The First Battle of Kernstown was fought on March 23, 1862, in Frederick County and

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

, the opening battle of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridg ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Attempting to tie down the Union forces in the Valley, under the overall command of Maj. Gen.

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was prominent in local debating societies, ...

, Jackson received incorrect intelligence that a small detachment under Col.

Nathan Kimball Nathan Kimball (November 22, 1822 – January 21, 1898) was a physician, politician, postmaster, and military officer, serving as a general in the Union army during the American Civil War. He was the first statewide commander of the Grand Arm ...

was vulnerable, but it was in fact a full

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

division more than twice the size of Jackson's force. His initial cavalry attack was forced back and he immediately reinforced it with a small infantry brigade. With his other two brigades, Jackson sought to envelop the Union right by way of Sandy Ridge. But Col. Erastus B. Tyler's brigade countered this movement, and, when Kimball's brigade moved to his assistance, the Confederates were driven from the field. There was no effective Union pursuit. Although the battle was a Confederate tactical defeat, it represented a strategic victory for the South by preventing the Union from transferring forces from the Shenandoah Valley to reinforce the Peninsula Campaign against the Confederate capital,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

. Following the earlier

Battle of Hoke's Run The Battle of Hoke's Run, also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Battle of Hainesville, took place on July 2, 1861, in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Manassas campaign of the American Civil War. Notable a ...

, the First Battle of Kernstown may be considered the second among Jackson's rare defeats.

Background

Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign May-June 1862

Jackson's division had been withdrawing "up" the Valley (to the higher elevations at the southwest end of the Valley) to cover the flank of

Gen. The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning"). ...

Joseph E. Johnston's army, withdrawing from the Centreville– Manassas area to protect Richmond. Without this protective movement, the Federal army under Banks might strike at Johnston through passes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. By March 12, 1862, Banks occupied

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

just after Jackson had withdrawn from the town, marching at a leisurely pace 42 miles up the

Valley Pike Valley Pike or Valley Turnpike is the traditional name given for the Indian trail and roadway which now approximates as U.S. Route 11 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Long before the arrival of English colonists, Native Americans of the D ...

to Mount Jackson. On March 21, Jackson received word that Banks was splitting his force, with two divisions (under Brig. Gens. John Sedgwick and

Alpheus S. Williams Alpheus Starkey Williams (September 20, 1810 – December 21, 1878) was a lawyer, judge, journalist, U.S. Congressman, and a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life Williams was born in Deep River, Connecticut. He graduated from Ya ...

) returning to the immediate vicinity of Washington, D.C., freeing up other Union troops to participate in Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign against Richmond. The remaining division, under Brig. Gen. James Shields, was stationed at Strasburg to guard the lower (northeastern) Valley, and intelligence indicated that it was withdrawing toward Winchester. Banks made preparations to leave the Valley personally on March 23. Jackson's orders from Johnston were to prevent Banks's force from leaving the Valley, which it appeared they were now doing. Jackson turned his men around and, in one of the more grueling forced marches of the war, moved northeast 25 miles on March 22 and another 15 to Kernstown on the morning of March 23. His cavalry, under Col. Turner Ashby, skirmished with the Federals on March 22, during which engagement Shields was wounded with a broken arm from an artillery shell fragment. Despite his injury, Shields sent part of his division south of Winchester and one brigade marching to the north, seemingly abandoning the area, but in fact halting nearby to remain in reserve. He then turned over tactical command of his division to Col. Nathan Kimball, who ordered the Second Brigade and some of his own troops along the Valley Turnpike and, despite Shields's orders to pursue the Confederate cavalry, posted 16 guns and 800 infantrymen in a defensive position on the military crest of Prichard's Hill. Confederate loyalists in Winchester mistakenly informed Turner Ashby that Shields had left only four regiments and a few guns (about 3,000 men) and that these remaining troops had orders to march for

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

in the morning. Ashby, who normally had a reputation as a reliable cavalry scout, inexplicably did not verify the civilian reports and passed them on to Jackson. Jackson marched aggressively north with his 3,000-man division, reduced from its peak as stragglers fell out of the column, unaware that he was soon to be attacking almost 9,000 men.

