Overview
In 1862, Union leaders tried to capture Richmond, Virginia, and end the Civil War quickly. During the Peninsula Campaign, General George McClellan moved the Army of the Potomac toward the Confederate capital. By June, McClellan had reached the outskirts of Richmond, but General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia forced him to retreat during the Seven Days Battles.
As McClellan withdrew, President Abraham Lincoln appointed General John Pope to command the newly created Army of Virginia. Lee decided to attack Pope before his army could unite with McClellan’s forces. On July 13, Lee sent 14,000 troops under General Stonewall Jackson to protect Confederate railroad connections with the Shenandoah Valley. Later that month, General A. P. Hill joined Jackson with another 12,000 troops.
On August 6, Pope marched south into Culpeper County and threatened the railroad junction at Gordonsville. Lee responded by ordering Jackson to stop Pope. Before Pope could concentrate his forces, Jackson moved against General Nathaniel Banks.
On August 9, Jackson marched toward Culpeper Court House. After encountering Union artillery near Cedar Run, Confederate forces formed a defensive line near Cedar Mountain. Confederate and Union artillery exchanged fire throughout the afternoon.
At about 5:00 p.m., Banks launched two attacks. Union troops initially forced some Confederate infantry and artillery crews from their positions. General Jubal A. Early stopped the Union advance on the Confederate right, while Jackson personally rallied troops in the center. General A. P. Hill then arrived with reinforcements and helped drive back the Union attacks.
Confederate troops pursued the retreating Union forces until Jackson learned that General Irvin McDowell had arrived with reinforcements. Jackson withdrew to Gordonsville on August 12. Two weeks later, Lee, Jackson, and General James Longstreet defeated Pope at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: The Battle of Slaughter’s Mountain, the Battle of Cedar Run.
- Date: August 9, 1862.
- Location: Culpeper County, Virginia.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: Nathaniel P. Banks.
- CSA Commanders: Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Cedar Mountain.
- Campaign: Northern Virginia Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, July–December, 1862.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 2,353 (314 killed, 1,445 wounded, and 594 missing or captured).
- Forces Engaged: Army of Virginia.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 12,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 1,338 (231 killed and 1,107 wounded).
- Forces Engaged: Army of Northern Virginia.
- Troop Strength: 22,000.
Key Details
- The Battle of Cedar Mountain was the opening battle in the Northern Virginia Campaign.
- Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, performed her first field duty at the Battle of Cedar Mountain.
- The Battle of Cedar Mountain was the only recorded time in the Civil War that “Stonewall” Jackson drew his sword during battle.
Significance
The Battle of Cedar Mountain is important to American History because it was the opening battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Nathaniel Banks and roughly 12,000 Union troops came close to seriously damaging Stonewall Jackson’s Confederate force when they launched two attacks on August 9, 1862. However, Jackson rallied his troops, Jubal A. Early stopped the Union advance on the Confederate right, and A. P. Hill arrived with reinforcements that helped repel the attacks. The Confederate victory allowed Jackson to withdraw to Gordonsville, where additional troops reinforced him. Two weeks later, Confederate forces defeated John Pope’s army at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
History
In 1862, Union leaders attempted to bring a quick end to the American Civil War by capturing the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. On March 17, Major General George McClellan began moving the 50,000 men of the Army of the Potomac toward Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign. By June, McClellan reached the outskirts of the Confederate capital but, ultimately, retreated after losing a series of encounters, collectively known as the Seven Days Battles, to General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.
Lee Pursues Pope
As Lee forced McClellan to withdraw from the peninsula, President Lincoln appointed Major General John Pope to command the newly created Army of Virginia. Sensing that McClellan now posed little threat to Richmond, Lee took the offensive before Pope could unite his army with McClellan’s retreating forces. On July 13, Lee dispatched 14,000 Confederate troops under the command of Major General Stonewall Jackson to secure Confederate railroad links with the Shenandoah Valley. Later that month, Lee sent 12,000 more men, commanded by Major General A. P. Hill, to support Jackson.
On August 6, Pope marched south into Culpeper County, intent on capturing the rail junction at Gordonsville, where the Orange and Alexandria Railroad crosses the Virginia Central Railroad. As Pope approached Culpeper Court House, Lee ordered Jackson to Gordonsville, instructing him that “I want Pope to be suppressed.”
The Battle of Cedar Mountain Begins
Before Pope could gather his forces, Jackson launched an offensive against the center of Pope’s army, commanded by Major General Nathaniel Banks. On August 9, Jackson marched his army up the main road toward Culpeper Court House in the oppressive heat. When the Confederates encountered Union artillery near Cedar Run, Brigadier General Jubal A. Early hastily formed a line perpendicular to the road, anchored on the shoulder of Cedar (or Slaughter’s) Mountain. The Confederates then began an artillery barrage on Banks’ soldiers from the mountain, from a small wooded knoll known afterward as the Cedars, and from a gate where the Crittenden House lane met the main road. Banks responded by bringing up his own big guns, and the two sides engaged in an artillery duel throughout the afternoon.
Confederates Turn Back Union Assaults
At approximately 5:00 p.m., Banks launched two attacks against the Confederates. The Confederate artillery at the Cedars and the Gate, along with their supporting infantry, began fleeing from the field. Early hastened to the front from Cedar Mountain and halted the Union advance on the Confederate right. Jackson, meanwhile, galloped into the center of the assault, brandishing his sword — with the scabbard rusted to it — along with a battle flag, and rallied the rest of the troops. A. P. Hill arrived shortly afterward with reinforcements that repulsed the Union attacks.
The Battle Ends
The Confederates pursued the retreating Union Army until after dark. When Jackson learned that Major General Irvin McDowell and reinforcements had arrived, he called off the pursuit.
Timeline
- 1862, March 17 — George McClellan moved the Army of the Potomac toward Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign.
- 1862, June — McClellan reached the outskirts of Richmond but retreated after the Seven Days Battles.
- 1862, July 13 — Robert E. Lee sent 14,000 Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson to protect railroad connections with the Shenandoah Valley.
- 1862, July — Lee sent another 12,000 troops under A. P. Hill to reinforce Jackson.
- 1862, August 6 — John Pope marched south into Culpeper County with plans to capture the railroad junction at Gordonsville.
- 1862, August 9
- Jackson moved against Nathaniel Banks and fought the Battle of Cedar Mountain.
- Banks launched two attacks against the Confederate lines at about 5:00 p.m.
- Jubal A. Early stopped the Union advance, Jackson rallied his troops, and A. P. Hill arrived with reinforcements that helped repel the Union attacks.
- Jackson stopped pursuing the retreating Union forces after learning that Irvin McDowell had arrived with reinforcements.
- 1862, August 12 — Jackson withdrew to Gordonsville, where Confederate forces reinforced him.
- 1862, August 28–30 — Lee, Jackson, and James Longstreet defeated Pope’s army at the Second Battle of Bull Run.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Cedar Mountain (1862) — The Battle of Cedar Mountain was fought on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as the opening battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Stonewall Jackson attacked Nathaniel Banks before Union forces could concentrate. Banks launched two attacks that threatened the Confederate position, but Jackson rallied his troops. A. P. Hill arrived with reinforcements and helped repel the Union attacks, securing a Confederate victory that preceded the Second Battle of Bull Run.
Alignment
The Battle of Cedar Mountain is part of the following AP US History sections:
