Battle of Winchester II
Encyclopedia
The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863 in Frederick County
and Winchester, Virginia
as part of the Gettysburg Campaign
during the American Civil War
. As Confederate
Lieutenant General
Richard S. Ewell
moved down the Shenandoah Valley
in the direction of Pennsylvania
, his corps defeated the Union Army
garrison commanded by Major General
Robert H. Milroy
, capturing Winchester and numerous Union prisoners.
, June 9, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee
ordered Ewell's 19,000-man Second Corps
, Army of Northern Virginia
, to clear the lower Shenandoah Valley of Union opposition so that Lee's army could proceed on its invasion of Pennsylvania, shielded by the Blue Ridge Mountains
from Union interference.
General-in-chief Henry Wager Halleck
expressed great concerns about the Middle Department's defensive strategy for its primary objective of protecting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
corridor. Brig. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Kelley
, commander of the "railroad division" (Department of Harper's Ferry), had been advised that his plan along with Maj. Gen. Milroy's and Maj. Gen. Robert C. Schenck
's (Commander of the Middle Department) was unsound:
2nd Division, VIII Corps
Maj. Gen. Robert H. Milroy's force of 6,900 consisted of three infantry brigades, under Brig. Gen. Washington L. Elliot and Cols. Andrew T. McReynolds and William G. Ely, and two small outposts northwest of town under Col. Joseph W. Keifer.
toward Pennsylvania by using the Blue Ridge Mountains as a screen. This strategic offensive maneuver was put into effect on 3 June, when Gen. Robert E. Lee stated his intent to "transfer the scene of hostilities beyond the Potomac", by moving in a concealed fashion down the Shenandoah Valley.
Longstreet's First Corps (via Snickers Gap
) and Hill's Third Corps (via Ashby's Gap
) paralleled the movements of Second Corps to the east through Berryville, Virginia
, and Stuart's Cavalry Division was under orders for careful synchronization and screening for Lee's Army by conducting demonstrations and screening actions along the ANV's right flank east of the Blue Ridge.
, arriving 7 June. Receiving intelligence that Union forces had crossed the Rappahannock River
in force, Lee ordered Ewell northeast to Brandy Station, Virginia
on 9 June, to support Major General J.E.B. Stuart
's actions in the Battle of Brandy Station
, only to find the Union forces already retreating. Ewell resumed the march on 10 June, and on 11 June Early and Johnson's Divisions marched via the Sperryville turnpike to Gaines crossroads, while Rodes' Division took the Richmond road toward Flint Hill. On the evening of the 11th, after consulting with General Lee, Ewell met with Early, Johnson and the Second Corps topographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss, to discuss approach routes, and a general plan for the Second Corps' objective to capture Winchester and Martinsburg
.
June 12 : The Second Corps passed through Chester's Gap southeast of Front Royal, Virginia
, approaching along the Front Royal Pike (modern U.S. 522). There the Second Corps was joined by its cavalry brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins
. Ewell consulted with Early and Jenkins to form his corps-level plan of action, composed of splitting the corps into two basic independent movements:
By the end of the day on 12 June, Rodes' Division was five miles north of Front Royal, encamped at Stone Bridge, while Johnson's Division arrived at Cedarville, and Early's Division was encamped near the Shenandoah River
.
and lookout for Confederates raiding in and out of both Snicker's Gap and Ashby's Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the eastern border of the valley. In response, Milroy posted McReynolds' brigade in Berryville, with orders to evacuate to Winchester upon the signal of the firing of one of the heavy artillery guns.
's rangers in the weeks and months leading up to June; however, the records of Mosby's Rangers do not corroborate or mention most of these engagements Milroy's farthest outlying videttes to the south were located at or near Parkins Mill Battery at the Opequon Creek
crossing, a mere four miles south of Winchester. Other reports of Federal videttes to the west of Winchester were never seen or encountered by Confederate forces.
Winchester was heavily fortified by forts and lunette
s circumferencing the town, as well as along the outlying turnpike routes entering town. Within Winchester, Milroy constructed or improved ten defensive fortifications, numbered Battery No. 1 through Battery No. 10, making improvements on many pre-existing forts and fortifications left by prior Confederate and Federal occupations. The fortifications were linked in places with roads and trenches, and the use of these were a key to Milroy's defensive strategy. Through a combination of retreating his forces into the defensive works, and then using his long-range heavy artillery, Milroy felt that he could hold out for weeks (if not months) against any force that may be thrown against him.
During the battle, Milroy concentrated his forces on the ridges west of town in his three highest and most improved forts connected by trenches. The larger forts were named:
The lesser fortifications initially used, but abandoned by Milroy during the course of the battle were:
For further information see:The Occupation of Major General Robert Milroy
, and understood the layout of the various fortifications and terrain masking opportunities on the west side of town. Therefore, Ewell further split his main attack force of two divisions into two basic flanking movements:
and move north on the Valley Pike
. Arriving at the outskirts of Kernstown
light infantry and artillery engagements commenced around noon. Late in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., Early pushed back Federal skirmishers at the Valley Pike toll-gate and after minor engagements, the Federal forces retreated north of Abrams Creek
.