Opposing forces

Key: k = killed, w = wounded

Union

Department of the Shenandoah

Maj. Gen.

(not present)
: Second Division
: Brig. Gen. James Shields (w March 22)
: Col.

:: First Brigade: Col.

::* 14th Indiana Infantry: Lt. Col.

William Harrow William Harrow (November 14, 1822 – September 27, 1872) was an American lawyer and soldier who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Harrow was born in Winchester, Kentucky, United States of America, and wa ...

::*

4th Ohio Infantry The 4th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater in a number of campaigns and battles, but perhaps is most noted for its actions in helping secure Cemetery H ...

: Col. John S. Mason ::* 8th Ohio Infantry: Col.

Samuel S. Carroll Samuel Sprigg "Red" Carroll (September 21, 1832 – January 28, 1893) was a career officer in the United States Army who rose to the rank of brigadier general of the Union during the American Civil War. The Maryland native was most known for ...

::*

67th Ohio Infantry The 67th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 67th Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized by consolidation of recruits for the 67th Ohio Infantry and 45th Ohio Infantry and m ...

: Lt. Col. Alvin C. Voris ::*

84th Pennsylvania Infantry The 84th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 84th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and Camp Curtin (in Harrisburg) begin ...

: Col. William Gray Murray (k) :: Second Brigade: Col.

Jeremiah C. Sullivan Jeremiah Cutler Sullivan (October 1, 1830 – October 21, 1890) was an Indiana lawyer, antebellum United States Navy officer, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was among a handful of former Navy offi ...

::*

5th Ohio Infantry The 5th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from southwestern Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, serving in both the Eastern and Western Theaters in a series of campaigns and battles. It was noted ...

: Lt. Col. John H. Patrick ::* 39th Illinois Infantry (not engaged): Col. Thomas O. Osborn ::* 13th Indiana Infantry: Lt. Col.

Robert Sanford Foster Robert Sanford Foster (January 27, 1834 – March 3, 1903) was an American officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in the Siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign. After the ass ...

::* 62nd Ohio Infantry: Col. Francis Bates Pond :: Third Brigade: Col. Erastus B. Tyler ::* 7th Indiana Infantry: Lt. Col. John F. Creek ::* 7th Ohio Infantry: Lt. Col. William R. Creighton ::* 29th Ohio Infantry: Col. Lewis P. Buckley ::* 110th Pennsylvania Infantry: Col. William D. Lewis Jr. ::* 1st West Virginia Infantry: Col. Thomas Thoburn :: Cavalry Brigade: Col. Thornton F. Brodhead ::* 1st Michigan Cavalry (battalion): Lt. Col. Joseph T. Copeland ::*

1st Ohio Cavalry The 1st Ohio Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 1st Ohio Cavalry Regiment was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio August 17-October 30, 1861, and mustered in f ...

(Cos. A & C): Capt. Nathan D. Menken ::* 1st Squadron Pennsylvania Cavalry: Capt. John Keys ::* 1st West Virginia Cavalry (battalion): Maj. B. F. Chamberlain ::* Independent companies, Maryland cavalry: Capt. Henry A. Cole, Capt. William Firey, and Capt. John Horner :: Artillery: Lt. Col. Philip Daum ::* Battery H, 1st Ohio Light Artillery: Capt. James F. Huntington ::* Battery L, 1st Ohio Light Artillery: Capt. Lucius N. Robinson ::* Battery E, 4th U.S. Artillery: Capt. Joseph C. Clark Jr. ::* Battery "A" West Virginia Light Artillery: Capt. John Jenks ::* Battery "B" West Virginia Light Artillery

Confederate

Valley District, Department of Northern Virginia
Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
: Jackson's Division
: Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
::

Stonewall Brigade The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was a famous combat unit in United States military history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military ...

: Brig. Gen.

Richard B. Garnett Richard Brooke Garnett (November 21, 1817 – July 3, 1863) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was court-martialed by Stonewall Jackson for his actions in command of the Stonewall Briga ...

