Romney Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Romney Expedition was a military expedition of the Confederate States Army
during the early part of the American Civil War
. It is named for Romney, West Virginia
, which at the time was still in the state of Virginia
. The expedition was conducted in this locale from January 1 to January 24, 1862, as part of the preliminary actions of Stonewall Jackson
's Valley Campaign
. Confederate forces under Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson cleared Union forces
under Major General Nathaniel Banks and Brigadier General
William S. Rosecrans from the lower Shenandoah Valley
and surrounding Allegheny ranges
, and then successfully severed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
.
of the Department of Northern Virginia on October 22. He arrived to establish his command headquarters at Winchester, Virginia
, on November 4. Upon his arrival, he requested command of all forces in the Valley and along the Allegheny ridges south of Winchester, formerly under General Robert E. Lee
. He was given his old Stonewall Brigade
and Brigadier General William W. Loring
's Division, which were fully not fully assembled until Christmas 1861. In the meantime, Jackson assembled all local cavalry
forces into a new regiment
under the command of Colonel Turner Ashby
, and then used Ashby's force to conduct raids destroying sections of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
.
Jackson soon conceived a grand scheme to retake control of western Virginia (later the state of West Virginia) by conducting a large expedition along the Potomac River
valley along the northern boundary of Virginia.
His assembled forces of 11,000 men were a bit short of the 15,000 he desired to conduct the operation, but he proceeded on the expedition anyway.
Opposing Jackson were Banks's V Corps
in Frederick, Maryland
, which was patrolling and guarding the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry
to Williamsport, Maryland
. Additionally, Rosecrans had 5,000 men under Brigadier General Benjamin F. Kelley posted at Romney. Rosecrans had his own plans to capture what he thought was the lightly defended town of Winchester and fortify and hold it as a base of operations to threaten Confederate positions at Manassas Junction
.
Jackson departed Winchester on January 1 with a force of about 9,000 men, under very warm spring-like weather conditions, leaving 2,000 to guard Winchester and the surrounding area. During the first night of the expedition, a severe winter storm set in, bringing snow, sleet and ice. One Confederate officer recalled:
Despite adverse conditions, Jackson pressed on and occupied Bath, which had been evacuated by Brigadier General Frederick W. Lander
, who had just superseded Rosecrans. Lander's forces retreated to Hancock, Maryland
, and prevented Jackson from crossing the river in the Battle of Hancock
. Jackson conducted an artillery bombardment, destroyed a section of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and proceeded on to Romney
.
While en route to Romney, Kelley made a reconnaissance-in-force towards Winchester, encountering leading Confederate militia
from Jackson at Hanging Rock Pass
. He easily defeated the Southerners and captured two artillery pieces. Despite this advantage, Kelley retreated from Romney on January 10, and Jackson entered and occupied the town on January 14. From here, Jackson planned his next step of advancing to Cumberland, Maryland
, but the severe winter weather had so hampered the morale of many of his troops who were from warmer regions much further south, that he canceled his further expeditionary plans. Jackson left Loring's Division to occupy Romney and returned to Winchester on January 24 with his old Stonewall Brigade and Ashby's Regiment.
.
in Richmond, Virginia
, resulting in an order from the Secretary to Jackson to withdraw Loring from Romney on grounds that his position was exposed to possible isolation by Federal forces. Jackson complied with the order, but angry with direct interference from Richmond internal to his command, he filed charges for a court-martial
against Loring and resigned his commission, asking in a letter to Governor
John Letcher
on January 31 to be transferred to the position of Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute
(VMI) in Lexington, Virginia
. Under pressure from his former commander General Joseph E. Johnston
and from Governor Letcher, Jackson withdrew his resignation. The charges against Loring were dropped, however, and all non-Virginia forces, along with Loring, were reassigned out of the Valley District elsewhere, reducing Jackson's effective force to about 4,000 men.
This reduction had a direct impact upon Jackson's ability to defend the lower Shenandoah Valley, and led to the need to evacuate Winchester on March 9 in the face of superior forces advancing to Winchester under Union Maj. Gen. Banks. Therefore, despite having prevented Rosecrans's goal of taking Winchester in January or February 1862, the insurrection of Loring's Division and its subsequent reassignment led to the inevitable seizure of Winchester by General Banks in March. It was not until Jackson was able to be reinforced with more disciplined and seasoned troops from Major General Richard S. Ewell
's Division that he would be able to retake the initiative in the Shenandoah Valley.
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...
during the early part of 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...
. It is named for Romney, West Virginia
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
, which at the time was still in the state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The expedition was conducted in this locale from January 1 to January 24, 1862, as part of the preliminary actions of Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign
Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War...
. Confederate forces under Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson cleared Union forces
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...
under Major General Nathaniel Banks and Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
William S. Rosecrans from the lower 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...
and surrounding Allegheny ranges
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, and then successfully severed 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...
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
.
Background
Major General Jackson, newly promoted on October 7, 1861, was given command of the newly formed Valley DistrictValley District
The Valley District was an organization of the Confederate States Army and subsection of the Department of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War, responsible for operations between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Allegheny Mountains of Virginia. It was created on October 22, 1861, and was...
of the Department of Northern Virginia on October 22. He arrived to establish his command headquarters at 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...
, on November 4. Upon his arrival, he requested command of all forces in the Valley and along the Allegheny ridges south of Winchester, formerly under 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....