, along with 75 prisoners. Subsequently Confederate forces cut the telegram line into Winchester, eliminating Milroy's only line of communication, and by sundown on 13 June Rodes' Division had reached Martinsburg, capturing the town along with five Federal artillery pieces. The night of 13 June a storm arose, and a strong rain drenched Winchester and the lower Valley all night long.
disengaged and joined the rear of the column, leaving one brigade (Jones) astride the Berryville Pike east of town.
, Milroy and his officers made the decision to try to "cut their way through" to Harpers Ferry on the old Charles Town Road, the very same road that Confederate Johnson and his division were marching toward to cut off. All of the cannons were spiked and their carriages destroyed. Shortly after midnight, the Federal soldiers pulled their colors and left their works so quietly that Early's Confederates did not know they were gone until morning. The column massed in the low ground between Star Fort and Fort Milroy, then moved down along the railroad line and the Valley Pike toward the Charles Town crossroad, just south of Stephenson's Depot.
into Federally-controlled territory.
This prisoner count seems to include the capture of all the Federal wounded hospitalized in Winchester, since Ewell's topographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss counts about 2,000 prisoners from the town, along with an estimate of about 1,500 that escaped to Harper's Ferry, along with more prisoners captured during pursuits from the Confederate cavalry. When Milroy appeared later in Harpers Ferry, he was immediately placed under arrest. Shortly after Schenck reported Milroy's arrest had expired, Aide-de-Camp Capt. Frederick A. Palmer, 18th Connecticut Infantry, reported in an extensive and detailed table of all units, summarized:
Thus, while Ewell reports 4,000 captured,the VIII Corps
reports 144 Officers and 3856 Enlisted men missing or captured, which also adds to 4,000. Captain Palmer summarized the Union losses at a total of 4,443 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades from the 2nd Division, VIII Corps including all independent attachments.
Johnson's Division, alone, captured 3,500 prisoners in the action at Stephenson's Depot, and this is not surprising, since this is the only major engagement of the war in which an entire Division column was attacked at night while route-marching on a road. General Johnson claimed to have taken 30 prisoners "with his opera glass!" as well as "11 stands of colors, 175 horses, and arms and accoutrements of every description".
Some casualty estimates range lower. Eicher writes that Confederate casualties were 269 (47 killed, 219 wounded, 3 missing); Union 3,801 (95 killed, 348 wounded, 3,358 missing or captured). Difficult to account for in the records are additional numbers of captured Union soldiers from the many hospitals in Winchester.
The casualty ratio in this engagement of two divisions against one was an amazing 269 to 4,443 or 0.06 ... the most lopsided for an engagement of this size in the entire war. It's no wonder that Confederate artillerist Maj. Robert Stiles wrote, "This battle of Winchester ... was one of the most perfect pieces of work the Army of Northern Virginia ever did."
Following this battle, a Court of Inquiry was held, and both President Abraham Lincoln and Halleck desired to know who disobeyed the orders to "evacuate Winchester". President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Milroy:
The nature of the inquiry was later changed from investigating who disobeyed orders to evacuate Winchester, to the discovery of the events and nature of the retreat from Winchester. Milroy was exonerated and claimed that his brilliant defensive action at Winchester was instrumental in causing the timing of the Battle of Gettysburg
, leading to the overall Union victory for the campaign. Despite this, Halleck insisted that Milroy not be given any more commands.
Contribution to Lee's Gettysburg Campaign
The victory at Second Winchester cleared the Valley of Federal troops and opened the door for Lee's second invasion of the North. The capturing of ample supplies justified Lee's conceptual plan to provision his army on the march. The Federal defeat stunned the North, and Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton
called for additional militia to be federalized. Shortly afterwards, President Lincoln requested 100,000 volunteers to repel the threatened invasion. Several fleeing members of the scattered 87th Pennsylvania hastily tramped back to their homes near Gettysburg and in adjoining York County, Pennsylvania
, spreading news to local officials that the Confederates were now in the Valley in strength, with apparent designs on invading Pennsylvania. Gov. Andrew Curtin of Pennsylvania, in response to these reports and other military intelligence, called for 50,000 volunteers to protect the Keystone State.
, to forage and reconnoiter. Ewell placed his Second Corps Headquarters about 3 miles north of Winchester and then at Mr. Boyd's house near Bunker's Hill. The captured flag of Fort Milroy was used to create a new Confederate flag, and Ewell and Early attended a christening ceremony in which the new flag was hosted, and the fort officially renamed "Fort Jackson" in honor of the recently slain former Second Corps commander. Topographer Jedediah Hotchkiss then commenced an all day survey, creating his now famous map of the battle which appears at the head of this article.
for their actions.
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
and Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
as part of the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. As Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell
Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...
moved down the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
in the direction of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, his corps defeated the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
garrison commanded by Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Robert H. Milroy
Robert H. Milroy
Robert Huston Milroy was a lawyer, judge, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War, most noted for his defeat at the Second Battle of Winchester in 1863.-Early life:...