::* 2nd Virginia Infantry: Col. James W. Allen ::* 4th Virginia Infantry: Lt. Col. Charles A. Ronald, Maj. Albert G. Pendleton ::*

5th Virginia Infantry The 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in the Stonewall Brigade, mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. The re ...

: Col. William H. Harman ::*

27th Virginia Infantry The 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Stonewall Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia. The 27th Virg ...

: Col. John Echols (w), Lt. Col. Andrew J. Grigsby ::*

33rd Virginia Infantry The 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was a part of the famed "Stonewall Brigade," named for General St ...

: Col. Arthur C. Cummings ::* Rockbridge Battery, Virginia Artillery: Capt. William McLaughlin ::* West Augusta Battery, Virginia Artillery: Capt. James Waters ::* Carpenter's (Virginia) Battery: Capt. Joseph Carpenter :: Second (Burks') Brigade: Col. Jesse S. Burks ::* 21st Virginia Infantry: Lt. Col. John M. Patton, Jr. ::* 42nd Virginia Infantry: Lt. Col. Daniel A. Langhorne ::* 48th Virginia Infantry: Col. John A. Campbell (not engaged) ::*

1st Virginia Infantry Battalion The 1st Battalion, Virginia Infantry Regulars, also known as the Irish Battalion, was raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and, served as infantry. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern V ...

(Irish): Capt. David B. Bridgford ::* Hampden Virginia Artilley: Capt. Lawrence S. Marye ::* Pleasant's Virginia Battery (not engaged): Lt. James Pleasants :: Third (Fulkerson's) Brigade: Col. Samuel V. Fulkerson ::*

23rd Virginia Infantry The 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. The 23rd Virginia completed its organ ...

: Lt. Col. Alexander G. Taliaferro ::* 37th Virginia Infantry: Lt. Col. Robert P. Carson ::*

Danville Artillery The Danville Artillery was a Field Artillery in the American Civil War, field artillery Company (military unit), company in the Confederate States Army, Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. It was also referred to informally as ...

, Virginia Artillery: Lt. Albert C. Lanier :: Cavalry: Col. Turner Ashby ::* 7th Virginia Cavalry: Col. Turner Ashby ::* Chew's Virginia Battery: Capt. R. Preston Chew

Battle

Jackson moved north from

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...

and arrived before the Union position at Kernstown around 11 a.m., Sunday, March 23. The devoutly religious Jackson preferred to avoid battles on the

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as ...

, but throughout his Civil War career he did not hesitate when military advantage could be gained. He later wrote to his wife: Jackson performed no personal reconnaissance before he sent Turner Ashby on a

feint Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...

against Kimball's position on the Valley Turnpike while his main force—the brigades of Col. Samuel Fulkerson and Brig. Gen.

(the

, Jackson's own first command)—attacked the Union artillery position on Pritchard Hill. The lead brigade under Fulkerson was repulsed, so Jackson decided to move around the Union right flank, about 2 miles west on Sandy Ridge, which appeared to be unoccupied. If this were successful, his men could move down the spine of the ridge and get into the Union rear, blocking their escape route to Winchester. Kimball countered the maneuver by moving his brigade under Col. Erastus B. Tyler to the west, but Fulkerson's men reached a stone wall facing a clearing on the ridge before the Union men could. Jackson's aide, Sandie Pendleton, obtained a clear view from the ridge of the Union forces arrayed against them and he estimated that there were 10,000. He reported this to Jackson, who replied, "Say nothing about it. We are in for it." Pritchard Hill, Kernstown, Virginia