. He was given his old Stonewall Brigade
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 Institute...
and Brigadier General William W. Loring
William W. Loring
William Wing Loring was a soldier from North Carolina who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt.-Early life:...
's Division, which were fully not fully assembled until Christmas 1861. In the meantime, Jackson assembled all local cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
forces into a new regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
under the command of Colonel Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby, Jr. was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. He had achieved prominence as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander, in the grade of colonel, in the Shenandoah Valley before he was killed in battle in 1862...
, and then used Ashby's force to conduct raids destroying sections of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
.
Jackson soon conceived a grand scheme to retake control of western Virginia (later the state of West Virginia) by conducting a large expedition along the Potomac River
Potomac 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...
valley along the northern boundary of Virginia.
His assembled forces of 11,000 men were a bit short of the 15,000 he desired to conduct the operation, but he proceeded on the expedition anyway.
Opposing Jackson were Banks's V Corps
V Corps (ACW)
The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
, which was patrolling and guarding the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
to Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
. Additionally, Rosecrans had 5,000 men under Brigadier General Benjamin F. Kelley posted at Romney. Rosecrans had his own plans to capture what he thought was the lightly defended town of Winchester and fortify and hold it as a base of operations to threaten Confederate positions at Manassas Junction
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
.
The expedition
The road was almost an uninterrupted sheet of ice, rendering it almost impossible for man or beast to travel, while by moonlight the beards of the men, matted with ice, glistened like crystals.
Despite adverse conditions, Jackson pressed on and occupied Bath, which had been evacuated by Brigadier General Frederick W. Lander
Frederick W. Lander
Frederick West Lander was a transcontinental United States explorer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a prolific poet.-Birth and early years:...
, who had just superseded Rosecrans. Lander's forces retreated to Hancock, Maryland
Hancock, Maryland
Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2000 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state...
, and prevented Jackson from crossing the river in the Battle of Hancock
Battle of Hancock
The Battle of Hancock, also called the Romney Campaign, was a battle fought during the Romney Expedition, occurred January 5–6, 1862, in Washington County, Maryland, and Morgan County, West Virginia, as part of Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
. Jackson conducted an artillery bombardment, destroyed a section of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and proceeded on to Romney
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
.
While en route to Romney, Kelley made a reconnaissance-in-force towards Winchester, encountering leading Confederate militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
from Jackson at Hanging Rock Pass
Hanging Rock, West Virginia
Hanging Rock is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Hanging Rock is named for the "Hanging Rock" outcrop that hangs over the Northwestern Turnpike . It should not be confused with the plural "Hanging Rocks" over the South Branch Potomac River north of...
. He easily defeated the Southerners and captured two artillery pieces. Despite this advantage, Kelley retreated from Romney on January 10, and Jackson entered and occupied the town on January 14. From here, Jackson planned his next step of advancing to Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, but the severe winter weather had so hampered the morale of many of his troops who were from warmer regions much further south, that he canceled his further expeditionary plans. Jackson left Loring's Division to occupy Romney and returned to Winchester on January 24 with his old Stonewall Brigade and Ashby's Regiment.
Aftermath
Although his lofty goal of recapturing western Virginia was not achieved, Jackson did succeed in both thwarting a Union attack on Winchester and in clearing his new Valley District of all Federal forces. Jackson also effectively used Winchester as a "depot, headquarters and springboard" for various raids against the B&O RailroadBaltimore 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...
.
The Romney Insurrection
In late January, discontented officers in Loring's Division wrote a letter of petition to the Confederate Secretary of WarConfederate States Secretary of War
The Confederate States Secretary of War was a member of the Confederate States President's Cabinet during the Civil War. The Secretary of War led the Confederate States Department of War. The position ended in May 1865 when the Confederacy crumbled during John C. Breckinridge's tenure of the...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, resulting in an order from the Secretary to Jackson to withdraw Loring from Romney on grounds that his position was exposed to possible isolation by Federal forces. Jackson complied with the order, but angry with direct interference from Richmond internal to his command, he filed charges for a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
against Loring and resigned his commission, asking in a letter to Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
John Letcher
John Letcher
John Letcher was an American lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served as a Representative in the United States Congress, was the 34th Governor of Virginia during the American Civil War, and later served in the Virginia General Assembly...
on January 31 to be transferred to the position of Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
(VMI) in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
. Under pressure from his former commander General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
and from Governor Letcher, Jackson withdrew his resignation. The charges against Loring were dropped, however, and all non-Virginia forces, along with Loring, were reassigned out of the Valley District elsewhere, reducing Jackson's effective force to about 4,000 men.
This reduction had a direct impact upon Jackson's ability to defend the lower Shenandoah Valley, and led to the need to evacuate Winchester on March 9 in the face of superior forces advancing to Winchester under Union Maj. Gen. Banks. Therefore, despite having prevented Rosecrans's goal of taking Winchester in January or February 1862, the insurrection of Loring's Division and its subsequent reassignment led to the inevitable seizure of Winchester by General Banks in March. It was not until Jackson was able to be reinforced with more disciplined and seasoned troops from Major 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...
's Division that he would be able to retake the initiative in the Shenandoah Valley.
See also
- Romney, West Virginia during the American Civil WarRomney, West Virginia during the American Civil WarThe city of Romney, Virginia traded hands between the Union Army and Confederate States Army no fewer than 10 times during the American Civil War, assuming the occupying force spent at least one night in the town...
- Winchester in the American Civil War