, capturing Winchester and numerous Union prisoners.
Background
After the Battle of Brandy StationBattle of Brandy Station
The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest to take place ever on American soil. It was fought at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign by the Union cavalry under Maj....
, June 9, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
ordered Ewell's 19,000-man Second Corps
Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. It was officially created and named following the Battle of Sharpsburg in 1862, but comprised units in a corps organization for quite...
, Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
, to clear the lower Shenandoah Valley of Union opposition so that Lee's army could proceed on its invasion of Pennsylvania, shielded by the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
from Union interference.
General-in-chief Henry Wager Halleck
Henry Wager Halleck
Henry Wager Halleck was a United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory, "Old Brains." He was an important participant in the admission of California as a state and became a successful lawyer and land developer...
expressed great concerns about the Middle Department's defensive strategy for its primary objective of protecting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
corridor. Brig. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in several military campaigns in West Virginia and Maryland....
, commander of the "railroad division" (Department of Harper's Ferry), had been advised that his plan along with Maj. Gen. Milroy's and Maj. Gen. Robert C. Schenck
Robert C. Schenck
Robert Cumming Schenck was a Union Army general in the American Civil War, and American diplomatic representative to Brazil and the United Kingdom. He was at both battles of Bull Run and took part in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, and the Battle of Cross Keys...
's (Commander of the Middle Department) was unsound:
Ewell's Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's force of 19,000 consisted of:- The division of Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early, with the brigadeBrigadeA brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s of Brig. Gens. Harry T. HaysHarry T. HaysHarry Thompson Hays was an American Army officer serving in the Mexican-American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War....
(Louisiana TigersLouisiana TigersLouisiana Tigers was the common nickname for certain infantry troops from the state of Louisiana in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally applied to a specific company, the nickname expanded to a battalion, then to a brigade, and eventually to all Louisiana troops...
), William "Extra Billy" Smith, John B. Gordon, and Isaac E. AveryIsaac E. AveryIsaac Erwin Avery was a planter and an officer in the Confederate States Army. He died at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War... - The division of Maj. Gen. Robert E. RodesRobert E. RodesRobert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate general in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley.-Education, antebellum career:...
, with the brigades of Brig. Gens. Junius DanielJunius DanielJunius Daniel was a planter and career military officer, serving in the United States Army, then in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as a brigadier general. His troops were instrumental in the Confederates' success at the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg...
, George P. DolesGeorge P. DolesGeorge Pierce Doles was a Georgia businessman and Confederate general during the American Civil War. His men played a key role on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg in driving back the Union XI Corps.-Early life:...
, Alfred IversonAlfred Iverson, Jr.Alfred Iverson, Jr. was a lawyer, an officer in the Mexican-American War, a U.S. Army cavalry officer, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served in the 1862–63 campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia as a regimental and later brigade commander...
, Stephen Dodson RamseurStephen Dodson RamseurStephen Dodson Ramseur was one of the youngest Confederate generals in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in battle at the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley.-Early life:...
, and Col. Edward A. O'Neal - The division of Maj. Gen. Edward "Allegheny" JohnsonEdward Johnson (general)Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, with the brigades of Brig. Gens. George H. Steuart, James A. WalkerJames A. WalkerJames Alexander Walker was a Virginia lawyer, politician, and Confederate general during the American Civil War, later serving as a United States Congressman for two terms...
(Stonewall BrigadeStonewall BrigadeThe 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 Institute...
), John M. JonesJohn M. JonesJohn Marshall Jones was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness.-Early life:...
, and Col. Jesse M. WilliamsJesse M. WilliamsJesse Milton Williams commanded a Louisiana regiment in the American Civil War. He briefly held brigade command at the Battle of Gettysburg. Prior to the Civil War, Williams attended the University of Alabama and lived in Mansfield, Louisiana.The 2nd Louisiana Infantry was organized in 1861,...
(Nicholls' Brigade) - The cavalry brigade of Brig. Gen. Albert G. JenkinsAlbert G. JenkinsAlbert Gallatin Jenkins was an attorney, planter, representative to the United States Congress and First Confederate Congress, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War...
- Corps Artillery Reserve under Col. J. Thompson Brown
2nd Division, VIII CorpsVIII Corps (ACW)The VIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Creation and early service :The corps was initially created out of various Union commands as part of the Middle Department in the Shenandoah Valley on July 12, 1862, and was placed under the command of Major General John...
, Middle DepartmentMiddle Military DivisionThe Middle Military Division was an organization of the Union Army during the American Civil War, responsible for operations around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Valley Campaigns of 1864....