Around 4 p.m, Tyler attacked Fulkerson and Garnett by using an unorthodox approach with his brigade in "close column of divisions"—a brigade front of two companies with 48 companies lined up behind them in 24 lines, in all about 75 yards wide, and 400 yards long, a formation difficult to control and lacking offensive power at the front. The Confederates were temporarily able to counter this attack with their inferior numbers by firing fierce volleys from behind the stone wall. Jackson, finally realizing the strength of the force opposing him, sent out Col. Jesse Burks's brigade, which had been held in reserve, but by the time they arrived around 6 p.m., Garnett's Stonewall Brigade had run out of ammunition and he pulled them back, leaving Fulkerson's right flank exposed. Panic set in among the Confederates, and as Burks's brigade arrived, it was caught in the fleeing mob and forced to retreat. Jackson tried in vain to rally his troops. He called out to a soldier "Where are you going, man?" The soldier replied that he was out of ammunition. "Then go back and give them the bayonet!" Jackson said. However, the soldier ignored him and kept running. Kimball organized no effective pursuit. That night, a cavalryman sat with Jackson by a campfire alongside the Valley Pike and jokingly said "It was reported that they were retreating, General, but I guess they were retreating after us." Jackson, not known for his sense of humor, replied, "I think I am satisfied, sir."

Aftermath

Union casualties were 590 (118 killed, 450 wounded, 22 captured or missing), Confederate 718 (80 killed, 375 wounded, 263 captured or missing). Despite the Union victory,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

was disturbed by Jackson's audacity and his potential threat to Washington. He sent Banks back to the Valley along with Alpheus Williams's division. He also was concerned that Jackson might move into western Virginia against Maj. Gen.

John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...

, so he ordered that the division of Brig. Gen.

Louis Blenker Louis Blenker (July 31, 1812 – October 31, 1863) was a German revolutionary and American soldier. Life in Germany He was born at Worms, Germany. After being trained as a goldsmith by an uncle in Kreuznach, he was sent to a polytechnical ...

be detached from McClellan's Army of the Potomac and sent to reinforce Frémont. Lincoln also took this opportunity to re-examine Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's plans for the defenses of Washington while the Peninsula Campaign was underway and decided that the forces were insufficient. He eventually ordered that the corps of Maj. Gen.

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command ...

, which was moving south against Richmond in support of McClellan, remain in the vicinity of the capital. McClellan claimed that the loss of these forces prevented him from taking Richmond during his campaign. The strategic realignment of Union forces caused by Jackson's battle at Kernstown—the only battle he lost in his military career—turned out to be a strategic victory for the Confederacy. The remainder of Jackson's Valley Campaign consisted of lightning movements and five victories against superior forces organized into three Union armies, which elevated him to the position of the most famous general in the Confederacy (until this reputation was later supplanted by his superior, Gen.

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

). Jackson refused to accept any responsibility for the defeat and subsequently arrested the commander of his old

, Brig. Gen.

, for retreating from the battlefield before permission was received. The Stonewall Brigade's withdrawal, which came after it received the bulk of the Union fire and suffered the majority of Confederate casualties, uncovered the right of Fulkerson's Brigade, forcing it to also withdraw and starting a panic. He was replaced by Brig. Gen.

Charles S. Winder Charles Sidney Winder (October 18, 1829 – August 9, 1862), was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general officer in the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Early life and c ...

. During the invasion of Maryland in September, Robert E. Lee ordered the charges against him dropped, but Garnett suffered from the humiliation of his court-martial for over a year, until he was killed at Gettysburg during

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the ...

. A

Second Battle of Kernstown The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought on July 24, 1864, at Kernstown, Virginia, outside Winchester, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of the Valley under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Ear ...

occurred in the Valley Campaigns of 1864.

Battlefield preservation

The

Civil War Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. T ...

(a division of the

American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. T ...

) and its partners have acquired and preserved of the First Kernstown battlefield. The Kernstown Battlefield Association owns and operates the Kernstown battlefields on the 1854 Pritchard-Grim Farm three miles southwest of Winchester, Va. The park has walking trails, a small museum and a visitor's center inside the farmhouse.

First Kernstown battlefield page. Accessed May 28, 2018.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

National Park Service battle description

Battle of Kernstown in ''Encyclopedia Virginia''

* ttp://www.kernstownbattle.org/ Kernstown Battlefield Association
NPS report on battlefield condition

''West Point Atlas'' map of Jackson's Valley Campaign
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kernstown Kernstown I Kernstown I Kernstown I Kernstown I Kernstown Winchester, Virginia 1862 in the American Civil War 1862 in Virginia March 1862 events