrate against Jackson and wipe his force out. Jackson got wind of the coming Yankee force, and escaped south up the Valley just before the Yankee pincers were closed. Fremont and Shields pursued Jackson up the Valley to the vicinity of Port Republic, which was important because of the bridges over the branches of the Shenandoah River there. Turner Ashby, Jackson's charismatic and aggressive cavalry commander was killed fighting a rear-guard action near Harrisonburg on June 6th. On June 8th, Ewell turned attacked Fremont's 11,500 man force with Ewell's 5,800 and drove Fremont back in some disorder. The next day, Jackson's 6,000 men attacked Shield's advance guard of 3,500. After a fierce struggle, the Louisiana Brigade of Dick Taylor seized the key to the Union position, "The Coaling" and the Yankees retreated.
Impact of the Campaign
In this campaign, between May 3rd and June 9th, Jackson's men marched 385 miles in 35 days, crossed eleven mountain ranges, fought five major battles and numerous smaller engagements. Jackson succeeded in keeping 40,000 troops away from McClellan outside Richmond. The campaign was a masterpiece of daring, aggressiveness, movement, and skill.
Bibliography
For further reading, see
Robert G. Tanner, Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign.
G. F. R. Henderson, Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War
William Allan and Jed Hotchkiss, Campaign of Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley
Jed Hotchkiss, Make Me a Map of the Valley
John O. Casler's Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade
John H. Worsham, One of Jackson's Foot Cavalry