Maj. Gen. Robert H. Milroy's force of 6,900 consisted of three infantry brigades, under Brig. Gen. Washington L. Elliot and Cols. Andrew T. McReynolds and William G. Ely, and two small outposts northwest of town under Col. Joseph W. Keifer.Army of Northern Virginia (A.N.Va.) movement
Ewell's movements were coordinated as part of an overall orchestration of the Army of Northern Virginia into position for crossing the Potomac RiverPotomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
toward Pennsylvania by using the Blue Ridge Mountains as a screen. This strategic offensive maneuver was put into effect on 3 June, when Gen. Robert E. Lee stated his intent to "transfer the scene of hostilities beyond the Potomac", by moving in a concealed fashion down the Shenandoah Valley.
Longstreet's First Corps (via Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap, originally William's Gap, is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Loudoun County and Clarke County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by Virginia State Route 7. The Appalachian Trail also passes across the gap...
) and Hill's Third Corps (via Ashby's Gap
Ashby's Gap
Ashby Gap, more commonly known as Ashby's Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Clarke County, Loudoun County and Fauquier County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by U.S. Route 50...
) paralleled the movements of Second Corps to the east through Berryville, Virginia
Berryville, Virginia
Berryville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Clarke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,963 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, and Stuart's Cavalry Division was under orders for careful synchronization and screening for Lee's Army by conducting demonstrations and screening actions along the ANV's right flank east of the Blue Ridge.
Ewell's Second Corps movements
June 4-11 : The Second Corps left Hamilton's Crossing on 4 June and marched to Culpeper, VirginiaCulpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
, arriving 7 June. Receiving intelligence that Union forces had crossed the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
in force, Lee ordered Ewell northeast to Brandy Station, Virginia
Brandy Station, Virginia
Brandy Station is an unincorporated community in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. Its original name was Brandy. The name Brandy Station comes from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad station that was constructed in the 19th century....
on 9 June, to support Major General J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
's actions in the Battle of Brandy Station
Battle of Brandy Station
The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest to take place ever on American soil. It was fought at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign by the Union cavalry under Maj....
, only to find the Union forces already retreating. Ewell resumed the march on 10 June, and on 11 June Early and Johnson's Divisions marched via the Sperryville turnpike to Gaines crossroads, while Rodes' Division took the Richmond road toward Flint Hill. On the evening of the 11th, after consulting with General Lee, Ewell met with Early, Johnson and the Second Corps topographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss, to discuss approach routes, and a general plan for the Second Corps' objective to capture Winchester and Martinsburg
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
.
June 12 : The Second Corps passed through Chester's Gap southeast of Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....
, approaching along the Front Royal Pike (modern U.S. 522). There the Second Corps was joined by its cavalry brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins
Albert G. Jenkins
Albert Gallatin Jenkins was an attorney, planter, representative to the United States Congress and First Confederate Congress, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War...
. Ewell consulted with Early and Jenkins to form his corps-level plan of action, composed of splitting the corps into two basic independent movements:
- North intercept & cut-off maneuver to Berryville & Martinsburg:
- Units: Rodes' Division and Jenkins' cavalry brigade
- Direction of movement: detached north through Berryville, VirginiaBerryville, VirginiaBerryville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Clarke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,963 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to Martinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest... - Ewell's objective: To capture, if possible, McReynolds' force of 1,800 men stationed at Berryville and then to press north to Martinsburg
- Main strike maneuver to Winchester:
- Units: Early's Division, Johnson's Division and the 16th Virginia Cavalry Battalion (Maj. James H. Nounnan) of Jenkins' Brigade
- Direction of movement: Northwest to Winchester, VirginiaWinchester, VirginiaWinchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
- Ewell's objective: To attack the fortifications in Winchester and Milroy's force of 6,000 to 8,000 men
By the end of the day on 12 June, Rodes' Division was five miles north of Front Royal, encamped at Stone Bridge, while Johnson's Division arrived at Cedarville, and Early's Division was encamped near the Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
.
Berryville outpost
By April, four months into his occupation of Winchester, Milroy's loose grip on Confederate raiding in the lower Shenandoah Valley caused enough concern for the Middle Department commander, Schenck, to directly order Milroy to post one brigade further to the east at Berryville. It offered a base of operations to patrol crossings of the Shenandoah RiverShenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
and lookout for Confederates raiding in and out of both Snicker's Gap and Ashby's Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the eastern border of the valley. In response, Milroy posted McReynolds' brigade in Berryville, with orders to evacuate to Winchester upon the signal of the firing of one of the heavy artillery guns.
Cavalry defenses
Milroy stationed pickets and videttes around Winchester, but they were positioned so close to Winchester, due to bushwacking of his patrols, that Milroy had practically no surveillance of the situation around himself. His caution in posting outlying videttes was also perhaps due to the severe losses he incurred in trying to suppress various Confederate cavalry raids that kept occurring in his district, such as on 26 February, when he sent the 1st New York Cavalry and the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry out to pursue raiders. They met the 7th and 11th Virginia Cavalry, under the command of Col. O. R. Funsten, and suffered a devastating loss of 197 Federal cavalry, including 12 officers. Milroy also often recorded many other grand-sounding cavalry incursions supposedly capturing or killing many of Colonel John S. MosbyJohn S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby , nicknamed the "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War...
's rangers in the weeks and months leading up to June; however, the records of Mosby's Rangers do not corroborate or mention most of these engagements Milroy's farthest outlying videttes to the south were located at or near Parkins Mill Battery at the Opequon Creek
Opequon Creek
Opequon Creek is a tributary stream of the Potomac River. It flows into the Potomac northeast of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, and its source lies northwest of the community of Opequon at the foot of Great North Mountain in Frederick County, Virginia...
crossing, a mere four miles south of Winchester. Other reports of Federal videttes to the west of Winchester were never seen or encountered by Confederate forces.
Fortifications
Lunette (fortification)
In fortification a lunette was originally an outwork of half-moon shape; later it became a redan with short flanks, in trace somewhat resembling a bastion standing by itself without curtains on either side...
s circumferencing the town, as well as along the outlying turnpike routes entering town. Within Winchester, Milroy constructed or improved ten defensive fortifications, numbered Battery No. 1 through Battery No. 10, making improvements on many pre-existing forts and fortifications left by prior Confederate and Federal occupations. The fortifications were linked in places with roads and trenches, and the use of these were a key to Milroy's defensive strategy. Through a combination of retreating his forces into the defensive works, and then using his long-range heavy artillery, Milroy felt that he could hold out for weeks (if not months) against any force that may be thrown against him.
During the battle, Milroy concentrated his forces on the ridges west of town in his three highest and most improved forts connected by trenches. The larger forts were named:
- Battery No. 2 - Fort Milroy: Originally built by Confederate troops and called the "fortification on the heights" or the "Main Fort", this was improved under Maj. Gen. Banks and called "Fort Garibaldi" by the 39th New York regiment. The fort was improved extensively by Milroy's troops and held 14 guns, including heavy artillery, and renamed Fort Milroy (but then renamed Fort Jackson after the battle).
- Battery No. 3 - Star Fort: This fort was built by Federal troops in 1862, improved by Milroy, and equipped with 8 guns. (Renamed Fort Alabama).
- Battery No. 5 - West Fort: This was a 4-gun lunette located due west of Fort Milroy (later renamed Louisiana Heights)
The lesser fortifications initially used, but abandoned by Milroy during the course of the battle were:
- Battery No. 1: A linear entrenchment-lunette along Bower's Hill south of Fort Milroy (Battery 2).
- Battery No. 4: A large star lunette with entrenchments and minor lunettes containing 6 guns, located due north of Star Fort (Battery 3) along the same ridge line (north of moder VA 37).
- Battery No. 6: A small lunette with 2 guns on a hill peak located in between West Fort (Battery 5) and Battery 7 (modern exit of VA 37 onto VA 522).
- Battery No. 7: A large lunette and trench line with 8 guns on Apple Pie Ridge west of Apple Pie Ridge Road (modern James Wood High School).
- Battery No. 8: A grouping of two redans downhill west of Star Fort (Battery 3).
- Battery No. 9: Unknown location.
- Battery No. 10: this was the Confederate Fort Collier built on the east side of the Martinsburg turnpike on the north end of town.
- Fortification at Opequon Crossing (Parkins Mill Battery): A lunette or redan 4 miles south of Winchester at the Opequon River crossing on the Front Royal turnpike (modern VA 522).
For further information see:The Occupation of Major General Robert Milroy
Ewell's attack plan
Ewell and his generals were well acquainted with the tactical situation in Winchester, having fought through here under Lt. Gen. Jackson during the First Battle of WinchesterFirst Battle of Winchester
The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Jackson enveloped the...
, and understood the layout of the various fortifications and terrain masking opportunities on the west side of town. Therefore, Ewell further split his main attack force of two divisions into two basic flanking movements:
- West (Left) Flanking Movement
- Units: Early's Division, Brown's artillery battalion, 1st Maryland Infantry Battalion and the Baltimore Light Artillery
- Direction: West to Newton, on the Valley Pike
- Ewell's objective: Approach Winchester from the southwest, and seek flanking avenues of approach from the west and northwest ridges of town
- East (Right) Flanking Movement
- Units: Johnson's Division, 16th Virginia cavalry battalion
- Direction: Northwest to Winchester on the Front Royal Pike
- Ewell's objective: Perform demonstrations moving north along the east side of Winchester to "divert attention" from Early's movements
Johnson's Division advances on the Front Royal Pike
Johnson's division, while moving northwest on the Front Royal Pike, drove back Federal pickets at the Opequon River crossing (Parkins Mill Battery) around 8:30 a.m., and engaged in cavalry skirmishes at Hoge Run around 9:30 a.m. Johnson's advance stalled under fire from Fort Milroy's heavy guns shortly before noon, and skirmishing and artillery engagements commended afterward with Federal artillery located on the hill near Hollinsworth Mill. Johnson held his position at that point to synchronize with the arrival of Early's Division.Early's Division advances on the Valley Pike
Ewell ordered Early's Division to cross west via Ninevah to NewtownStephens City, Virginia
Stephens City is an incorporated town in the southern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 1,829 at the time of the 2010 Census....
and move north on the Valley Pike
Valley Pike
Valley Pike or Valley Turnpike is the traditional name given for the Indian trail and roadway which now is designated as U.S. Highway 11 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia....
. Arriving at the outskirts of Kernstown
Kernstown, Virginia
Kernstown is an unincorporated community within the independent city of Winchester, Virginia. Parts of Kernstown also lie within Frederick County. It is centered along the Valley Pike U.S. Highway 11. During the American Civil War, the first and second Battles of Kernstown were fought here.- See...
light infantry and artillery engagements commenced around noon. Late in the afternoon, around 4 p.m., Early pushed back Federal skirmishers at the Valley Pike toll-gate and after minor engagements, the Federal forces retreated north of Abrams Creek
Abrams Creek
Abrams Creek is an tributary stream of Opequon Creek in Frederick County and the independent city of Winchester in Virginia. Abrams Creek rises north of Round Hill and flows in a southeasterly direction through Winchester. From Winchester, Abrams Creek flows east into Opequon Creek...
.
Milroy concentrates into his forts
Milroy, despite the engagements up to point, still had no idea that he was facing the entire Second Corps of Lee's Army. Milroy concentrated all of his forces in the three forts defending the town. Having feared exactly this type of a scenario, General-in-chief Henry W. Halleck had asked Schenck to order Milroy to fall back from Winchester to Harpers Ferry. Although Schenck had discussed evacuation with Milroy, he left no clear direction for Milroy to evacuate, since Milroy had convinced Schenck that his defensive position in Winchester was strong. Milroy had previously decided to disregard concerns from Washington because he was confident that the strength of his fortifications would allow his garrison to withstand an assault or a siege.Rodes' Division advances on Berryville and Martinsburg
Ewell, based on good intelligence from sources in the lower Valley, had foreseen that Milroy's only escape route could be successfully blocked and had already anticipated by having Rodes' Division advance on Martinsburg via Berryville to cut off Milroy's expected retreat route, per his plans from 11 June. That afternoon, having reached Berryville, Rodes' Division and Jenkins' cavalry brigade attempted to capture McReynolds' Brigade, but, alerted to the Confederate movement by the firing of signal guns by Milroy's main force in Winchester, McReynolds withdrew to Winchester, where his force occupied the Star Fort north of town. Nevertheless, the Confederates were able to capture portions of the Federal supply train at nearby Bunker Hill, West VirginiaBunker Hill, West Virginia
Bunker Hill is an unincorporated town in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States located on Winchester Pike at its junction with West Virginia Secondary Route 26 south of Martinsburg. It is the site of the confluence of Torytown Run and Mill Creek, a tributary of Opequon Creek...
, along with 75 prisoners. Subsequently Confederate forces cut the telegram line into Winchester, eliminating Milroy's only line of communication, and by sundown on 13 June Rodes' Division had reached Martinsburg, capturing the town along with five Federal artillery pieces. The night of 13 June a storm arose, and a strong rain drenched Winchester and the lower Valley all night long.
Early's left flanking march to Apple Pie Ridge
At dawn on June 14, Gordon's Brigade swept forward to capture Bower's Hill with little resistance. Johnson extended his line to the right against very light opposition; there was fitful skirmishing in the streets of Winchester. Early and Ewell conferred on Bower's Hill and decided on a flanking strategy. Gordon's Brigade and two batteries were left on Bower's Hill, while Early led his three other brigades back to Cedar Creek Grade, west beyond Apple Pie Ridge where it was out of view of Federal fortifications, then north over Cloverdale Plantation to Walnut Grove. His column was accompanied by 20 guns. While Early made this march, Johnson advanced a line of skirmishers on the right to occupy the Federals' attention, providing diversionary skirmishing all day from 10 a.m. until about 4 p.m. The Confederate batteries on Bower's Hill opened up, touching off a duel with the Federal guns in Fort Milroy. By mid-afternoon, Early's force had gained a position opposite West Fort on Apple Pie Ridge. Eight guns were positioned on the Brierly Farm northwest of the fort, while 12 guns were placed in an orchard southwest of the fort, but by this time the field had quieted. Within the Federal forts, Milroy and his sub-commanders believed that the Confederates had been repulsed from Winchester, still seemingly unaware they were now totally surrounded and cut off, with the additional problem of an entire division (Rodes') occupying their primary escape route north.Early's attack on West Fort
About 6 p.m., Early's artillery opened fire on West Fort. The twenty guns fired for 45 minutes, while Hays stealthily advanced his Louisiana brigade through the corn and wheat fields at the base of Apple Pie Ridge. On command, the brigade rushed forward across 300 yards of open fields and swept upward into the works. After a brief hand-to-hand struggle, the Federal defenders abandoned the works, retreating to Fort Milroy, while their own captured artillery were turned around and used against them. Hays was supported in the attack by Smith's and Avery's brigade, and Early consolidated his line on West Fort (or Flint) Ridge, but darkness prevented further gains. An artillery duel continued until long after dark. After the battle, Ewell christened West Fort Ridge as "Louisiana Heights" in honor of Hays's brigade. That evening, Ewell located his Corps Headquarters at the Bowers' House, while Early's Division pounded away at Milroy's main fort in an artillery duel well into the night.Johnson's right flanking march toward Stephenson's Depot
Ewell assumed that Milroy might attempt a retreat during the night and ordered Johnson to prevent his escape by marching north and cutting off escape to the east-north-east via the Charles Town Road, a potential escape route that could possibly bypass the position of Rodes' Division in the north. Therefore, about 9 p.m., Johnson (with Steuart's and Williams's brigades and 8 guns) commenced a night march north to Berryville Pike and west to Jordan Springs Road, where he turned north toward Stephenson's Depot, a train stop on the Winchester and Potomac Railroad near the intersection of the Martinsburg Pike and the Charles Town Road. About midnight, the Stonewall BrigadeStonewall 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 Institute...
disengaged and joined the rear of the column, leaving one brigade (Jones) astride the Berryville Pike east of town.
Milroy retreats up the Martinsburg Pike
Also at 9 p.m., at a formal council of warCouncil of war
A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. Under normal circumstances, decisions are made by a commanding officer, optionally communicated and coordinated by staff officers, and then implemented by...
, Milroy and his officers made the decision to try to "cut their way through" to Harpers Ferry on the old Charles Town Road, the very same road that Confederate Johnson and his division were marching toward to cut off. All of the cannons were spiked and their carriages destroyed. Shortly after midnight, the Federal soldiers pulled their colors and left their works so quietly that Early's Confederates did not know they were gone until morning. The column massed in the low ground between Star Fort and Fort Milroy, then moved down along the railroad line and the Valley Pike toward the Charles Town crossroad, just south of Stephenson's Depot.
June 15: Johnson's attack at Stephenson's Depot
Near dawn on June 15, Johnson's skirmishers encountered the head of Milroy's retreating column near the intersection of the Valley Pike and old Charles Town road. Milroy faced his column to the right on the pike and prepared to fight his way out of a "murderous trap" by enveloping the enemy. Johnson deployed his regiments along Milburn Road as they came up and advanced to the railroad and placed two guns on either side of the Charles Town Road railroad bridge. The rest of the artillery was deployed on the heights east of Milburn Road. As it grew light, Federal forces made several desperate but uncoordinated attacks against the bridge and railroad embankment. The Confederates were being steadily reinforced and repulsed each attempt. Nicholl's Brigade crushed the final Federal attack and the Stonewall Brigade then came up in line of battle north of the road and advanced to cut the Valley Pike. This was the final blow; and some remaining Federal regiments hoisted the white flag. At some point Milroy's horse was shot out from under him, and the Division as a whole scattered in various directions to the northwest, north, and northeast, with some small groups even managing to escape covertly to the southeast toward and through Manassas GapManassas Gap
Manassas Gap is a wind gap of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Fauquier County and Warren County in Virginia. At an elevation of 887 feet above sea level, it is the lowest crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state....
into Federally-controlled territory.
Casualty reports
Both Union and Confederate Official Record reports on casualties are practically identical. Ewell reported:- "The fruits of this victory were 23 pieces of artillery (nearly all rifled), 4,000 prisoners, 300 loaded wagons, more than 300 horses, and quite a large amount of commissary and quartermaster's stores."
This prisoner count seems to include the capture of all the Federal wounded hospitalized in Winchester, since Ewell's topographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss counts about 2,000 prisoners from the town, along with an estimate of about 1,500 that escaped to Harper's Ferry, along with more prisoners captured during pursuits from the Confederate cavalry. When Milroy appeared later in Harpers Ferry, he was immediately placed under arrest. Shortly after Schenck reported Milroy's arrest had expired, Aide-de-Camp Capt. Frederick A. Palmer, 18th Connecticut Infantry, reported in an extensive and detailed table of all units, summarized:
- Killed: 7 Officers, 88 Enlisted men, Wounded: 12 Officers, 336 Enlisted men, Captured or missing: 144 Officers, 3856 Enlisted men.
Thus, while Ewell reports 4,000 captured,the VIII Corps
VIII Corps (ACW)
The VIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Creation and early service :The corps was initially created out of various Union commands as part of the Middle Department in the Shenandoah Valley on July 12, 1862, and was placed under the command of Major General John...
reports 144 Officers and 3856 Enlisted men missing or captured, which also adds to 4,000. Captain Palmer summarized the Union losses at a total of 4,443 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades from the 2nd Division, VIII Corps including all independent attachments.
Johnson's Division, alone, captured 3,500 prisoners in the action at Stephenson's Depot, and this is not surprising, since this is the only major engagement of the war in which an entire Division column was attacked at night while route-marching on a road. General Johnson claimed to have taken 30 prisoners "with his opera glass!" as well as "11 stands of colors, 175 horses, and arms and accoutrements of every description".
Some casualty estimates range lower. Eicher writes that Confederate casualties were 269 (47 killed, 219 wounded, 3 missing); Union 3,801 (95 killed, 348 wounded, 3,358 missing or captured). Difficult to account for in the records are additional numbers of captured Union soldiers from the many hospitals in Winchester.
The casualty ratio in this engagement of two divisions against one was an amazing 269 to 4,443 or 0.06 ... the most lopsided for an engagement of this size in the entire war. It's no wonder that Confederate artillerist Maj. Robert Stiles wrote, "This battle of Winchester ... was one of the most perfect pieces of work the Army of Northern Virginia ever did."
A division lost, two battalions gained
Milroy and his staff, his cavalry, and other small units, totaling about 1,200 escaped to Harpers Ferry. Additionally, in the days following the battle "2,700 more turned up in Bloody Run, Pennsylvania" Milroy's command ceased to exist, and the scattered remnants of what was the 2nd Division, VIII Corps were assimilated back into the Middle Department, while Milroy was placed under arrest. The Confederates had merely hoped to re-supply and forage, but with the easy capture of Winchester, they captured enough artillery and horses to equip a battalion of infantry and cavalry, including 28 guns (23 at Winchester and 5 at Martinsburg) and 300 horses in total. Additionally, the Confederates captured a great quantity of food, clothing, small arms ammunition and medical stores in Winchester.Following this battle, a Court of Inquiry was held, and both President Abraham Lincoln and Halleck desired to know who disobeyed the orders to "evacuate Winchester". President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Milroy:
The nature of the inquiry was later changed from investigating who disobeyed orders to evacuate Winchester, to the discovery of the events and nature of the retreat from Winchester. Milroy was exonerated and claimed that his brilliant defensive action at Winchester was instrumental in causing the timing of the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, leading to the overall Union victory for the campaign. Despite this, Halleck insisted that Milroy not be given any more commands.
Contribution to Lee's Gettysburg CampaignGettysburg CampaignThe Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
The victory at Second Winchester cleared the Valley of Federal troops and opened the door for Lee's second invasion of the North. The capturing of ample supplies justified Lee's conceptual plan to provision his army on the march. The Federal defeat stunned the North, and Secretary of WarUnited States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
called for additional militia to be federalized. Shortly afterwards, President Lincoln requested 100,000 volunteers to repel the threatened invasion. Several fleeing members of the scattered 87th Pennsylvania hastily tramped back to their homes near Gettysburg and in adjoining York County, Pennsylvania
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, spreading news to local officials that the Confederates were now in the Valley in strength, with apparent designs on invading Pennsylvania. Gov. Andrew Curtin of Pennsylvania, in response to these reports and other military intelligence, called for 50,000 volunteers to protect the Keystone State.
Ewell's followup
Immediately following the battle, Ewell dispatched the entire Corps cavalry brigade under Jenkins on a raid to Chambersburg, PennsylvaniaChambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
, to forage and reconnoiter. Ewell placed his Second Corps Headquarters about 3 miles north of Winchester and then at Mr. Boyd's house near Bunker's Hill. The captured flag of Fort Milroy was used to create a new Confederate flag, and Ewell and Early attended a christening ceremony in which the new flag was hosted, and the fort officially renamed "Fort Jackson" in honor of the recently slain former Second Corps commander. Topographer Jedediah Hotchkiss then commenced an all day survey, creating his now famous map of the battle which appears at the head of this article.
Leadership contribution
Jubal Early's leadership in this battle was superb. Later, Lee had the utmost confidence in Early, ultimately giving him not just the Confederate Second Corps, but a new Valley District army to try again, in 1864, the distracting demonstration invasion of the United States that Lee had always dreamed of. Early succeeded, where Lee failed twice at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg, and shelled Fort Stevens in Washington, D.C.Medals of Honor
During the Second Battle of Winchester, two Union enlisted men and one officer received the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for their actions.
- 2nd Lt. James R. DurhamJames R. DurhamJames R. Durham was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Second Battle of Winchester, Virginia on June 14, 1863.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, 12th West Virginia Infantry - Musician John T. PattersonJohn Patterson (Medal of Honor)John Thomas Patterson served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Winchester....
, 122nd Ohio Infantry - Pvt. Elbridge RobinsonElbridge RobinsonElbridge Robinson was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Second Battle of Winchester, Virginia on June 14, 1863.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, 122nd Ohio Infantry
See also
- Confederate order of battle
- Union order of battle
- Gettysburg CampaignGettysburg CampaignThe Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
- Winchester in the American Civil War
- Flanking maneuverFlanking maneuverIn military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
External links
- Detailed order of battle
- Ewell's Official Report
- Johnson's Official Report
- History.Net battle description
- Official Records: Return of Casualties in the Union forces at Winchester, Va., June 13-15, 1863.
- National Park Service battle description and battlefield preservation
- National Park Service Battle Summary
- CWSAC Report Update
- The Second Battle of Winchester - Extracted from The Reminiscences of Lorenzo D. Barnhart, Company B, 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry